Roof Cleaning in Freehold, NJ
Soft Washed, Never Pressure Washed | We Stay Off the Roof | Plants Protected | Free Estimates
If dark streaks are running down the north side of your roof, green patches are growing where the shade sits longest, or the roof makes an otherwise clean house look ten years older, you are on the right page. Those streaks are usually not dirt, and not the shingles wearing out. They are living growth, and they can be washed off.
A photo of each side of the roof from the ground is all we need to start.
We clean shingle roofs with a soft wash. A professional-grade solution is applied at under 100 PSI, and the solution is neutralized and properly rinsed afterward. We stay off the roof while we do it, so nobody is walking across your shingles. We clean roofs across Freehold, Colts Neck, Holmdel, Manalapan, Marlboro, and the rest of our service area.
Angelo trains his crew to do every job the way he would, and he checks in on jobs as they run. Call or text (732) 718-6268, or send a photo of the roof from the street, and you will hear back within the hour.
What Grows on a Roof
What Is Actually Growing on Your Shingles
Roof growth comes in three kinds. They look different, they sit on the shingles differently, and they come off at different speeds.
01
Black streaks: the ridge-to-gutter drips
The dark stripes that run down a roof are an algae, and they are the roof growth you see most across New Jersey neighborhoods. They start as spots near the top of a slope and spread downward as rain carries them, which is why they form vertical stripes. They do not wash off with rain, and they keep spreading from one slope to the next.
02
Moss: the shaded-slope cushions
Moss grows in green cushions along the bottom edges of shingles, where shade and moisture last longest. It holds water against the roof like a sponge, and as it grows it can lift the shingle edges it sits under.
03
Lichen: the stubborn spots
Lichen shows as flat, crusty spots in pale green or gray, and it grips the shingle surface harder than the other two. Cleaning treats it, but it may leave faint marks where it was attached, and those fade over time rather than all at once.
What You Notice Looking Up
“My roof has black streaks running down it.”
That is the algae. It keeps spreading if it is left. A soft wash takes it off.
“I thought the streaks meant I needed a new roof.”
Streaks on their own are usually growth, not wear. We are not roofers, so if we see shingles that look damaged while we work, we will point them out so you can have a roofer look.
“There’s moss growing on the shady side.”
Of the three kinds of growth, moss is the one worth treating soonest.
“Can’t I just pressure wash the roof?”
A shingle roof should not be pressure washed. High pressure strips the granules that protect the shingles, can lift or break shingle edges, and can push water up under the laps. Roofs get a soft wash.
“The roof makes the whole house look old.”
The roof is the biggest surface you see from the street, so streaks on it age the whole house. Cleaning it with the siding and gutters at the same visit takes the house back to one clean look.
Why a Roof Gets a Soft Wash
Asphalt shingles are covered in granules that protect them from the sun. Anything that knocks those granules off shortens the life of the roof, which is why the cleaning method matters more on a roof than on any other surface on the house.
Nobody walking on the shingles
Foot traffic scuffs granules, cracks brittle shingles in cold weather, and is dangerous on a wet roof. We stay off the roof for the whole job.
What runs off the roof
Everything that comes off a roof lands in the gutters, on the walks, and in the beds below. Plants and outdoor electrical are protected first, and the surfaces around the house are rinsed at the end.
Moss and a Freehold Winter
North slopes and big trees
On most houses, one slope gets far more sun than the other. The shaded slope, especially under the old shade trees on Freehold's established streets, stays damp longest after rain and dew, and that is where the streaks and moss start. It is normal for one side of a roof to need the cleaning far more than the other.
What moss does in a New Jersey winter
Moss soaks up water, and on a cold night that water freezes right at the shingle edges. Freeze-thaw cycles work on those edges all winter, and by spring the edges it sat under can be lifted or brittle.
From the curb, look for:
How a Roof Cleaning Goes
Six Steps, All From the Ground
Photos from the ground
A photo of each slope shows us the size of the roof, the pitch, and how much growth is on it. Angelo can come look the same day if the photos do not show enough.
