Has anyone ever heard of fungus growing on a roof in the south. That is what a roofer told me. The roof is only about 9 years old and it is turning black over most of the roof. There are not really any overhang from trees, but there are several pecan trees close to it. If it is not a fungus turning the roof black, anyone got any ideas what may cause it. I already have a fungus problem under the house, I do not need one on top of it either. Thanks.
Wade
Replies
Is this roofer qualified to know the difference between fungus, mold, and jock itch?
mildew is responsible for most exterior black staining that I see.
I would think you would want to take a sample of it and of the underneathe fungii ( separately) to a testing lab to identifyand seek solutions
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to be fair, mold & mildew are both fungi...
I know what you ment though, I'm just being a prick ;)
Soultrain is right, both are fungi. But I did not believe fungi would grow on the roof in the south. I am in Middle Georgia. 90 - 100 during the summer, I just would not have thought that a fungi would grow under those conditions. I know that there are extremes, but on the roof in the south. Just hard for me to swallow I guess. So if it will grow on the roof in the hot sun, what will it take to kill it. Usually a 10% mixture of chlorx and water will kill most mildew or bacteria, do you think that will work.
Wade
That's the standard treatment for mildews. only oine way to know if it will work - then for future prevention, use copper or zinc strips along the ridge so the ions can create an inhospitable enviroment.
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Wade,
I'm in Albany, so I have my share of pecan trees, as well. Fungicides and insecticides, if your trees are sprayed routinely, can set up the growth on your roof, believe it or not. Pecan tree aphids have a unique dropping. If you ever park your car under a pecan tree, you know what I mean. We call it "honey dew".
Leaf scab is the dark, sometimes black, blotches on the pecan leaf. When the leaves fall, the scab falls with them, and it will set up staining and mildew on a roof. Zonate leaf spot is much the same.
Pecan anthracnose is another fungal disease. Phyloxxera is a different animal entirely, but it can set up a dark fungus.
Short of beginning an expensive spray program for your trees, there's not much you can do except treat the roof with bleach. It may take two or three applications per year. Like most fungus, once it gets a toe-hold, it's hard to completely eliminate. I have a crop-duster spray my trees 4 to 5 times a year, but I'm in in for the cash crop, not a pretty roof !
Greg
Dang, can't find the disk with the photo I took of a fungus thing on an asphalt shingled roof.
They were peppered mostly on the north sides of the roof. Random half dollar size, lime green colored, strange textured things like dried algae.
Periodic 5 to 10 feet apart. When you pull them up they take up the granules with it leaving a halfdollar size black spot.
Wanted to find out what they were cause it sure wasn't healthy for the roof.
be preventing a leak
as Buddha said to the hotdog vendor .... "make me one with everything"
Thanks for the help. Do you think a 10% solution would work. Just wet down the roof and leave it own and let the rain wash it off or do I need to rinse it. I have a tendency to over kill sometimes. I remember once I had chiggers, I know you know what those are, and I used the treatment of chlorx to kill them. I was told to use one cup in the bathtub and after looking at all that water I decided that was not enough chlorx so I poured more in. That night when my wife got home she said I tasted like chlorx when she kissed me. I know it was dumb but it did kill the chiggers. :) Thanks again for the help.
Wade
2% is more effective than 10% - - more is not always better -
I'm with who ever mentioned the honeydew from pecan aphids - a sticky substance that is food for various micro-organisms -
"there's enough for everyone"
Make sure the bleach is FRESH. Buy a new bottle, don't use the stuff that's been sitting under the sink for two years.
Wade,
2% to 3% should be fine. Yes, I just leave it to dry. You seem to get a little residual effect.
And, Wade, tsk, tsk tsk, it's che-groes, not chiggers ! !
Greg
More common than fungus is algae. This shows up as blackish stains running down the roof. It will be noticeably absent just below any sort of galvanized penetration such as a plumbing jack or heater vent.
Can be temporarily cleared by spraying with a FRESH solution of chlorine bleach (protect plants from the spray). Permanently cleared by placing strips of zinc, galv, or copper along the ridge.
On old roofs you will sometimes see moss growing. This is a dark green color when wet, and blackish when dry. It can be easily distinguished from algae because the algae has no thickness, but the moss does.
Edited 8/29/2005 5:00 pm ET by DanH