- Gotta say, I’m not totally sold on the zinc strips. Like you said,
“they do help... but only right below the strip.”
- On my last house, I tried copper instead—seemed to last longer, but still had patchy results.
- I wonder if roof pitch or how much rain you get makes a difference? Mine’s pretty flat and shaded, so maybe that’s why it didn’t do much.
- Honestly, I’ve had better luck just cleaning the shingles every couple years. Not fun, but at least it’s consistent.
- Anyone else notice the strips can look kinda weird after a while? Maybe it’s just me being picky...
I’ve noticed the same thing with zinc strips—on my parents’ place, they only kept a clean line right under where the strip was, and the rest of the roof still got those dark streaks. Tried copper too, but honestly, it just looked odd after a couple seasons, especially on lighter shingles. Our house is surrounded by trees, so shade and not much airflow probably don’t help. I’m with you—manual cleaning every couple years is a pain, but at least you know what you’re getting. The strips just end up looking patchy and kind of out of place after a while.
I’ve noticed the same thing with zinc strips—on my parents’ place, they only kept a clean line right under where the strip was, and the rest of the roof still got those dark streaks.
Yeah, I hear you on this. The zinc and copper strips always seem like a good idea until you see that weird clean streak and then the rest of the roof looks worse by comparison. I’ve managed a few places with heavy tree cover, and honestly, “manual cleaning every couple years is a pain, but at least you know what you’re getting” rings true. Tried those strips on a rental once—looked patchy after one season and didn’t really blend in. At least with manual cleaning, you control the results, even if it’s a hassle. Sometimes there’s just no shortcut for these shaded roofs.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve seen zinc and copper strips work better than manual cleaning in some cases—just not always the way people expect. The trick is placement and length. If the strip’s too short or only at the ridge, you’ll get that streaking effect. But if you run them further down, say every 5-6 feet on a long slope, you can get more even coverage. It’s not cheap, and yeah, it’s not invisible, but for folks who can’t (or don’t want to) get up there every couple years, it’s worth considering. Manual cleaning is solid, but I’ve seen folks damage their shingles with pressure washers or harsh chemicals. It’s a trade-off either way.
That’s interesting about the placement—never thought about running strips lower down the slope. Have you noticed any impact on the shingle warranty with those metals in contact? I’ve read some manufacturers get picky about “modifications.” Also, does the copper stain lighter shingles over time? I’m in a pretty humid area, so algae’s a constant battle, but I’m wary of voiding coverage.