The photos that help most:
A quote by slope
The digital quote lists the roof cleaning and anything you add, such as the house wash or the gutters.
We confirm the day before
On the day, please:
Protect the yard
After a quick talk-through of the job, the plants under the eaves are protected and outdoor electrical is covered.
Soft wash, off the roof
The roof is soft washed at under 100 PSI. The solution is neutralized and the surfaces around the house are properly rinsed.
A walk-through
We check the roof with you from the ground before we leave. If you have a concern, Angelo comes out himself.
What a Roof Cleaning Includes
What Is Covered on the Roof
Soft wash of every slope
IncludedAt under 100 PSI.
Black streak removal
IncludedThe algae stripes washed off the shingles.
Moss treatment
IncludedTreated in the same visit as the streaks.
Lichen treatment
IncludedTreated along with everything else on the slope.
Plants and electrical protected
IncludedBeds below the roofline and outdoor electrical.
Neutralized and rinsed
IncludedNothing left on the beds or walks below.
Walk-through at the end
IncludedThe roof checked together from the ground.
House wash
Add-onSiding soft washed at the same visit.
Gutter cleaning
Add-onWorth doing the same day, since some of the roof ends up in them.
We do not pressure wash roofs, and we do not walk on them.
What It Costs
How Roof Cleaning Is Priced
What we can see from the yard sets most of a roof price:
Size. The square footage of the roof surface.
Height and pitch. A steep, two-story roof takes more setup than a low ranch roof.
How much growth. A few streaks on one slope is a different job from moss across the whole roof.
What is underneath. Decks, sunrooms, and dense beds below the roofline change how we set up.
Pairing it. The house wash and the gutters can go on the same quote.
Why photos from the ground work for a roof
Because we stay off the roof, we see it the same way you do: from the ground. Clear photos of each slope show the size, the pitch, and the growth, which is most of what goes into the price.
Payment:
Real Customer Stories
What Homeowners Say About Our Roof Cleaning
From a Google review (mark frunzi, 2026): Roof cleaning, with respect for the property
“Roof cleaning. Angelo and his crew make you feel like family! Incredible professional work! They paid very close detail to their job as well respect to property...”
mark frunzi, Google review
Read this review on Google →From a Google review (Chris Kwatkoski, 2025): Moss and grime off the roof
“Catanzarro's Power Washing did an amazing job on my roof! They removed all the moss and grime safely and efficiently”
Chris Kwatkoski, Google review
Read this review on Google →From a Google review (Marissa Carter, 2024): The ugly stain off the roof
“Catanzaro power washing did an AMAZING job cleaning my entire house siding , backyard patio and ugly stain off my roof! Angelo is extremely professional and friendly- he explained everything in detail before he started”
Marissa Carter, Google review
Read this review on Google →Frequently Asked Questions
Roof Cleaning Questions
Will the roof look finished the same day?
The black streaks come off during the visit. Moss can take a few weeks to clear fully, and lichen can leave faint marks that fade over the following months.
Can you clean just the one bad slope?
Yes. If the growth is only on the shaded slope, the quote can cover that slope alone.
Do you clean tile, metal, or cedar roofs?
This page is about asphalt shingle roofs. If yours is another material, tell us when you call, and Angelo will tell you what he can do for it.
Is the roof part of a house wash?
No. The roof is its own line on the quote, and it can be done at the same visit as the house.
Will cleaning make my roof last longer?
Taking moss off helps, because moss holds water against the shingle edges. Removing the black streaks is mostly about how the roof looks. Either way, it is not a substitute for a roofer's inspection if the roof is old.
Get a Free Estimate
Get a Free Roof Cleaning Estimate
Call or text (732) 718-6268, or send the form with a photo of each side of the roof from the ground. Tell us about any moss and whether anything sits under the roofline, and we will get back to you within the hour.
Not sure if it is growth or damage? Send the photos anyway. We will tell you what we see.