As you drive around Cape Cod, admiring all the beautiful homes, have you noticed awful looking black stains on some of the roofs – even on fairly new houses? Welcome to the Cape...and black algae! Because we are surrounded by water and have high moisture levels, black algae loves the environment on the Cape and Islands.
There are ways of washing your roof every couple of years and applying zinc or copper strips to the ridge of the roof, but there is a better solution! Installing CertainTeed AR (algae resistant) shingles will help deter the growth of that nasty black algae.
CertainTeed’s StreakFighterTM protection for asphalt shingles is designed to make them resistant to algae by placing a unique layer of copper oxide between the mineral core and the ceramic pigment coating. These copper rich granules are evenly dispersed throughout the shingles exposed surface, allowing the copper to leach out over time, providing reliable, long-term protection against algae growth.
While zinc is also a notable algae resistant metal, we prefer the performance of copper. Zinc can sometimes cause “blooming”, a reaction caused as the zinc oxide builds up in moisture rich environments. Copper granules are available in a wide range of colors, therefore they won’t distort the original color of the roof by giving it a gray cast, like zinc can.
CertainTeed shingles with StreakFighter technology are available in a wide variety of styles including: traditional three-tab; designer laminate and; heavyweight luxury shingles. In addition to a great selection of styles, they carry a great warranty. These warranties protect against manufacturing defects and algae contamination.
For more information on CertainTeed StreakFighter shingles contact the Roofing & Siding Specialists at Shepley!