What makes those Black Roof Stains?

Today I would like to illuminate what it is that actually causes those Black Stains on your roof. 

It all started about 10 years ago when the roof shingle manufacturers decided that they need to reduce the amount of oil based products in the shingles to save money. In order for the shingles to keep some resemblance of sturdiness they needed to add a new filler. The filler happen to become Limestone. Unfortunately limestone happens to be a very good food for the algae. Consider that these type of shingles also tend to hold more moisture than the older paper/asphalt/ceramic shingles of 20 years ago, now the shingle is perfect for algae colony growth.

From what I have read, the the algae infestation started out in the Southeast and spread to the Midwest and now the Northeast. Once the algae creates it UV protective coating, you begin to notice the black spots and streaks on the roof. These stains will increase each year until the color of your roof shingles are long gone. 

There are mixed signals coming out of the community as to the harmfulness of these stains to your roof and household residents, but let's consider this:

1) My wife Debbie and I looked at many different shingle colors before we settled on Sienna Red to match the house color. How upset would you or we be if that Sienna Red is now replaced by Black Spots and streaks. Talk about lack of curb appeal!!

2) The Black Spots are a sign that the colony has developed a UV protective cover so it can grow. As the black spots and streaks cover your roof they are taking away the reflective power of the shingle heating up your residence and increasing your energy costs. Some sources claim that it will increase your energy expense by 20% OUCH!

3) The algae is feeding on the limestone filler in your shingles! They are eating the roof on the biggest investment you have ever made. As they eat the limestone filler the shingles granular coating comes lose and washes away with the rain. Now you have increased heat attraction from the black algae coating and the reflective granular coating is wearing away, can you see how they come up with a 20% increase in energy expense.

4) This is the worst reason of all, because of the additional moisture, loss of granular coating, additional heat concentration, your shingles are now experiencing premature aging! Do you believe this, now you have to replace a 20 year shingle in 8 years!!!

Look, this is great for your local roofer, they are busier than ever replacing roofs before their time and selling you shingles that now contain an algicide, at a premium price. The bottom line is that if you just clean the roof  before it gets out of hand you will save a truck load of money.

The Pool Nightmare Finally Ends!

Well I finally made it back here. 

The pool has been a bear to get set right. As mentioned before, I had a new liner put in. That liner came down within hours of it's installation. The guys came back and put it up again, no problem. Started filling it that afternoon, Debbie and I decided to go out that night, so I shut off the water. 

The next morning the backyard is a swamp and 1/2 the water is out of the pool. What a hassel. I call the installer again, he comes by the next day and finds a cut along the seam. It's a new liner so I can either get it replaced or fix it, my call. I make the wrong call. I tell them go ahead and fix it so it will be ready for my daughters High School Graduation party. They put on the patch, I start filling the pool again. 

The next morning the pool water level is lower than the night before, I hit the roof, more mad at myself than anything else. I call the pool installer again, the owner comes by this time, applies another patch and tells me that he will order me a new liner. At this point it a losing proposition for both of us.

The liner finally arrives after the July 4Th weekend . The installers come by and put it in. Do you know, every 15 minutes I checked the water line to make sure I did not have any new problems. Thank goodness, it is just perfect. I finally have my pool back, it looks great and sooo relaxing! 

My advice, if you get a new liner and it leaks, don't waste one moment, have it pulled out and replaced, it is not worth the aggravation.

I want to thank Bret at Aqua Pro Pool in East Brunswick, NJ. He is a great guy, and did all the right things to make this a happy ending.

Another week in Paradise!

Hi everyone, sorry about not getting back to you for a while. Life is full of challenges and these last few weeks are no different. A quick breakdown; My above ground pool water turned black from leaves and dead animals (poor babies fell in during a storm) My kids would not go in the water unless it was replaced. First mistake, I drained the pool, power washed it, then got the liner back on the sides. Apparently it took too long, the pool liner shrank, as a result when I went to refill the pool, all the sides came down! Time for a new liner. 

Here is some free info: I called a bunch of local Pool stores in and around my town as well as the original company that installed the pool 10 years ago, to see what it will cost to replace the liner and get it installed. The price range ran from $600 to $2000 complete! Whoa that is a crazy range. I will end up using Pelican Pools on Rt.18 in East Brunswick NJ. By the way I am only mentioning them because they had the best price , expertise for installation and nice people. No other business connection here!

My 53rd birthday came and went, I think I need to start exercising more, even though I work everyday, I can tell it is not enough. I think walking will be the key here.

Our Deep Freeze Freezer went out on us the other day, what a nightmare. If you are like me, you buy what ever you can on sale and freeze it. Debbie and I stopped dancing the freak and started rearranging the kitchen freezer to fit all the food in. Good thing Memorial Day weekend is here so we cook cook a lot of this stuff! Pumpkin Pie anyone?

Well, I will send out another post shortly; this one will be on deck washing.

Does Your Roof Look Like This?

Hey who spilled coffee on my roof?

It sorta looks like that doesn't it! Well unfortunately the black spots you see is not coffee or dirt. It is an Algae called Gloeocapsa magma (try saying that three times fast) anyway this living organism is infecting neighborhoods in the northeast at an alarming rate. It does not matter what the pitch of your roof is or if you are surrounded by trees or if your house is out in the open. Once they are airborne and land on your roof, it is feeding time at the zoo! Given enough time, the colony will cover the roof and damage the shingles.

The second picture shows a house with a little different issue. This roof has a fungus growing on it, sometimes called Roof Moss. It may sound quaint,  but it is anything but. The roof moss not only looks really bad, but it is really bad for the shingles as well.  If left unchecked the fungus will loosen the granules on the shingles causing the roof to require replacement before it's time.

The bottom line is that if you ignore either of these conditions on your roof you will be replacing it way before their time. By the way tearing off the infected shingle and replacing them will cost you in the area of $7000.00 I don't know about you, but that is a lot of money to me. The worst thing is that, for less than one tenth of the price of replacement you could have corrected the situation.

Please have a wonderful day.

Black Spots on my Roof Introduction

Good evening everybody. Today is the first post for this blog. Nothing special to say to you today other than I intend to educate you as to what those black spots on your roof are. Why they should not be ignored, and how to remedy the situation.

I will also from time to time discuss the best practices for restoring a deck. I will discuss from my many years of experience the good, the bad and the ugly. I will post pictures of what I am talking about as often as possible.

I hope you find this blog to be helpful in keeping your home looking beautiful.

Please have a wonderful day!