Have you received a letter from your homeowners insurance company which demands that you have your roof or siding cleaned?  You're now alone!  In recent years, many Cape Cod homeowners have received such letters, often accompanied by a deadline and the threat of a cancelled policy. 

We speak to homeowners each week of the year who have received such letters.  Here's what we can tell you:

• The insurance companies are not roofers or roof cleaning companies.   Their
  "field reps" often have little (if any) meaningful experience in understanding what they are looking at on your roof or siding. 
• They almost never have an understanding of the ways to clean asphalt and cedar roofs or cedar siding. 
• In our experience, they NEVER make a judgement about the

• The insurance companies  want to know that the organic growth will be addressed.  That's it.  Their deadlines are always (always) flexible when the homeowner shows that a service has been contracted to address the issue. 

They also know that organic growth will shorten the life of the roof.  Lichens, for example, feed upon the outer layers of a an asphalt roof, exposing the shingles' fragile inner layers to the elements.  On a cedar roof, lichen, moss, and algae all tend to trap moisture against the wood shingles, promoting rot.

If you have received such a letter, I encourage you to give us a call.  We'll be happy to take a look at your roof and explain your options, even if it's not what you want to hear. 

For these reasons, it's in the insurance company's best interest to make sure your roof is clean and well-maintained.

Some roofs are not "cleanable."   

American Roof Manufacturing Association (ARMA) and the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau recommend that roofs be kept clean, and they prescribe specific ways to do so. 

I perform roof cleaning in accordance with composite and cedar shingle manufacturer guidelines.  I don't destroy your roof in the process of cleaning it.