Those black streaks are gloeocapsa magma, a roof algae that feeds on the limestone filler in your shingles. Soft washing removes it. Pressure washing a shingle roof strips the granules and voids most manufacturer warranties.
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The GAF technical bulletin on roof algae ends with a plain instruction: do not power wash the shingles. Pressure knocks the granules loose and shortens the roof. We apply a cleaning solution, give it time to work, and rinse gently.
They are cyanobacteria, Gloeocapsa magma, and they take hold on the north slope first because it gets less sun and stays damp longer after dew. Warm, humid states along the east coast are where it spreads. Scrubbing it moves granules, not algae.
An older roof with granule loss already showing gets a lighter touch and a longer dwell instead of more force. If we look at yours and think it is too far gone for cleaning to be worth it, we will say so instead of taking the job.
The streaks are a cyanobacterium called Gloeocapsa magma, and GAF names dew as its primary moisture source. The slope that stays shaded and holds dew overnight goes first. If the north face is streaked and the south is clean, that is the reason.
GAF describes the discoloration as covering more area on the lower section of the roof and tapering as it reaches the ridge. That taper is the signature. A dark patch that does not follow it is usually shade from a tree or a run off a chimney instead.
GAF notes the organism travels on the wind, so it spreads roof to roof through a neighborhood rather than starting on yours. Seeing it on three houses in a row means spores are already landing on your shingles whether they show yet or not.
Shingles sold as algae resistant carry copper in the granule, and that coverage is a fixed term while the shingle warranty is not. CertainTeed warrants its algae protection for thirty years on a lifetime shingle. Past that window the same roof streaks.
Algae stains the surface. Moss builds a mat that stays wet against the shingle and lifts the tab edge as it thickens. Wet material that does not dry inside a day or two is the condition every mold guide warns about, and a moss pad never dries.
That is a sign of a problem too. The GAF bulletin ends by saying do not power wash the shingles because it may dislodge granules, and the asphalt roofing association says high pressure is likely to damage the roof. Cleaning here means low pressure and dwell.
Streaking sits heaviest on the north slope and low on the field, because that is where a shingle stays damp longest. We note slope, granule condition and the age of any algae resistant warranty before a hose comes off the truck.
The GAF bulletin says to wet down landscaping and rinse it again afterward. We run a soaker on the beds below the eave, tarp what cannot be soaked, and move furniture out of the runoff path before any solution gets mixed.
GAF publishes 4 gallons of water to 1 gallon of bleach with a cup of TSP, applied gently. We spray it from the ground through a soft wash tip. ARMA is explicit that high pressure washing systems should not be used on shingles.
GAF allows up to 20 minutes of dwell and then a low pressure rinse. The rinse is not optional. ASTM D4610 records that hypochlorite left on a surface discolors it on its own, so the residue is a staining risk in its own right.
Loosened growth ends up in the trough, so we flush the gutters and downspouts as part of the job. We photograph the finished slopes from the same spots as the before shots and note any lifted or brittle shingle seen from the ladder.
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That is gloeocapsa magma, a blue green algae that eats the limestone filler in asphalt shingles. It shows up first on north facing slopes and under tree cover because those stay damp longest, which is why it is so common across the Triangle. A proper soft wash removes the growth itself rather than rinsing the stain, so a treated roof typically stays clear for three to five years here.
Not when it is soft washed. Every major shingle manufacturer and the ARMA industry guidance calls for low pressure chemical cleaning, and several warranties are explicitly voided by pressure washing. We never put a pressure wand on a shingle roof. We apply the solution, let it dwell, and rinse at roughly garden hose pressure.
A roof soft wash on its own is $499 for one story, $625 for two, and $875 for three, or $449, $549 and $749 when it is booked with a house wash. A steep roof adds $150 and a very steep roof adds $250. Steep or multi level roofs cost more because of the access work, not because of the cleaning. We quote off satellite measurements plus an on site look, and the number does not move after that. Most people book the roof alongside a house wash and a gutter cleaning, since the ladder work is already set up and paid for.
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Roof work pairs naturally with gutters and a house wash, which is why most people book the three together.
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