Full leaf load and moss cushions: a Lake Stevens roof soft wash
A shaded asphalt roof buried under wet leaves and three seasons of moss, brought back to clean shingles with zero pressure.
The problem
This roof sits under big-leaf maples on the north and east sides, and by mid-winter it was carrying a full load of wet leaves plus established moss along the shaded courses. Moss cushions that thick hold water against the shingles and lift the edges — left alone, they shorten a roof’s life by years.
The homeowner had been told by another company that the roof “needed pressure washing.” It did not. High pressure on asphalt shingles strips the protective granules and voids the manufacturer warranty.
What we did
- Cleared and protected first. Loose leaf litter was removed by hand and off the roof, and the landscaping, gutters and downspout outlets below were pre-wet and tarped.
- Low-pressure soft wash. A professional biocide was fan-sprayed across the whole roof at garden-hose pressure to kill the moss, lichen and black algae at the root — no mechanical force anywhere near the shingles.
- Dwell and gentle rinse. The solution was left to work, then a soft rinse cleared the loosened growth.
- Rinse and gutter flush. The whole roof was rinsed clean without disturbing the granules, and the gutters were flushed clear of everything that came down.
The result
Clean shingles, an even tone across the whole plane, and no granule loss. The heaviest lichen spots kept browning and dropping over the following few weeks, which is normal. This roof should go two to four years before it needs another wash.
Want this for your roof? Send us a photo — most roof-wash quotes come back the same day.
