Tile Roof Soft Washing
Olde Cypress

Olde Cypress is a low-density community of about 540 acres at Immokalee Road and Logan Boulevard, just east of I-75 in North Naples 34119. Stock Development built it out with roughly 650 homes, completed over 2002 to 2014, oriented toward the course, lakes and preserve.

The 18-hole championship course is by P.B. Dye, described as his first in Collier County. Around it, lakes and protected pine and cypress preserves give the community its name and give roofs their shade.

Recent Olde Cypress listings show tile roofs on homes built from 2002 to 2014. Roofs near pine and cypress canopy generally stay damp longer and collect needles in valleys and behind ridges, which feeds the black algae that streaks Naples tile.

Home types include villas, courtyard homes, single-family and estate homes of about 1,783 to 5,538 square feet. Da Vinci Estates, double-gated with homes over 5,000 square feet, sits alongside Terramar, Lantana and the gated Santorini Villas.

Estate and courtyard homes often have several roof planes, inside corners and, in at least one recent listing, a flat built-up section. More valleys mean more places for debris and moisture, and a flat section needs its own low-pressure approach.

For that flat built-up section, we follow the roofer’s guidance where there is any. Built-up roofs are asphalt-based, and the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association warns that high pressure is likely to damage asphalt roofing, so it gets a mild solution and a gentle rinse.

Two-story estate roofs are worked from safe walk zones with proper footing, well back from the eaves. The soft wash solution does the cleaning, so there’s no need to force anything off the tile.

Most of the dark streaking comes from Gloeocapsa magma, a cyanobacterium ARMA ranks as probably the most common cause of roof discoloration, found most widely in the Gulf States. Owens Corning notes it travels through the air and settles on roofs, separate from green algae and moss.

Eagle Roofing Products, which makes concrete tile, advises plain water for routine cleaning and a ceiling of 1,200 psi, noting that more pressure can alter the tile’s pH and leave it discolored. That is a limit, not an endorsement of pressure washing, and we work well below it.

When tile is heavily soiled, Eagle allows a cleaner in the most diluted solution possible and only if it is compatible with concrete, because some products can change the tile’s pH or etch it. That is the reason our mix is set for the roof rather than at one strength for every job.

Eagle also describes walking a wet tile roof as difficult and dangerous and advises hiring a licensed, insured contractor with tile experience who wears fall protection. On two-story estate roofs, our crew stays tied off throughout.

Needles are cleared by hand before the solution goes on, because a valley packed with needles keeps the solution from reaching the tile beneath it. They are bagged and carried off rather than washed into the gutters or onto the beds below.

Courtyard homes have inside corners and walls close to the roof. We rinse courtyard walls, pavers and fountains after the roof is treated, and cover outdoor furniture and grills beforehand.

Villas in Santorini and elsewhere may share a roof between owners. Cleaning the whole building in one visit avoids a visible line between one owner’s section and the next, and we quote the building as one job when owners or the association agree.

Gutters behind the trees can overflow during summer storms when they are packed with needles. Flushing them at the end of the job keeps water moving off the roof instead of over the fascia.

Owens Corning’s guidance after a bleach-based clean is to flush the roof and the greenery around it thoroughly. We soak beds before treatment, rinse them after and cover pool equipment.

ARMA states that roof cleaning results are temporary and discoloration may recur. Roofs near the preserve canopy will show it first, which is why the FAQ suggests a shorter cycle for them.

Every slope is photographed before we begin, and cracked or slipped tile is noted. Eagle recommends routine inspection for cracked tile and drainage problems, and your service record documents the roof’s condition on that date.

Single-story tile roofs start at $299, two-story roofs at $399 and large estate or courtyard roofs at $499. A roof with house wash starts at $599; see our tile roof cleaning page for more on the method.

We confirm gate registration before each visit, including the second gate at Da Vinci Estates, and we are licensed and insured. Call 239-544-1165 to book, and ask about the house wash or the pool cage on the same visit.