“Will pressure wreck my shingles?”
It would, which is why none gets used. High pressure strips the granules off a shingle and those granules are the shingle’s protection. A roof gets low pressure and algaecide, nothing else.
The dark staining running down a roof is not dirt and it is not the shingles wearing out. It is algae, and alongside it comes moss and lichen that push roots down into the mat of the shingle. Left alone it holds moisture against the roof through every freeze-thaw cycle Wisconsin can throw at it.
A soft wash with algaecide kills all of it at the root rather than scrubbing the top off. That is the difference between a roof that stays clean for years and one that greens up again by the following summer.
The same four steps whether it is a ranch in New Berlin or a lake house in Oconomowoc.
Pitch, shingle condition, how far the growth has gone, and what is planted underneath it.
Beds, shrubs and grass below the roofline get soaked first. This is the step that protects the landscaping.
Algaecide applied gently and given time to work. The solution does the job, not the water.
Roof and everything under it get rinsed down, then a walk-around together — or photos of everything if you could not be there.
Same angle, same framing, no filters. Roof work is rarely dramatic in a photo — it is the color coming back that matters.
Drag the slider to see the difference
It would, which is why none gets used. High pressure strips the granules off a shingle and those granules are the shingle’s protection. A roof gets low pressure and algaecide, nothing else.
High pressure can, because stripping the granules is exactly what manufacturers exclude. A low pressure soft wash is the method the shingle makers themselves point to, so there is nothing here to argue about later.
Everything below the roofline is soaked with plain water before a drop of solution is sprayed, and watered again afterward. Only the amount the roof needs gets used.
We bought a fixer upper and our home was not maintained at all. Our roof had moss, and our siding we thought was shot. Turns out it was just in need of a good cleanse. Roof, siding, gutters and the brick — our home looks incredible.
Brad was extremely thorough. He took the time to explain and educate upfront as we walked around the house, and did the same at the end with a quality walk-through.
Very professional and thorough. Attention to detail was very evident and I would absolutely recommend Pristine.
A north-facing slope gets no direct sun, so it stays damp after every rain. That is where the algae takes hold first and where the moss follows.
Wooded lots keep a roof shaded, drop debris into the valleys and gutters, and hold moisture against the shingles long after the rest of the roof has dried out.
Moss holds water. Water freezes, expands and lifts. Every winter cycle works that growth a little further under the edge of the shingle.
A humid Wisconsin summer is exactly what algae wants. Left alone it spreads across the slope and the streaking gets darker every season.
No. A roof gets a low pressure soft wash, which means the cleaning solution does the work and the water is barely more forceful than rain. Pressure is what tears granules off shingles and voids a manufacturer warranty, so it has no business on a roof at all.
The solution kills the growth on contact and most of it rinses away the same day. What is left breaks down over the following few weeks of rain and sun. A roof that was heavily covered can keep improving for a month after Brad has gone.
Everything below the roofline gets soaked with plain water before any solution is applied, and watered again once the wash is finished. Only the amount of solution the roof actually needs gets used.
Every three to five years for most homes here. North-facing slopes, roofs under heavy tree cover and anything near the lakes hold moisture longer and come round sooner.
They get rinsed out as part of the same visit. Growth on a roof ends up in the gutters, so washing one without clearing the other leaves half the job done. If they need a proper clean rather than a rinse, Brad will say so when he quotes it.
Send this over and Brad will get back to you, usually within a few hours. Every roof is looked at in person before a price is given — no phone quotes.
Monday–Friday 8:00–5:00Saturday 9:00–4:00 · Closed Sunday and holidays