Roof Mold

We’ve all seen roof mold.  We may not have been able to identify it as such at the time but we know it as those big ugly black stains along a roof.  These stains are pretty common and they are one of the reasons a new roof on a home stands out so distinctly from all the others.

Roof mold is unsightly, of course, but it’s a bit more than that, too.  It can eat away at the weatherproof seal the roof provides to our homes, leading the way for interior damage and repairs inside.

When roofing shingles become lose or damaged, they can develop cavities and pockets along the roof that collect water.  Over time, these damp spots grow into a colony of roof mold than can eat away at the structure of the roof itself.

Mold spores are everywhere and no one can avoid them entirely.  As a rule, they pose no problems.  It’s just when conditions are right for their growth into a colony that the problems begin.

Starting small, so small we can’t even see it, roof mold establishes itself in a tiny spot on the roof and weakens the area around it as the colony feeds on the roofing materials. 

One small spot that easily goes unnoticed by the human eye can become a roof leak that damages everything underneath, including walls, family heirlooms, the baby’s crib, and the new carpet just installed in the formal dining room.

The best way to prevent damage from roof mold is to maintain the integrity of the roof itself.  Repair any loose shingles as soon as they are detected and replace any shingles that are torn, broken, or damaged in any way.

When damage from severe weather events or fallen trees or limbs may by suspected, repairs done the sooner the better will save costly repairs to larger areas later.

Working on the roof is one task of homeownership that many people feel unqualified to handle alone.  Roofing companies and those that offer most building repairs and construction projects can help with routine maintenance checks and special checks after potential damage to the roof.

Keeping a roof in good shape isn’t just a cosmetic endeavor.  That unsightly roof mold, when allowed to build to damaging proportions, may mean there’ll soon be another pretty new stain-free roof on the block.