Roof Cleaning & Debris Removal in Anacortes, WA

Why do Anacortes roofs grow moss if the town is drier?

Because moss answers to damp, not to annual totals. Across 1892 to 2013, the Anacortes weather station kept by the Western Regional Climate Center recorded a mean of 26.70 inches a year, while the Mt Vernon 3 WNW station on the mainland logged 32.58. On paper, then, the island town is clearly the drier of the two.

On a roof, what matters is drying time. A south slope in full sun dries within hours of a shower. A north slope, or any slope shaded by trees, can stay damp for days, especially through November and December, which were the wettest months at the Anacortes station at 3.84 and 3.80 inches. Moss spores land everywhere, but they only take hold where the surface stays wet long enough. That is why the same Anacortes roof so often shows a clean south face and a green north one.

One caution on the numbers: the Anacortes record ends in 2013, so it describes the long-run pattern rather than any particular recent winter.

Which roofs on the island need the most attention?

Shaded ones, above all. The Anacortes Community Forest Lands cover more than 2,950 acres inside the city, and houses near wooded ground, or with large trees of their own over the roof, spend much of the day in shade. They also collect needle and leaf litter in valleys and behind chimneys, which holds moisture against the roof and gives moss somewhere to root.

Other roofs that tend to need more attention:

• North-facing slopes, whatever the tree cover
• Low-pitch sections, such as porch roofs and additions, where water moves slowly
• Valleys and the areas behind chimneys and skylights, where debris gathers
• Roofs beneath taller neighbouring buildings or a hillside that blocks the sun

Roofs on open, sunny ground near the water often stay reasonably clean for longer, although lichen can still spot the exposed faces over time.

What does a roof clean include?

A standard visit covers:

• A look at the whole roof first, to agree what is being cleaned and to note any existing damage before we start
• Planting and hard surfaces below protected, wetted and covered where needed
• Moss lifted by hand from shingles, ridges and valleys
• A low-pressure soft wash of the roof surface to deal with algae streaks and remaining growth
• Valleys and roof-to-wall joints cleared of built-up debris
• Gutters and downspouts cleared afterwards if booked together, since roof work sends material into them
• A final walk-round with photographs of anything we think you should know about

More detail on the service across the territory is on our main roof cleaning page, and moss specifically on moss removal.

Why soft wash rather than pressure wash?

Because a roof is not a driveway. The surface of an asphalt shingle is a layer of mineral granules, and those granules protect the shingle from sun and weather. A pressure washer strips them off, and once they are gone the shingle ages faster. High pressure can also force water up under the laps. The composition asphalt shingle profile explains what that surface can and cannot take.

A soft wash works the other way round. A cleaning solution goes on at low pressure, is given time to work on the algae and growth, and then is rinsed gently. Thick moss is taken off by hand first, working downslope so we are not lifting shingle edges. The result looks less dramatic in the moment than a pressure washer’s stripes, but it leaves the roof intact.

Cedar needs even more care, since the wood itself softens and splits under pressure. The cedar shake roof profile sets out how that surface behaves. On any roof, if we think cleaning would do more harm than good, we say so before starting.

What will we tell you about your roof, and what won’t we?

We will tell you what we see. During a roof clean we are close to every part of the surface, and if there are cracked, curled or missing shingles, lifted flashing, exposed nails or a soft section underfoot, we photograph it and show you.

What we will not do is tell you whether the roof is sound, how many years it has left, or whether it needs replacing. That is a roofer’s or an inspector’s judgment, and we are neither. Our job is to clean the roof and report honestly on anything we noticed while doing so. Often the most useful outcome of a first roof clean is that the owner finally sees the actual surface under the moss.

What drives the cost of roof cleaning in Anacortes?

Every roof is priced on site. The main factors:

1. Roof area, the baseline for the quote.
2. Pitch. A steep roof needs more rigging and slower, more careful work.
3. Amount of growth. A roof with a light film of algae is a quicker job than one with years of thick moss in every course.
4. Height and access, including hillside lots where ladders are harder to set.
5. Roof material. Cedar takes longer than composition shingle.
6. Protection below, such as extensive planting, glass roofs or decks under the eaves.

The first clean on a neglected roof is the costly one. Keeping on top of it after that, with gutters cleared and trees trimmed back, makes every later visit smaller.

When should an Anacortes roof be cleaned?

Late spring through early autumn, in a dry spell of a few days. The solution needs time on the roof without rain washing it off, and the roof should be able to dry afterwards. Moss is easiest to lift when it is damp but not saturated, and planting below the eaves copes better outside a heat wave.

November and December are the worst months to schedule. They were the wettest at the Anacortes station, and a roof cleaned just as the heavy rain arrives spends the winter wet from the start.

It is worth looking at your roof in winter, though. Moss is at its greenest and most obvious then, which makes it the easiest time to see how much you have and book the work for the drier months.

Where does the runoff go?

Anacortes Municipal Code 18.30.050 bars anything but stormwater from the city’s stormwater system and names soap, detergent and cleaning materials among the illicit discharges. The town’s drainage empties into Guemes Channel, Burrows Bay, Fidalgo Bay, Padilla Bay and Similk Bay.

A roof clean involves a cleaning solution, so its runoff has to be managed. Before we start, we look at where the downspouts discharge and where water from the roof will go. Inlets that the runoff could reach are covered or bermed. Downspouts that lead toward a street drain are diverted onto soil or planting for the duration. Planting is pre-wetted and rinsed afterwards. The reasoning behind each of those steps is written up under wash water and storm drains.

Is moss getting under my shingles?

Sometimes, on roofs where it has been left for years. Moss that grows along the bottom edge of each course can push its way up under the shingle above, lifting it slightly and holding water against the layer underneath. How that happens, and what can and cannot be done about it, is covered on moss under shingles.

If we find lifted shingles while cleaning, you will get a photograph and an honest description.

Should the gutters and windows be booked with the roof?

Usually, yes, and the order is fixed. Roof work sends moss, grit and dirty rinse down the slope. Whatever does not go into the gutters runs down the walls and across the glass. Book the roof on its own and the gutters fill with the material we just lifted; book the windows first and they get streaked by the roof rinse.

So the sequence on a combined Anacortes visit is:

1. Roof, with moss lifted and the surface soft washed
2. Gutters and downspouts, cleared of what came off the roof
3. Walls, if a house wash is part of the job
4. Glass last, when nothing else is coming down on it

Doing it in one visit also means one setup, one round of garden protection and one runoff plan instead of three. The gutter side of that sequence is covered on the Anacortes gutter page, including how often a house near wooded ground needs its troughs cleared between roof cleans. If you are not ready to do everything at once, roof and gutters together is the pairing that matters most.

Booking a roof clean

Ring (360) 303-6806 or use the contact page. We will look at the roof, from the ground and from a ladder if needed, and give you a price and a suggested time of year. Every technician who works on a roof has been trained by the owner on method and safety, and the company carries a Washington State business licence with Labor & Industries coverage.