Those ugly black streaks running down your roof are not dirt and they are not stains — they are a living organism called gloeocapsa magma, a hardy blue-green algae that feeds on the limestone filler in modern asphalt shingles. Left untreated, it shortens the life of your roof by years, voids most shingle warranties, dramatically reduces the reflectivity of the roof (raising your cooling bills), and looks terrible in listing photos and from the street. Moss, lichen and black mildew are equally damaging — moss lifts shingle edges, traps moisture, and accelerates rot in the decking below.
AquaShine cleans roofs the way the manufacturers want them cleaned: with a soft wash. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA), GAF, Owens Corning and CertainTeed all specifically prohibit high-pressure cleaning of asphalt shingles. Pressure strips the protective granules off the shingle and ruins your roof. Soft wash uses a low-pressure application of a sodium-hypochlorite-based solution that kills the algae, moss and lichen at the cellular level, allows it to dwell, then gets rinsed gently away with a high-volume soft rinse. The streaks are gone the same day, and re-growth is prevented for 4–7 years.
Our process is meticulous. Every job starts with full property protection — landscaping, gutters and downspouts pre-saturated, sensitive plants tarped, vehicles relocated. We inspect the roof for loose shingles, damaged flashing and clogged gutters and call those out for your attention. The soft-wash solution is applied with low-pressure pumps from ladders or roof anchors, never by a technician walking on a wet, algae-covered roof. We use only ARMA-approved chemistries — never pressure — and we rinse downspouts and gutters thoroughly to neutralize run-off before we leave.
Tile roofs, metal roofs and cedar shake roofs each get their own approach. Tile is brittle and we never walk it; clay and concrete tiles are cleaned exclusively from ladders. Metal roofs benefit from a specialized neutral-pH soft wash that won't dull the finish or strip the Kynar coating. Cedar shake roofs require a gentle, oxygen-based treatment to remove moss and lichen without damaging the wood — and we strongly recommend an annual treatment to extend the life of the shake.
Roof cleaning is one of the best ROI investments you can make in your home. It restores curb appeal instantly, can extend roof life by 5–10 years, may qualify for an extension of your shingle warranty, and absolutely will increase appraised value before a sale. Most homeowners are shocked at how dramatic the after photos look. The black streaks on the north-facing slope, the green moss in the valleys, the lichen on the chimney side — all gone, in a single visit, without ever touching the roof with high pressure.
A typical residential roof clean takes two to four hours and costs $399–$899 for a standard single-family home. We offer multi-year maintenance plans that include an annual inspection and treatment at a discount. Every roof cleaning is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee and our promise that we will never use high pressure on your roof. If you see streaks, you call, and we come back. Period.