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Enter roof shampooers.

Never heard of this?

"It's a fairly new business that's not known to many people," said Tim Haverly, who recently began a roof cleaning business.

A typical roof cleaning project costs from $300 to $1,500, depending on the roof size, Haverly said. A shampoo, which contains a special chemical, is applied, and left on for 5 to 10 minutes, before it is rinsed off.

So, add to your list of must-do home maintenance chores -- power washing your siding, cleaning gutters and windows -- washing your roof.

William Cassidy, a Saratoga Springs resident, recently had his roof shampooed by Bright Homes Enterprises in Saratoga LLC, a company affiliated with roofshampoo.com, which specializes in cleaning roofs with a special chemical. His wife took a look at their roof one day, saw mold and algae, and thought it was time to do something about it.

"I was a bit worried I'd have to get my roof replaced, because it was just getting so old-looking," said Cassidy. "We had a lot of mold and moss. The house is about 18 years old, and we live in a wooded area, so it was full of dirt."

Algae are living organisms that feed off dust particles and grow when wet. They can expand in shady areas on rooftops. Houses surrounded by trees are most likely to be affected by these organisms. Algae can also grow under the shingles of a roof, and may trap heat inside your house. Moss also grows in moist places and can damage the wood of a home, which in turn may cause roof leaks.

"The newer roofs were built with limestone, which is a trigger for algae," said Tim Haverly, a roof shampoo contractor based in Delmar. "The mold and the algae will damage the shingles, and then the shingles will fall apart. The mold actually grows inside the shingles."

"I've talked to other people about getting my roof washed, and apparently it isn't widespread knowledge," said Cassidy.

Mike Bursiewicz of Bright Homes Enterprises advises not using bleach or a pressure washer, because they may damage the shingles on the roof.

Some professional roof contractors, however, say that cleaning your roof may not do anything for your home but keep it looking new.

"It's an aesthetic thing," said Jim Staats, a 43-year contractor and the owner of Vanguard Roofing Co. in Bethlehem. "It's not necessary to have your roof clean. If you can live with discoloration, you don't have to wash the roof."

Once it is clean, like any ordinary room that has just been cleaned and quickly gets dirty again, the buildup of new algae starts anew, and your roof may look dirty again.

Staats advises that if you have moss on your roof, you should get it taken off professionally. Other than that, it may be costly to get your roof cleaned. Also, he suggests investing in algae-resistant shingles if you decide to replace your roof. Place metal zinc stips on the roof, which act as algae and fungus inhibitors.

Joseph Chaparro, a student at the University of Albany, is an intern this summer for the Times Union.

Should you shampoo your roof?

Reasons to do it:

Gets rid of algae and moss

Adds to curb appeal

May increase the life of your roof

Reasons not to:

Costly

May not be necessary

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=947698#ixzz0srZBPaHg




I can't wait to talk to customers about this artical quote "Mike Bursiewicz of Bright Homes Enterprises advises not using bleach or a pressure washer, because they may damage the shingles on the roof. "

A. Bleach is what arma recommends 
B. They use a power deck powered by a power washer lol