Roof Soft Wash & Moss Removal - Overview

There are many reasons that a customer will contact the company for roof cleaning services, and the roof will have different stages of growth attached. 

Typically, organics will begin growing on the north-facing side of the property. This is because the north side is the face of the home that gets the least amount of sunlight while getting similar moisture levels to the rest of the roof. Additionally, organics prefer shaded areas like the shadows cast by dormers or overlapping roofs. Lastly, you may see organics primarily below a downspout exiting onto a lower-level roof. The accumulation of moisture in this section is a perfect habitat. 

Let's first go over the stages of growth that will cause a customer to inquire about cleaning.

STAGE 1 - GLOEOCAPSA MAGMA

This is a bacteria that accumulate over time on a roof. It looks like black stained discoloration, and it feeds on moisture and calcium carbonate in the granules of the roof. 

While not inherently dangerous, it is the beginning stages of heavy growth on a roof and should be treated with a simple roof soft wash.

STAGE 2 - LIGHT MOSS

In this stage, you will see a variation of moss species that will attach themselves to the edges of the shingle overlays. This moss will vary between light and dark green. It will also turn brown in the summer with heavy direct sunlight. 

Depending on the size, species, and pitch of the roof, it may be best to remove some of the larger clusters before applying a soft wash chemical.

STAGE 3 - HEAVY MOSS & LICHEN

This is where the moss that would normally be found on just the edges of the singles has made its way to the middle of each shingle and is growing rapidly and large. Large clusters will definitely need to be removed before applying any chemical to get timely results.

STAGE 4 - COMPROMISED ROOF

Sometimes, a client will ask you to clean a roof that has a lot of growth on it. There may be roofs that have had so much growth on them for so long that the structural integrity of the roof is now in question. Roofs are designed to carry only a little weight for a short time. Depending on how long the roof has been neglected will depend if the client would need a full roof replacement instead of a soft wash treatment.