Copper wire’s one of those things that sounds great in theory, but I’ve rarely seen it do much on shaded roofs—especially with a low pitch. I tried it on my own place (big maple tree right over the north side), and honestly, the algae just laughed at me. Ended up with the same routine: scrub, rinse, repeat every spring. If you’ve got heavy shade and slow drainage, I’m not convinced there’s a true “set it and forget it” fix. Sometimes you’re just fighting nature...
That sounds about right—nature always seems to win in the end, especially with a shady roof. I’ve got a similar setup with a big oak overhanging, and copper didn’t do much for me either. Tried zinc strips too, but honestly, it’s just less scrubbing, not zero. Sometimes I wonder if it’s just the price of having trees close by. At least you’re not alone in the rinse-and-repeat club...
I’m in the same boat—big maple right over the house, and I swear the shade just invites the green stuff. Did you notice any difference with the zinc strips after a few months, or was it pretty much the same as before? I keep wondering if it’s worth trying or just sticking to the occasional scrub.
I totally get where you’re coming from—shade really does seem to make algae a constant battle. I tried zinc strips last year, and honestly, I did notice a gradual improvement after a few months, especially after a couple of good rains. It wasn’t a dramatic overnight change, but the streaks faded more than they usually do with just scrubbing. For me, it was worth the small investment, especially since I’m not keen on climbing up there every season. If you’re already doing the occasional scrub, adding zinc might just cut down on how often you need to get up there.
I’ll admit, I’m a bit skeptical about zinc strips being the magic bullet for algae, but I get why folks try them. My neighbor swears by them too, though I can’t say his roof looks that much better than mine (and I just stick to the old-fashioned scrub-and-grumble routine). Maybe it’s one of those things where you only notice if you’re up close?
I do like that it’s a set-it-and-forget-it kind of fix, especially if you hate ladders as much as I do. But I’ve also seen some streaks come back after a couple years, so I wonder if it’s more of a slow-down than a real solution. Plus, in my area (Pacific Northwest), the rain just keeps coming, so nothing seems to keep algae away forever.
If you’re already up there for maintenance, though, tossing on some zinc doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Just don’t expect miracles—algae’s stubborn. Maybe someday they’ll invent self-cleaning shingles and we can all retire our scrub brushes...