Roof washing
Roof washing that removes black streaks for good
Shingle-safe soft washing that dissolves the algae staining your roof — backed by a two-year warranty that the black streaks won't come back.
Those black streaks are alive
The dark streaks running down shingles are Gloeocapsa magma, an algae that feeds on the limestone filler in asphalt shingles and holds moisture against your roof. It spreads fastest on north-facing slopes and under tree cover, which describes most of Blacksburg, Christiansburg and the shaded hollows around Radford.
Left alone it keeps spreading, keeps the surface damp, and shortens the life of the shingle. Pressure washing it off is worse — high pressure strips the granules that protect the shingle and can void a manufacturer warranty.
Soft wash, not pressure wash
We apply a roof-safe cleaning solution at very low pressure and let it kill the growth. The stains release on their own, and rain finishes rinsing what remains over the following weeks. Nothing is scrubbed, nothing is blasted, and no granules go down your gutters.
Moss and lichen get treated the same way. They root into the shingle mat, so pulling them off tears the surface — dissolving them and letting them wash away leaves the shingle intact.
Before we spray, gutters and downspouts get flushed, landscaping and foundation plantings get covered and pre-wet, and we plan runoff so the solution goes where we want it. Fascia and gutter exteriors get brightened while we're up there.
Two-year no-streak warranty
If black streaks reappear within two years of a roof wash, we come back and take care of it. We can offer that because we treat the growth rather than just rinsing the surface it's living on.
Most roofs in this area need this every three to five years. Gutters are a different schedule — once a year, twice in heavy tree cover.
Common questions
- Can you pressure wash my roof to remove the black streaks?
- We remove them, but not with pressure. High pressure strips shingle granules. A low-pressure soft wash kills the algae causing the streaks, and we back it with a two-year warranty that they won't reappear.
- How often does a roof need washing?
- Once every three to five years for most roofs in the New River Valley. Heavily shaded roofs sit at the shorter end of that range.
- Is roof washing safe for my shingles and warranty?
- Yes. Soft washing is the method shingle manufacturers point to, precisely because it doesn't disturb the granule surface.
- Will you clean my gutters at the same time?
- Yes. Gutters get flushed before the roof is treated and the faces are brightened afterward. Gutters should be cleaned out once a year, or twice in heavy tree areas.
- Do you walk on the roof?
- As little as possible. Most roofs are treated from ladders and the ground, which is safer for the shingle and for us.
Your home is our signature work
Every property is different. Adam comes out, looks at the actual surfaces, and gives you a straight number — no guessing from a price list.