Roof Soft Washing in Hesperia, CA

Roof soft washing is the only way we clean roofs. HomeGuide reports that roofing trade groups advise against pressure washing shingle or tile roofs, because the force can damage the material and knock the protective granules off shingles. On a Hesperia roof that has spent years under strong sun, the surface is already working hard. A soft wash puts a cleaning solution on at low pressure, lets it break down dirt and stains, and rinses them off gently, so the roof gets cleaner without getting thinner.

What dirties a high desert roof

Roofs here rarely grow the thick moss you see in wet climates. What we see instead is dust settled into the texture of concrete tile, dark streaks below vents and along the drip edge, bird droppings near ridges and solar arrays, and leaves and debris in valleys and behind chimneys. Shaded north slopes and roofs under trees can grow lichen or algae, which shows up as dark patches or crusty spots. Dust on a light-colored roof also cuts down how much sunlight it reflects, which matters in a place where summer highs approach 100 degrees.

Concrete and clay tile

Many Hesperia homes have concrete tile roofs, and some have clay. Both are durable as a surface but brittle under a boot in the wrong place. Tile cracks when weight lands on an unsupported span, and a cracked tile can let water reach the underlayment. When we need to walk tile, we step on the lower third of each tile where it overlaps the one below, and we work from ladders and the edge wherever we can. If we find cracked or slipped tiles before we start, we show you; we do not do roof repairs.

Composition shingles

Shingles rely on their granules for UV protection. Pressure washing strips them; soft washing does not. We keep the rinse pressure low, spray down the slope rather than up under the tabs, and avoid shingles on very hot afternoons when they soften. If your shingles are already curling, cracking or losing granules in the gutters, washing will not fix that, and you may want a roofer to look first.

Gutters and downspouts

Soft washing sends dirty water and debris into the gutters, so we clear gutters before and after, and flush downspouts to make sure they drain. That rinse water then has to go somewhere. Hesperia is under the Mojave River Watershed stormwater permit, which requires the city to prohibit non-stormwater discharges into the storm drain system, so we point downspouts at dirt or gravel areas and keep the flow away from the street.

Plants, walls and windows below

Whatever comes off the roof lands on what is below it. We wet or cover plants under the eaves, close windows, and rinse stucco walls and walkways under the roof edge at the end so streaks of runoff do not dry on them. If you also want the house washed, doing both the same day saves a second setup.

Solar on the roof

Many Hesperia roofs carry solar panels. We do not pressure wash panels, and we keep foot traffic away from the array and its wiring. If you want the panels cleaned as well, we do that with soft brushes and filtered, low-mineral water as a separate line on the same quote.