That green shade creeping up the north wall. The black streaks running down the roof. The dark film on the outside of the gutters. None of it is dirt. All of it is alive.
Algae, mold, mildew, moss, and lichen can grow on just about everything a Chicagoland house is made of: roofs, Dryvit, stucco, EIFS, Hardie Board, vinyl, cedar shake siding, cedar roof shingles, asphalt, clay barrel tile roofs, TPO roofing membrane, and concrete roofs. If a surface faces the weather, something wants to live on it.
The roof streaks are eating your shingles
Those black stripes are algae feeding on the shingle filler. Blasting a roof with high pressure strips the granules and voids warranties. A soft wash puts an eco-friendly solution on at low pressure, the growth dies at the root, and the rain does the sweeping. It works the same on asphalt shingle, cedar shake, clay barrel tile, TPO membrane, and concrete roofs.
Your gutters grow things too
Algae, mold, mildew, and lichen grow on the outside of your gutters and bond to the finish. A rinse will not touch them. Gutter brightening uses a dedicated solution and hand agitation to bring the aluminum back to the color it was sold in.
Why chemistry beats blasting
High pressure smears living growth around and chews up the surface underneath it. The soft wash approach is the opposite: low pressure carries the solution, the solution does the killing, and the surface stays intact. Real pressure is saved for the surfaces that can take it, like concrete and pavers.
Wondering which one your house needs? Snap a photo of the growth and send it with a free estimate request. A photo gets you a tighter quote, faster.