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Never a pressure washer

Roof Cleaning & Moss Removal in Woodinville & the Eastside

We will not pressure wash your roof. Moss gets swept by hand with a soft bristle brush and treated instead, because a pressure washer damages roofing material even when a competitor calls it "soft wash."

Swept by hand, then treated 5.0 stars on Google
Brushing moss off a shingle roof beside a skylight
★★★★★5.0 on GoogleSoft brush and treatment only
A soft bristle brush on a mossy shingle roof
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Pressure washing a roof strips granules and shortens its life, even when a competitor markets the same equipment as gentle "soft washing." Speaks removes moss by hand with a soft bristle brush, then treats what remains with zinc sulfate monohydrate to kill the rest. Some low-profile moss stays visible right after the visit (we tell homeowners that upfront), and the treatment finishes the job over the following weeks. In the Pacific Northwest, moss is a recurring maintenance item, not a one-time fix; we're upfront about that too.

Hand-sweeping moss off composition shingles with a soft bristle brush
Why we say no

Why We Never Pressure Wash a Roof

"Soft washing" is a real term in this industry, and it's also a sales pitch. It still runs a pressure washer over the roof, just at a claimed lower setting, and it still compromises the surface. Composition shingles lose granules under pressure, cedar shakes lose their weatherproofing layer, and either way, water starts finding its way in faster than it should.

We don't do it. Not as an upsell, not as an option if a customer really wants it. If a pressure-washed roof is non-negotiable for you, we'll tell you upfront that we're not the right fit, and we mean it. (Driveways and decks are a different story, that's what pressure washing is actually built for.)

What we actually do

Sweep, Treat, Tell You the Truth

Sweep by hand

A soft bristle brush clears heavy moss without disturbing shingles or shakes.

Treat what's left

Zinc sulfate monohydrate kills the low-profile moss the brush can't fully remove.

Tell you upfront

Some visible moss remains right after the visit. That's expected, not a miss.

Set honest expectations

PNW moss doesn't fully go away. Think maintenance, not a fix nobody can deliver.

One roof, one day

Same Roof, Same Day

Moss and lichen across the shingles of a roof before cleaning
Before, 8:23 AM. Moss along the shingle edges and across the upper slope.
The same roof after the moss was swept off by hand
After, 1:02 PM. Swept off by hand with a soft brush. No pressure washer.
Moss treatment applied in lines along the roof after cleaning
Then treated. The treatment keeps working on what's left through the next rains.
Why this actually matters

What Moss Does to a Roof

Moss traps moisture against the roofing material. A roof that never fully dries out stays damp longer after every rain, and composition shingles or cedar shakes both deteriorate faster under sustained moisture than they would in normal wear.

Left unmanaged for years, moss-driven moisture damage is a real path to replacing a roof early, often well before it would have otherwise worn out. Moss maintenance, done consistently, is a fraction of that cost, spread out over years instead of paid all at once early. A moss-heavy roof also sheds debris straight into the gutters below it, so most roof jobs make sense to pair with a gutter cleaning.

See Gutter Cleaning →
Applying zinc sulfate treatment to a roof after moss removal
On the job

What a Roof Visit Looks Like

Brushing moss off a shingle roof beside a skylight
Swept by hand. Working the soft bristle brush down the slope, no pressure washer on the truck for this one.
Working around a skylight on a shingle roof
Around the skylights. Moss collects hardest along the flashing and the shaded side of anything on the roof.
Close view of a skylight being squeegeed on a shingle roof
Skylights while we're up there. Cleaned on the same visit, both sides of the glass.
What it costs

Roof Moss Removal Cost

A few hundred dollars and up

Roof size, pitch and how much moss has built up set the price.

A general guide, not a quote. Every job gets an exact price before we start, and the estimate is free.

What moves the price

  • Roof size
  • Pitch: how steep the roof is
  • How much moss has built up
  • Skylights or solar panels, if you want them done too
What the neighbors say

Moss Gone, Neighbors Happy

★★★★★

"John Speaks was very professional, and went above and beyond and provided excellent window cleaning. He also provided very thorough roof and gutter cleaning as well as treating the moss on our roof at our cabin. The windows were sparkling inside and out!"

Mollie MacNeillLake Cavanaugh, June 2020
★★★★★

"Great job (roof, gutter and window cleaning)! Good value. Highly recommend."

Susan ThiemannJune 2024
★★★★★

"No streaks from Speaks! It was a big job (2 stories, larger home) and they left every window spotless. The windows are truly spotless inside and out."

Erin LavelleMarch 2021

5.0 stars on Google. Read every review →

Where we work

Roof and Moss Care Across the Eastside

Woodinville is home base. Pick your town for what we see there most.

Don't see your town? These are the towns with their own page. We work all around them too.

Guides

From the Guides

Good questions

Things People Ask John

The questions we hear most about roof moss and why we won't pressure wash.

Why won't you pressure wash my roof?
Pressure washing strips granules from composition shingles and damages the weatherproofing layer on cedar shakes, shortening the roof's life either way, even when it's marketed as "soft washing." We remove moss with a soft bristle brush and a chemical treatment instead, which clears the buildup without compromising the material underneath it.
Will all the moss be gone after one visit?
Not immediately. We sweep the heavy moss by hand and treat what's left with zinc sulfate monohydrate, which kills the remaining low-profile growth over the following weeks as it washes through with rain. We tell homeowners this upfront so nobody's surprised by what the roof looks like right after the visit.
Why does moss keep coming back?
The Pacific Northwest's shade and moisture are exactly what moss needs to grow, so it's a recurring issue for almost every roof here, not a one-time problem. We treat it as ongoing maintenance rather than promising a permanent fix nobody in this climate can actually deliver.
Can you clean my solar panels while you are up there?
Yes, we clean rooftop solar panels too. Moss runoff, pollen, and needles end up on the panels as well as the shingles, and a dirty panel makes less power. Mention your panels when you call and John will include them in the quote.
What does roof moss removal cost?
Most roofs run a few hundred dollars and up, depending on roof size, pitch, and how much moss has built up. Every roof gets an exact price before any work starts.
How do I get a quote?
Call us directly, the fastest way to reach John. Request a free estimate online if you'd rather start with a form.
Protect the roof you have

Moss on the roof? Give John a call.

(206) 228-5069. He picks up, and if he is on a ladder he calls you back the same day. Or send the form and he will reach out.

Request a Free Roof Estimate

No obligation. John will follow up to set a time.

Add a few photos of the windows, roof or driveway. Up to 4.