Tile Roof Soft Washing
National Golf & Country Club

Homes and buildings here face the Gordon B. Lewis course, a lake or preserve. Each view brings its own moisture: fairway irrigation, lake mist, or shade and leaf litter on the preserve side. Shaded north-facing slopes are where algae tends to show first, even on roofs only a few years old.

On a new roof, the aim is to deal with algae while it is still a light film. A low-pressure soft wash with a dilute solution treats the growth without leaning on force, and starting early generally means less buildup to remove at each later visit.

Lennar built four home types — Terrace condominiums, Veranda townhomes and condos, and Executive and Estate single-family homes — on streets such as National Blvd, Double Eagle Circle, Newcastle Ct and Ellerston Way. Condo roofs are association work; single-family roofs are the owner’s.

Terrace and Veranda buildings. A multi-unit roof is cleaned as a single job so no owner’s section ends up lighter than the next. We send the association one quote per building, agree on dates that avoid move-ins and deliveries, and give the manager one written record per roof that lists the date, slopes treated and anything we noticed.

A 2020 Lennar community. Lennar held the grand opening celebration for National Golf & Country Club on March 7, 2020, in the town of Ave Maria in Collier County. Its announcement described homes from 1,120 to 3,473 square feet with two to five bedrooms, so roof sizes range from compact condo buildings to large single-family Estate roofs.

Inland, not coastal. Ave Maria sits roughly 36 miles northeast of downtown Naples, in wetland country near Corkscrew Swamp. There is no Gulf salt film to rinse off here. The moisture comes instead from lakes, preserve and irrigation, and roofs bordering the preserve stay damp in shade longer than those facing open fairway.

Reclaimed water on the lawns. Ave Maria Utility Company supplies reclaimed water that the Stewardship District distributes for irrigation. If sprinkler heads throw water onto low eaves, walls or lanai screens, any staining there is a separate issue from roof algae; we point it out and can quote rust stain removal separately.

The course and the clubhouse. Lennar’s release lists an 18-hole Gordon B. Lewis course with a chipping area, putting green and driving range, plus a clubhouse with a resort-style pool and chickee bar, a tennis center with Har-Tru, pickleball and bocce, and a sports club with fitness rooms and saunas. We stage trucks where the manager directs and keep hoses away from cart paths and practice areas.

Concrete tile guidance. Eagle Roofing Products, which makes concrete roof tile, recommends cleaning with water only at no more than 1,200 psi and warns that higher pressure could alter the tile’s pH and discolor it. On heavily soiled roofs it allows a cleaner only in the most diluted form possible and only one compatible with concrete. Our process stays well under that pressure cap with a dilute mix.

Young roofs and paperwork. On a roof put on in the last few years, owners and boards may still hold installer or manufacturer paperwork. If it includes care instructions, send them over and we will follow them; if it says nothing about cleaning, we default to the tile maker’s published limits above.

What the dark film is. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association calls Gloeocapsa magma probably the most common of the algae species that discolor roofs and says it is most widespread in the Gulf States, favored by warm, humid weather. Owens Corning describes it as airborne, settling and growing on roofs, so even a brand-new building can pick it up from its neighbors.

Results are not permanent. ARMA says plainly that roof cleaning is a temporary fix and discoloration may recur. Rather than quote a fixed cycle, we photograph each building and suggest the next visit based on how quickly the shaded slopes come back.

Safety on tile. Eagle describes walking a wet tile roof as difficult and dangerous and advises hiring a licensed, insured contractor with tile experience who uses fall protection. Our crews place their feet only on supported tile and stay back from the eaves on the two-story Estate homes.

A look while we’re up there. Eagle also recommends routine inspection for cracked tile and drainage problems. On every roof we note cracked or slipped tile, ridge mortar gaps and blocked valleys in the written record, with photos, so the owner or association can call a roofer if anything needs attention.

Patios and plants below. Lennar’s floor plans include outdoor patios, and many owners have added furniture, grills or screens. Owens Corning’s guidance calls for flushing the greenery around a cleaned roof, and we pre-wet and rinse beds, cover grills and rinse patio surfaces under the drip line before we leave.