Roof Washing That Removes Algae Without Damaging Shingles

Those dark streaks running down an asphalt shingle roof aren't soot or dirt — they're a bacteria called Gloeocapsa magna, and it spreads across a roof the same way algae spreads across a shaded wall. Once it's visible, it's already established in the shingle's texture, which is exactly why blasting it with high pressure does more harm than good: pressure washing a roof strips the protective granules right along with the algae, shortening the shingle's life instead of extending it.

We soft-wash roofs the way every major shingle manufacturer recommends: low pressure, with a cleaning solution that kills the algae and rinses it away, leaving the granule layer intact. It's slower than blasting a roof with a pressure washer, and it's also the only method that doesn't trade a clean-looking roof today for a leaking one in five years.

We also clear debris from valleys and around vents while we're up there, since trapped leaves and pine needles are one of the most common causes of ice-dam and water-intrusion issues we see on older Northwest Ohio roofs.