What roof soft washing actually is.
A roof in South Florida isn’t dirty. It’s alive. Black streaks aren’t dirt — they’re Gloeocapsa magma, a cyanobacterium that eats limestone filler in shingles and stains tile. High-pressure water doesn’t remove it; it just blasts the visible top layer while the colony stays rooted in the substrate.
Soft washing is the manufacturer-approved method. GAF, CertainTeed and Owens-Corning all specify ≤500 PSI with a biocide chemistry for asphalt shingle roofs. Our pump system runs around 60 PSI — about the pressure of a garden hose — paired with a calibrated sodium hypochlorite and surfactant blend. The chemistry does the work. The water just rinses.
New to this? Our guide explains soft wash vs. pressure washing for South Florida roofs — including what roof cleaning costs and how to get rid of black streaks for good.
What we do, step by step.
- Plant protection. Pre-wet every bed, shrub and tree under the eaves. Tarp delicate ground covers.
- Application. Apply biocide at low pressure, top-down. Dwell time 15–25 min depending on growth density.
- Rinse. Soft rinse at 60 PSI, top-down again. No walking on tile unless absolutely necessary, and only with foam-padded boots.
- Treatment. Optional post-treatment for the 5-year guarantee — surface inhibitor that delays re-colonization.
- Walk-through. Together. With photos.
Tile vs shingle.
South Florida’s split roughly 60/40 between concrete/clay tile and asphalt shingle. Tile is harder to walk, easier to clean — pigment is in the body, not a surface coating. Shingle is the opposite: walk-friendly, but the granules are the only thing standing between your home and ultraviolet light. Use a pressure washer on shingle and you’ll need a new roof in five years.
We price tile higher ($549) than shingle ($399) because tile demands more time on planks and pads, and the chemistry has to be milder around mortar caps.
HOA violation? We handle the deadline.
If your association sent a notice about roof stains, you’re on a clock — most South Florida letters give 14–30 days before fines start, and Florida’s default rules allow up to $100 a day. Violation deadlines get priority scheduling with us: text a photo of the letter to our line, get a written quote the same day, and we clean before your cure-by date.
Every roof wash includes our HOA compliance package at no charge — dated before/after photos and a completion letter you forward to your association to close the violation. Full details on the HOA roof violation page.
Why the 5-year guarantee.
Most South Florida pressure washers don’t offer one because they’re using high-pressure water, which leaves algae roots intact. Our biocide approach actually kills the colony. We can warranty the result because the method earns it.
