We can safely and effectively remove any growth from your roof, restoring your home’s curb appeal and add years to the lifespan of your roof.
Our Roof Cleaning Process
Keeping your roof clean not only improves your home’s curb appeal but also prolongs the life of your roof by removing damaging elements like algae and moss. Here’s a breakdown of our professional roof cleaning process:
1. Prepare: Clean Gutters & Remove Debris
Before we begin the cleaning process, we take care to remove any large or loose debris from your roof and clear out your gutters. This ensures a clean surface for applying treatment and prevents any buildup from causing drainage issues during the cleaning process.
2. Protect: Safeguard Sensitive Items & Landscaping
We understand how important it is to protect your property during cleaning. That’s why we wet down nearby landscaping to shield it from potential damage. This extra step ensures your plants and surroundings are kept safe from the cleaning products we use.
3. Apply: Algaecide Treatment
Using a low-pressure application, we carefully coat your roof with an algaecide solution designed to eliminate black streaks (caused by algae) and target moss. Black streaks typically disappear almost immediately, while the moss is thoroughly soaked to penetrate its root structure, ensuring it’s effectively killed.
4. Rinse: Protect Your Surroundings
Once the algaecide is applied, we rinse off any residue from plants, windows, and other surrounding areas. This crucial step prevents any accidental damage to your home’s exterior or landscaping.
5. Wait: Moss Removal Takes Time
Moss has an advanced root structure, which means it takes a bit longer to completely fall away after treatment. You can expect the moss to naturally detach and fall off within 3-6 months. If any moss remains after this period, we offer a free re-treatment to ensure your roof is completely moss-free.
This approach ensures your roof remains clean and protected without risking damage to your property. Our process is thorough, safe, and effective—backed by a guarantee for your peace of mind!
Please see the FAQ section for answers to commonly asked questions.
Moss Treatment
The photos above demonstrate the immediate results following our moss removal treatment. Our process effectively begins killing the moss and other organisms on contact. Please note that it may take 3-6 months for the moss roots to fully detach from your roof and naturally wash away. If moss remains, re-treatment is free!
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
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What causes my roof to get dirty?
Since the 1980s, roofing manufacturers have been using limestone in asphalt shingles as a filler material for the product. The limestone provides the perfect environment with plenty of food for Gloeocapsa Magma, lichen, moss and other algae. Gloeocapsa Magma starts growing from a single spore that lands on your roof from a nearby tree or even from a neighbor’s roof, then begins to multiply. The rain actually drags the spores down the roof, which spreads the growth and creates the ugly black streaks commonly seen.
What are the black streaks on my roof?
Those black streaks are actually a type of bacteria called Gloeocapsa Magma. This bacteria thrives in humid environments and feeds on the limestone found in asphalt shingles, which can cause the dark streaks on your roof.
How can I prevent black streaks from growing on my roof?
Regular roof maintenance, including cleaning and installing algae-resistant shingles, can help prevent the growth of Gloeocapsa Magma. It’s also important to reduce moisture buildup on your roof by trimming overhanging branches and ensuring proper ventilation.
Are there other organisms that can grow on my roof?
Yes, aside from Gloeocapsa Magma, algae, lichens, and moss can also grow on roofs, especially in shaded or damp areas. These organisms can retain moisture, further damaging shingles and reducing your roof’s lifespan.
What can I do if I already have black streaks on my roof?
It’s best to contact a professional roof cleaning service that uses a low-pressure process to safely and effectively remove Gloeocapsa Magma and any other organisms. Be sure to address the issue early to prevent further damage.
Is roof cleaning simply for visual appeal?
Actually, no! Since the unsightly organisms feed on the limestone in the shingles, these organisms are quite literally eating away at your roof. This leads to a complete roof replacement if left untreated! It’s also a huge eyesore to what may otherwise be a beautiful home. A roof in poor condition will reduce your homes curb appeal and resale value, and result in leaks which cause thousands in water damage. Further, most insurance companies consider a roof that is unkempt reason enough to increase your premiums or drop your policy altogether.
How do I get rid of black streaks on my roof?
Fear not, all of these damaging organisms can be safely removed, and we will make sure of it. The treatment process requires specialized equipment, which applies a chlorine-based solution onto your roof at a low pressure. Our dedicated equipment uses less pressure than a typical garden hose, so there will be no damage done to any roofs we clean. You’ll gain peace of mind knowing that you are extending the lifespan of your roof and saving thousands in future repairs and replacement costs.
Will the roof treatment hurt my plants and my lawn?
While any roof cleaning agent does have the potential to cause damage to plants and surrounding areas if used carelessly, we ensure safe handling and proper application of the product, preventing any harm to your property. Rest assured, our trained experts will deliver safe and effective results.
What if I have moss or lichen on my roof?
Frequently, when moss is present, so are leaves, pine needles, sticks and other debris. We first remove the majority of this debris prior to applying our chemical treatment. This ensures that the chemical can effectively penetrate the moss growth. The biggest difference in treating moss, is the time that it takes to achieve the final result. Larger organisms like moss and lichen have much more developed root structures. During the initial treatment, the chemical begins to kill the moss signified by it turning white. A few weeks later the roots will begin to dry up and release from the roof. Rain will then assist the removal process the rest of the way, rinsing the dead organisms from the roof. This whole process can take anywhere from a few weeks up to 6 months or more depending on how developed the growth is. Some roofs with heavy amounts of growth will require a re-treatment after a few months to remove any remaining organisms.
Do you scrape the moss off during roof cleaning?
No, we don’t do any manual or high pressure moss removal since a process of that nature can actually damage your roof and our goal is to preserve the remaining lifespan of your roof as much as possible.
When is the best time to have my roof cleaned?
We clean roofs during spring, summer, and fall seasons in Maine & New Hampshire. Fall is a great time to clean a roof with moss because the snow actually helps remove the moss that is killed during our treatment process. Moss covered roofs can still be treated during other times of the year with identical results.
Don’t wait until your roof is damaged beyond repair! Contact us for a free estimate to clean your roof!
**When requesting a FREE QUOTE please be prepared to provide your address and roof photos to expedite the quoting process.**
