Zinc deterrents often come in two forms a zinc strip or zinc sulfate powder.
White powder on roof shingles.
Usually it is applied at the ridge lines and through the middle of roof in a continuous line some people just toss it around like grass seed everyone s different.
The drawbacks of using white shingles.
It is difficult to declare this one substance over another simply based on one s senses of sight or smell.
White powder on roof when driving by a neighbor s house have you ever wondered why is there white powder on their roof in short it is known as zinc sulfate powder which is used to deter roof moss.
However dry moss killers can be difficult to dispense evenly and they can leave white streaks that sometimes remain on the roof until several hard rain showers wash them away.
At the same time dry powder that has just settled can blow off if a strong wind comes before the rain.
Metal salts washing down the roof surface from metal chimney flashing are often enough to kill of biological organisms that otherwise stain various roof surfaces.
For example if your attic has moisture problems a white roof can help prevent heat from combining with the moisture to grow mold and mildew.
The main drawback of white shingles is that they won t be able to absorb heat as well as black shingles would during the colder seasons of the year.
The white stains shown on this wood shingle roof are in fact not a stain but an absence of lichens or moss.
When sprinkled on the roof you may see white powder on roof for several days to weeks until the chemical washes completely down the roof.