Tile Roof Soft Washing
Naples Lakes Country Club

Homes in the listings we reviewed date from 2001 and 2002, so their tile roofs are now more than 20 years old unless they have been replaced. In East Naples humidity, tile of that age has likely been through more than one round of algae growth, and black streaking shows up if it hasn’t been cleaned in a while.

Many homes sit along the course’s water. Slopes facing lakes stay damp after dew and usually streak first, while the street side can look fine. Treating every slope keeps the color even.

Low-rise coach/carriage roofs are shared, so cleaning one section leaves a visible line. We quote the whole building for the association and work from safe walk zones with proper footing.

Golf for every household. Naples Lakes is a gated club community in East Naples off Davis Boulevard, near I-75. A local golf guide counts about 731 residences, each with a golf membership bundled in and no initiation fee. That means a lot of roofs facing fairways, and a lot of neighbors who will notice a streaked one.

An Arnold Palmer course from 2000. The 18-hole course was designed by Arnold Palmer and opened in 2000, with the homes built around it in the following years. Lakes and nature preserves wrap the property, which is lovely to look at and also keeps the air around the rooflines humid for much of the day.

Six neighborhoods, many roof shapes. The same guide lists condominiums, coach homes, carriage homes, golf villas and single-family estate homes spread across six neighborhoods, with names such as Lake Placid, Lake Tahoe Village and Lake Arrowhead. A ground-floor condo on Winged Foot Court and an estate home on Cerromar Drive need very different plans, and we price and staff each one separately.

Some roofs are already new. One recent Cerromar Drive listing in Lake Placid advertised a new roof along with a new lanai cage and a salt water pool. If yours has been replaced, tell us when; a young roof usually needs a lighter treatment, and we would rather check the installer’s care notes than guess.

What the tile maker allows. Eagle Roofing Products, a concrete tile manufacturer, recommends cleaning its tile with water only at no more than 1,200 psi, and says higher pressure could affect the tile’s pH and discolor it. For heavily soiled roofs it allows a cleaner only in the most diluted form possible, and only one that is compatible with concrete. We work at much lower pressure than that cap and keep our mix dilute.

The black streaks have a name. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association identifies Gloeocapsa magma as probably the most common algae behind dark roof stains and says the problem is most widespread in the Gulf States. Owens Corning’s technical bulletin adds that it travels through the air and settles and grows on roofs, which is why a whole street of lake-view homes tends to darken together.

Clean, then expect it back. ARMA is direct that cleaning roof algae is only temporary and that the discoloration may return. We don’t promise a set number of years. After the first visit we photograph each slope and suggest an interval based on how fast your lake-facing side regrows.

Wet tile is a hazard. Eagle calls walking a wet tile roof difficult and dangerous and recommends a licensed, insured contractor with tile experience who uses fall protection. Our crews step only where tiles are supported and keep well back from the eaves on two-story estate roofs.

Condition notes with every job. Eagle also suggests routine professional inspection for cracked tile and drainage problems. While we are up there we note any slipped or cracked tile, loose ridge mortar and clogged valleys, and include photos in the written record so you or the association can call a roofer if needed.

Protecting the pools and lanais. Owens Corning’s guidance calls for a thorough flush of surrounding greenery, and we apply the same care to the screened lanais and resort-style pools common here. Plants are wetted before and after, pool equipment is covered, and screen panels under the drip line get a fresh-water rinse at the end.

Ridges and hips on older tile. If the mortar along your ridges and hips looks darker than the tile faces, our tile roof plus ridge cap treatment, from $349, gives those lines extra attention, and the general method is described on our tile roof cleaning page.

Shared spaces near the roofs. The clubhouse, resort-style pool and cabana bar, five Har-Tru tennis courts, pickleball and bocce courts and the walking paths all sit close to homes. When we work near those areas we keep hoses and equipment off the paths and aim to finish rinsing before the busier afternoon hours.

Working around the club. Because the gate is staffed and residents share a busy calendar of golf, tennis and pickleball, we register with the gate ahead of time and keep trucks off the narrow neighborhood streets as much as possible. Coach and carriage buildings are done on dates the association approves.