Tile Roof Soft Washing
Paseo

Paseo is a gated community of roughly 440 acres in the Daniels Corridor of south Fort Myers, beside the Six Mile Cypress Slough and close to Gulf Coast Town Center. Stock Development and Pulte Homes planned 1,158 homes here and built them out between 2006 and 2016.

All the Paseo listings we reviewed were tile-roofed, on homes built from 2008 to 2015. On a Mediterranean streetscape the roof color is a big part of the look, and black algae streaks on one casita stand out against a clean one next door.

The mix is wider than most communities. There are two-bedroom flats, casitas built as two-floor units joined by trellises, split-level and two-story townhomes, twin villas, Heirloom single-family homes and the larger Traditional Series of up to five bedrooms.

Homes beside the slough and the community’s lakes get more shade and moisture than open streets. Algae usually shows first on the slopes that see the least sun, so we treat the whole roof and not only the darkest patch, to keep the color even.

Paseo also mixes one-story casitas with two-story townhomes and split-levels. Roofs are worked from safe walk zones at every height, with proper footing well back from the eaves, and the solution does the cleaning at low pressure.

The trellises that join the casitas are one reason we pre-wet so carefully. Wood under the eaves is soaked before the roof is treated, rinsed while we work and rinsed again at the end, so solution never sits on it.

The dark streaking is mostly Gloeocapsa magma. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association calls it probably the most prevalent of the algae species behind roof discoloration and finds it most widespread in the Gulf States. Owens Corning adds that it is airborne and settles on roofs, and that green algae and moss are separate species.

Concrete tile has limits set by its makers. Eagle Roofing Products recommends plain water for routine cleaning, with pressure never above 1,200 psi, because higher pressure can alter the tile’s pH and discolor it.

Where tile is heavily soiled, Eagle allows a cleaner only in the most diluted form that works and only if it is compatible with concrete, since some products can etch the face or shift its pH. We adjust dwell time before we adjust strength.

Eagle calls a wet tile roof difficult and dangerous to walk and advises a licensed, insured contractor with tile experience who uses fall protection. On the two-story townhomes and Traditional Series homes our crew is tied off for the whole job.

Before we start, every slope is photographed and cracked or slipped tile is noted. Eagle recommends routine inspection for cracked tile and drainage problems, and the photos show the roof’s condition on the day we cleaned it.

ARMA also asks that cleaning solution be applied carefully to protect the building and the landscaping, and it reminds owners that a freshly cleaned roof is slippery. We apply from safe walk zones well back from the eaves and keep the spray low and close to the tile, so overspray does not drift onto stucco, screens or cars in the driveway.

Splitting the work by building type keeps the quote honest. A ground-floor flat may have no roof of its own to clean, a casita roof is small and low, and a Traditional Series home can have several hips and two stories of eaves, so each is priced from what is actually on top of it.

Townhome and villa buildings often share one roof across several owners. Doing every roof section of a Paseo building on one visit keeps a bright stretch from sitting next to a streaked one; we quote the building as a single job when the owners or the association agree.

Owens Corning’s advice after a bleach-based cleaning is to flush the roof and the plants around it thoroughly. We soak beds first, rinse them after, cover pool equipment and turn downspout runoff away from the lakes.

ARMA states that the effect of roof cleaning is only temporary and that discoloration may recur. Shaded roofs near the preserve will show it sooner than open ones, which is why we leave the timing of the next clean to what the roof shows.

The 26,000-square-foot Village Center, with its pool, cabanas, tiki bar, theater and dining, sits at the heart of the community. Its roofs are an association matter; we quote amenity buildings for the board separately from private homes.

Paseo is gated, so we register crews with the gate before each visit and arrive on the scheduled day. We are licensed and insured, and a certificate of insurance is available to the association on request.

Single-story tile roofs start at $299, two-story roofs at $399, and a tile roof with ridge cap treatment at $349. A roof and house wash combo starts at $599; our tile roof cleaning page explains the method in more detail.

Call 239-544-1165 to book a Paseo roof, or to quote a whole townhome building for its owners.