How do I get rid of mold on my garage roof?

CAB
by CAB

I have a mold (?) on my garage roof. Is there some product I can spray on and spray off? I do not want to get on the roof. Thank you. Connie

  4 answers
  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Jun 07, 2019

    30 seconds and a garden hose should work but it contains some kind of bleaching agent so it will depend on your surround areas.

    Wet & forget outdoor will take it off over time with several applications.

  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on Jun 07, 2019

    Is it green? Could be moss or algea. I'd take pictures,and go to your local hardware store to get the product you would need.

  • William William on Jun 07, 2019

    The black mold-like stains and streaks that appear on roofs, particularly light-colored asphalt shingles, is actually a blue-green algae (Gloeocapsa magma). Commonly found in climates with warm, humid summers, it does no damage to the roofing, but it certainly does looks bad.


    The less expensive solution is to spray wash the roof with a 50 percent mix of water and bleach to get rid of the algae. (No pressure washers, please. They're likely to damage the shingles.) Just be sure to wet your foundation plantings first, and rinse everything in clean water when you're done. Plants don't like bleach, and wetting them with plain water first protects them. You can also cover them with tarps or plastic sheeting, which will protect the soil around your plants as well. Make sure that you create a wide radius around your home to be safe.

    Allow the solution to soak into the shingles for at least 15 minutes. If they are severely molded, you may want to give it a little longer. Next, rinse the shingles thoroughly with a garden hose at low pressure. Start from the top shingle and rinse downward to prevent water seepage.


    To keep the algae from coming back, insert 6-inch-wide strips of zinc or copper under the row of shingling closest to the roof peak, leaving an inch or two of the lower edge exposed to the weather. That way whenever it rains, some of the metal molecules will wash down the roof and kill any algae trying to regain a foothold on your shingles.

    You can probably see this same principle working on roofs in your neighborhood. Look for chimneys with copper flashing; the areas directly below the flashing will be free of any algae stains.

    The strips also work on roofs suffering from moss buildup. Just scrub it off first with a brush, then bleach as above.

  • Sharon Sharon on Jun 10, 2019

    Wet and Forget, or Moss Out in the hose attachment spray bottles will do the trick.