Tile Roof Soft Washing
Bonita National

Bonita National Golf & Country Club sits just off Bonita Beach Road near I-75, a gated Lennar community laid out around a Gordon Lewis golf course and a chain of lakes. Homes range from coach homes and terrace condos of about 1,300 square feet to single-family and estate plans above 3,800. Nearly all of them were built in the last decade or so, and nearly all of them wear concrete tile. That uniformity is good news: the roofs are in good condition, their surfaces are still tight, and they respond quickly to the right cleaning.

Where the first streaks show up. Even on a newer roof, the black streaks begin within a few years. They are colonies of airborne algae, usually Gloeocapsa magma, that land on the tile, feed on the limestone in concrete, and darken to shield themselves from the sun. At Bonita National they start on north-facing slopes and on roofs that back onto a lake or fairway, where evening humidity and morning dew keep the tile damp. Golf course irrigation adds moisture to the air every night of the dry season, too.

Why early cleaning is cheaper. Fresh algae is thin and dies quickly under a soft wash. Leave it for several more years and it becomes a base for lichen, the gray-green crusty spots that root into the tile surface and need repeated treatment to fade. A roof cleaned at the first sign of streaking takes less solution, less dwell time and less labor, and it stays clean longer because the surface was never deeply colonized.

How soft washing protects a young roof. Concrete tile leaves the factory with a colored, sealed surface. High-pressure washing strips that surface, opens the pores and invites algae back faster, and a worker’s boots on a tile crown can crack it. Soft washing does the work by chemistry instead: a diluted sodium hypochlorite solution, the active ingredient in household bleach at a much lower strength, mixed with a surfactant so it clings to the tile. It is applied at about garden-hose pressure, allowed to dwell and kill the growth at the root, then gently rinsed.

Coach homes and condos are a different conversation. In Bonita National’s coach home and terrace condo buildings, the roof is often maintained by the association rather than the owner. If you live in one, check your documents or ask management before booking. We regularly quote association buildings per building, schedule around residents and send the certificate of insurance and written scope to management first. Single-family owners usually book their own roof directly.

Protecting the landscaping and the lake. Bonita National lots are landscaped to the edge, and many back onto water. Before any solution goes on, we soak beds and shrubs under the drip line with fresh water, which keeps the plants from absorbing the solution. We rinse them again at the end. Runoff is kept on the property and out of lake banks and storm drains, and we do not spray on windy afternoons when mist could drift onto a neighbor’s pool cage or car.

Rust is not algae. Bonita National’s landscaping is watered with reclaimed irrigation, which can carry iron. Where sprinklers hit a wall, a driveway or a pool deck, orange stains appear. Roof soft wash chemistry does not remove rust, and pressure only drives it deeper. If you see orange marks around the base of the house, we treat them separately with an iron-specific cleaner, and point out the heads that need adjusting.

What it costs. A single-story roof starts from $299, and most single-story tile roofs with mortared ridges and hips start from $349. Two-story plans start from $399. A roof and house wash combo, which also takes the mildew off shaded stucco, starts from $599. Coach home and condo buildings are quoted per building for the association.

Getting ready. Turn off irrigation that morning, close windows, and move cars and light patio furniture away from the eaves. Tell us if a pool service or landscaper is due the same day so we can work around them. That is all; the gate, water and cleanup are on us.

Questions to ask before hiring anyone. Will you pressure wash my tile? Where will your crew walk? How will you protect my plants and the lake? Are you insured, and will you send the certificate to the HOA? What will I receive when you finish? A good roof cleaner answers all five without hesitation.