Driving around Tampa for 10 minutes will reveal dark black streaks on homes all throughout the city. These black streaks are most often mistakenly blamed for being dirt or even mold. They are in fact algae and when left to their own devices can be very damaging to a home’s roof in Florida’s hot and humid climate.
Tampa Roof Cleaning is often put off by homeowners for far too long. Algae and moss can be embedded in your roof for years and even begin to penetrate the shingles. Keeping your roof clean is important for many reasons but none more important than to protect your biggest investment.
Roof Cleaning in Tampa
Tampa has some of the best conditions in the country for algae and moss growth on roofs. High humidity, warm temperatures almost year-round, and plenty of shade from oak trees and palms all create the perfect environment for organic growth to take hold on shingles.
Gloeocapsa magma is the algae responsible for those black streaks you see on roofs all over Tampa Bay. It feeds on the limestone filler in asphalt shingles and slowly breaks down the material that protects your roof. Left alone for years, it can take years off the life of your shingles.
We do roof cleaning for homeowners across Tampa, including Carrollwood, Citrus Park, Westchase, Town N Country, South Tampa, Seminole Heights, and Brandon. No matter what part of the city you are in, chances are your roof could use a cleaning.
Soft Wash Roof Cleaning
Cleaning a roof is a task that is best done one way. Pressure washing is the wrong way to clean a roof. We get calls from people whose roofs have been washed with a pressure washer. The granules have been blown off of half of the shingles on their roof. Those granules do not grow back. Once they are washed off of your roof, your shingles begin to age.
Soft wash roof cleaning is the preferred method of roof cleaning recommended by shingle manufacturers and major roofing industry associations. Soft wash cleaning utilizes low pressure and effective cleaning solutions to attack and eliminate the roots of algae, moss, mold and lichen from your roof. No damage is done to your shingles.
Streaks will disappear after a soft wash treatment; the moss will die and dry up. The treatment will have a residual effect on the roof for up to a year or two, depending on the amount of shade on the roof. This is by far the safest and most effective means of cleaning a roof in Tampa.
Algae and Moss Removal From Roofs
Many Tampa roofs are infested with Algae. Algae appears on roofs as black or dark gray streaks. These Algae infestations can spread fast on a roof, often quickly spreading from one section to another, unless you take steps to remove them. Algae can grow to be very thick on the north sections of your roof that stay in the shade throughout the day.
Moss is a unique pestilence. It tends to grow in thick patches and creates minute roots under the shingle. As the moss grows, it can actually lift the shingles up and create leaks in the roof by pulling them away from the roof deck. In older neighborhoods such as Sulfur Springs and Ybor City with huge oak trees overhead, the roof is constantly fighting off moss and the resulting damage.
Lichen is one of the hardest issues to deal with, as it is an Algae/Fungus combination that is integrated into the surface of roofing shingles. In order to remove lichen from a surface, it requires the correct type of treatment and sometimes multiple applications in order to get it to completely disappear. We have the appropriate treatments and methods to deal with all three issues.
Tile Roof Cleaning in Tampa
Tile roofs on many Tampa homes also need to be cleaned just like shingle roofs. While clay and concrete tile is used for tile roofs, these surfaces are actually more porous than even asphalt shingles and thus have a greater tendency to hold on to and grow Algae and Moss.
Roof tile cleaning requires a different method of cleaning than a shingle roof. The low-pressure soft-wash method is effective for tile roofs without the risk of cracking or dislodging individual tiles. We’ve heard of many broken roof tiles in South Tampa and Palma Ceia caused by improper roof cleaning methods.
A clean tile roof looks vastly different from a dirty tile roof. The tiles regain their original color and appearance and no longer have black streaks. In addition to improving the appearance of your home, a soft wash roof cleaning can extend the life of your tile roof by removing organic growth that can penetrate into the surface of the tile over time.
How Often Should You Get Roof Cleaning Done
Typically, Tampa roofs should be cleaned every 2-3 years. If there are a lot of trees around your home that are above your roof or your home is facing north, you may need to have your roof cleaned more frequently. A roof that receives most of its sun from the north will typically stay cleaner longer than a roof that receives most of its sun from the south.
One way to tell if it is time to clean your roof is to take a look at it from the street. If you see some dark streaks or some green or black spots, then it is time to clean your roof. If your roof looks pretty much like the rest of it then it is probably okay to wait another season.
For many homeowners in Lutz and in Land O’ Lakes, cleaning out their home every spring is part of their routine as part of their home maintenance. It works very well for us because we can inspect for any repairs that may be needed before the next storm.
Why Tampa Homeowners Call Us for Roof Cleaning
Most of the Tampa pressure-washing companies offer to clean your roof for cheap. Most of these companies have no idea how to do a soft-wash and usually end up causing damage that you will not see for a year or two. Then the shingles start to fail early.
We clean roofs the correct way to prevent damage. We use soft washing and the best cleaning agents and use safe techniques that will not damage roofs with shingles or tiles. Additionally, we don’t walk all over the roof. Each step on a roof has the potential to break something. We only take the number of steps required to correctly clean your roof.
If your roof appears to be dirty and appears to be in need of a roof cleaning, or you simply want to know if your roof is in good shape, we would like to hear from you. Roof cleaning in Tampa is one of our specialties, and we can have your roof cleaned without damaging it.
