Algae formation on roofs is a problem we have been encountering more and more recently. However, these can have a negative impact on the lifespan of the product. It is therefore important to be aware of the causes and impact of this algae formation.
Climate evolution certainly has something to do with it. Pollution and air quality has an important role to play in that as well. We see more red algae today on projects located near green environments.
This type of problem is common on different types of products such as plastic, bitumen and other types of waterproofing.
Certain bituminous producers opt to add anti-algae components in the finishing layer of their products. Examples include copper or chemical elements such as algicide or fungicide. IKO opposes these components for several ecological reasons. This is because these ecotoxic elements only work for a certain time, as they tend to leach into the environment. Moreover, there are legal restrictions in a lot of countries. Subsequently, this also affects the recycling process of bituminous roof rolls at the end of their service life.
The main actions to reduce algae formation are:
- provide a minimum slope of 2%. (This is to avoid stagnant water as much as possible)
- provide the orientation of the roof towards the sun if possible.
- maintain the roof regularly as prescribed.
Contact your IKO advisor for more information.