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Explaining those “ribbons” on some roofs
Back to one of the two biggest topics for my clients, roofs. No one enjoys dealing with roof problems. Leaks make life unbearable. Climbing atop them makes people dizzy and queazy. Replacements gobble up savings accounts. There are good reasons for roofs being an important point of maintenance.
One method folks use to deal with moss on roofing materials is zinc strips. These are installed at the ridge and, in theory, as the rain falls, the water shed by the roof interacts with the zinc metal producing a chemical, zinc carbonate, known to prevent moss and fungi. As this washes over the surface, it kills the moss and fungi downstream.
Are these effective? Yes and no. If installed after a roofing installation I have seen many examples of poor craftsmanship, damage to the shingles where they were installed, and aesthetic eyesores. The picture above is a good example. Generally, roofing contractors are not installing these with new roofs. Newer shingles are algae and moss resistant, these ribbons are unattractive, and only partly effective. Moss still grows requiring further treatment and maintenance.
BOTTOMLINE: If you have these installed on your roof, continued to maintain these and ensure they have not caused damaged to your shingles where installed. If you do not have these, don’t worry about it. If you regularly maintain your roof you won’t save yourself any time with these. Finally, talk to a roofing contractor for more info.
