Roof soft washing in Ship Bottom

What usually prompts the call

• Moss or lichen sitting in the shingle courses on a shaded roof
• A neighbour's roof cleaned last year that still looks clean, next to yours that does not
• Black streaks running down the shingles, usually worst below a chimney or a vent

Why this comes up in Ship Bottom

Here is what makes Ship Bottom particular: ocean salt from the east and bay damp from the west, with an additional load nowhere else on the island carries — road film and construction dust off the causeway and the Boulevard, which settles on north and west elevations near the through routes.

Dense small-lot housing on a numbered grid, with the island's heaviest concentration of duplexes and weekly rentals, plus a substantial commercial frontage along the Boulevard and 8th Street.

What access looks like here

The most traffic-constrained address on Long Beach Island. Staging a rig anywhere near 8th Street or the Boulevard in season is not realistic, and most work here is scheduled early or out of season for that reason alone.

Coating work needs a permit through Ship Bottom, and no municipality in New Jersey will issue one to an unregistered contractor.

What the work involves on this island

The black streaking is a cyanobacteria, Gloeocapsa magma, that feeds on limestone filler in asphalt shingles. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association's guidance is low pressure and a cleaning solution; pressure washing strips granules and is excluded under most shingle warranties. Ask what pressure the crew works at and what they do to protect the gutters, plantings and the run-off path before they start.