The challenge
What we found
Thick Gloeocapsa streaking across the north and east slopes, moss matting in two valleys, and lichen colonies along the ridge cap. The roof was structurally sound — but from the street, the streaks made the whole house look twenty years older.
A previous contractor had quoted a full pressure wash. On nine-year-old architectural shingles, that would have stripped granules and risked the manufacturer warranty — so the owners called us for a second opinion.
Constraints
- Zero high pressure anywhere on the roofing surface
- Mature hibiscus beds directly below the drip line
- Two-story rear slope with limited ladder access
The approach
How we cleaned it
We applied soft-wash treatment from ladders and ridge anchors at garden-hose pressure, working slope by slope with a 20-minute dwell. Downspouts were bagged, beds pre-soaked and covered, and the whole perimeter got a neutralizing rinse. Valleys were hand-detailed where moss was thickest.
Deliverables
- Full-roof soft-wash treatment plus regrowth inhibitor
- Gutter exterior rinse and downspout splash-zone cleanup
- Drone photo set before, during, and after treatment
The result
Streaks gone, granules intact
Outcome
Algae rinsed away the same afternoon; the heaviest valley moss released over the following three weeks, exactly as we’d briefed the owners. No lifted shingles, no granule loss in the gutters, and the ridge lichen is gone down to the root.
The owners kept their roof warranty intact and pushed a planned re-roof quote off the table — the roof simply looks its age again instead of twice it.
Related work
More transformations
From $249
Streaks aren’t age.
They’re treatable.
Get a manufacturer-safe soft wash with regrowth protection — and photo proof from ridge to gutter.
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