Lichens with their vibrant colours can look quite interesting. They can produce pops of yellow, orange, red, grey, or green on your roof materials. Even though these growths can look a little bit charming, they are not too pleasant to deal with. These types of growths should be removed from your roof as soon as possible because they can affect your roof materials.
What are Lichens?
Lichens are not single organisms. Instead, this crusty growth is a blend of fungus and algae. Different variants of algae and fungi can grow and develop together and this combination results in over 3200 different species of lichens.
This blend of organisms can grow on all sorts of surfaces and usually occurs during wet periods or when surfaces stay moist for a long time.
Are Lichens Dangerous?
Some lichens are edible while others might have poisonous qualities. Edible and safe variants are used in a huge variety of products like perfumes, extracts, deodorants and many other cosmetic products. Some people can also be allergic to lichens.
How Lichens Affect Your Roof Materials
Lichens might seem like harmless growth on your roof but the longer they remain, the more damaging they can become. Let’s take a look at how these growths affect our roof.
Lichens Will Deteriorate Your Roof Materials
As lichens grow on your roof tiles, they will keep sucking any nutrients they can get from these roof surface materials. The thick coat of lichens will also become humid and slimy and will slowly deteriorate the roof materials. Over time, the lichens will “eat” your roof tiles and they will become thinner and thinner. They will also become much more fragile and prone to breaking.
Lichens can affect any roof type including slate. They are especially damaging to woodwork, clay, and concrete roof tiles since these roof materials are more porous and vulnerable.
May Cause Humidity Issues
The soggy and moist growths of lichens can affect your roof’s insulation. Over time, more and more humidity will seep into your roof. The high humidity levels can cause roof materials to start rotting away.
May Result in Mould Growth
Mould and mildew love to grow in dark, damp, and enclosed spaces. This type of fungal species can produce airborne fungal spores that can become lodged in your airways. Once in your lungs, the fuzzy growth can cause all sorts of bronchiolar and respiratory conditions.
Can Shift Tiles Out of Place
Lichens don’t just grow on the surface of your roof tiles. Parts of the plant will develop between and underneath the roof tiles. As more and more growth accumulates, the roof tiles can be shifted out of place and they can even become loose.
Stains and Discolouration
A thick layer of lichens on your roof can cause stains and discolouration on the roof material. This is because the chemical makeup of the growth, along with deteriorating plant matter, can react with the roof tiles which may result in unattractive stains.
Get Lichens Professionally Removed From Your Sydney Rooftop
Power Wash Australia is the best company to call if you need to get lichens off your roof. Our team of roof cleaners are highly skilled and will arrive fully equipped with full PPE, ready to tackle your roof growth issue. While we are clearing your roof, we can also clean growth on other areas like block walls, pergolas, and driveways.
With our superior cleaning methods, your property will be lichen-free in no time and it is bound to stay clean for a long time.
If you’re seeking professional roof and pressure cleaning services in Sydney, look no further! Our expert team is equipped to handle all your cleaning needs, like window cleaning in St Ives, window cleaning in Wahroonga, pressure cleaning in Palm Beach, and driveway pressure cleaning in Sydney at the best roof pressure cleaning cost. Say goodbye to dirt, grime, and moss buildup on your roof with our specialised roof cleaning services.