Your roof is one of the most important features of your home. It's what keeps the weather out of your living space. Keeping your roof sound and weather-tight is an important step in maintaining your home's value. You also want to keep your roof looking beautiful and stain free. Preventing mold from growing on your shingles is an important step to maintaining your roof.
Spray and Forget
The product line from Spray and Forget protects roof shingles from mold and mildew. It is safe for all types of shingles including asphalt, tile and shake shingles. Spray and Forget does not contain bleach, lye, acids, phosphates or heavy metals. These ingredients can damage gutters and windows and aren't good for the environment. Applying Spray and Forget to your roof every two years inhibits the growth of fungus on your roof.
Zinc Strips
Zinc stripping is another way to prevent the formation of mold growth on your roof. You can find a number of name brands at your local hardware store including Zinc Shield and Stainhandler. Affix the zinc stripping just below the ridge at the top of the roof. When it rains, the stripping releases zinc ions that prevent the growth of fungus. As the rain water travels down the roof, it carries the ions with it, protecting all the shingles. For full protection, apply strips just below chimneys and other obstructions as well. Zinc stripping can prevent mold and mildew growth on your roof for up to 20 years. You can also apply a liquid zinc product to your roof every year for the same type of protection.
Mold Resistant Shingles
The 3M Company combines Scotchgard technology---the same technology that protects your furniture from staining---with asphalt shingles to produce mold-resistant shingles. They resist staining, and they don't need to be clean as often. If you are replacing a roof, these shingles are an option to consider, but for treating an existing roof zinc strips or another preventative product are more cost-effective.
