Tile Roof Soft Washing
West Bay Club

West Bay Club covers 868 gated acres off Williams Road, east of US-41 in Estero, with about 688 homes. It borders roughly 500 acres of preserve and wetlands and sits beside Estero Bay; its first residents arrived in 1998 and the golf course opened in 1999.

Single-family homes in recent West Bay Club listings have tile roofs. Communities close to a bay, a river and large wetlands generally see more humidity and some salt air, and roof surfaces that stay damp longer give algae a head start.

Single-family homes here are typically one-story CBS and stucco with tile roofs, and the community is organized into nine neighborhoods of single-family homes, condominiums and high-rise towers. This page covers the homes, villas and carriage homes; the towers’ flat built-up roofs are handled through management.

Homes from the original build-out have had many years for algae to establish, while the newest homes will need their first light clean within a few years. We set the mix for the roof in front of us.

The streaks are mostly Gloeocapsa magma. By ARMA’s account it is probably the leading cause of algae stains on roofs, and it is found most widely across the Gulf States. Owens Corning notes it travels on the air and settles on roofs, and with bay, river and preserve on three sides, there is no shortage of damp air.

Concrete tile makers keep pressure low. Eagle Roofing Products recommends plain water for routine cleaning at no more than 1,200 psi and says higher pressure can affect the tile’s pH and discolor it. On heavier growth it allows only the most diluted, concrete-compatible cleaner, and that is the approach we take.

Eagle also calls a wet tile roof difficult and dangerous to walk and recommends a licensed, insured contractor with tile experience who uses fall protection. Most roofs here are single-story, but carriage homes and two-story plans are worked with the crew harnessed.

With preserve and wetlands on every side, runoff control matters. Plants are pre-wet and rinsed, and solution is kept away from preserve edges and water.

Owens Corning asks for a thorough flush of the roof and the greenery around it once a bleach-based mix has been used. We add a buffer along preserve edges and turn downspouts that point toward wetlands onto turf for the length of the job.

The newest construction is the final high-rise, The Island, approved with 86 units. Tower roofs are a separate job for the association, but owners of nearby homes sometimes ask us to time their roof clean for after that construction work wraps up.

Pool cages and lanais sit directly under the eaves on most one-story homes. Before treatment we close what we can and cover pool equipment, then rinse screens and the pool deck afterward so no solution dries on them.

Valleys on the preserve side collect leaf litter, and we lift it out by hand first so the rinse can run freely to the gutters.

Listings show both well and reclaimed irrigation. Either can leave staining on stucco below the sprinkler heads, and we rinse walls under each roof slope as we go so drips from the roof do not add to it.

Mortared ridge and hip caps are checked during the clean, and our tile with ridge cap treatment covers those lines. On a roof from the 1999 build-out, any loose or cracked cap is photographed so you can raise it with a roofer.

Each slope is photographed before work starts. Eagle recommends routine inspection for cracked tile and drainage problems, and the photos give you a dated view of the roof without anyone climbing up again.

The Pete and P.B. Dye golf course, refreshed by Fry/Straka in 2018, runs through the community. Fairway-side slopes catch irrigation drift and morning damp and usually darken first, so they get a little more dwell time.

ARMA states plainly that roof cleaning is temporary and the discoloration may come back. We would rather say that than promise a number of years, and we suggest booking again when you see the first streaks.

Members also have a private Beach Club on the Gulf, which has been renovated in phases. Many owners split their time between here and elsewhere, and we can clean with nobody home, then email the photos.

Single-story tile roofs start at $299, tile with ridge cap treatment at $349 and two-story roofs at $399. A roof with a stucco wall wash starts at $599; see tile roof cleaning for more on the method.

We are licensed and insured, register at the West Bay Club gate before each visit and leave a written record after every job. Call 239-544-1165 to schedule your roof.