Roof Cleaning That
Protects Your Shingles

Safe Soft Wash — ARMA Compliant

If your roof has dark streaking — particularly running down from the ridge toward the gutters — you're looking at Gloeocapsa Magma, a cyanobacteria that feeds on the limestone filler in asphalt shingles. Left untreated, it shortens shingle lifespan, traps heat in your attic, and spreads until it covers the entire surface. Moss and lichen are even more aggressive, physically lifting shingle tabs and accelerating water intrusion.

The solution is not pressure washing your roof. High-pressure water strips the protective granule coating from asphalt shingles, voids most manufacturer warranties, and can force water under shingle laps — the exact damage you're trying to prevent. The ARMA (Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association) specifically recommends against pressure washing asphalt roofs.

The right method is a soft wash — low-pressure water delivery combined with a professional-grade algaecide that kills organic growth at the source. The treatment penetrates the shingle surface, kills the biological growth, and rinses clean without mechanical damage. Most treated roofs look dramatically improved within a single day and remain clean for 3–5 years.

Central Ohio's weather makes roof algae a near-universal problem. The combination of summer humidity, shade from mature trees, and freeze-thaw moisture cycling creates ideal conditions for algae and moss colonization. Most Columbus-area homeowners with asphalt roofs older than 5 years have some level of Gloeocapsa Magma growth.

We document every roof cleaning job with before-and-after photos. For roofs with significant moss or lichen growth, we provide a realistic assessment of what the treatment will achieve and what timeline to expect for full clearing.