Nobody wants to spend their money on the roof. I am certainly no exception. I would much rather put that money aside for a new RV, boat, car, washer/dryer set of a thousand other things, anything besides the roof!
Unfortunately, I cannot afford to do that and neither can many of you. The simple economics are that once your roof is allowed to deteriorate beyond restoration process capabilities, you will spend from $275 to $350 per "square" (that's roofer's lingo for 100 sq. ft.) to replace it. At that rate the vast majority of today's residential cedar shake roofs carry a price tag of from $8,000 to $15,000. Some are a bit less and many are a lot more. Under certain conditions, which are commonly found in the northwest, total deterioration can and does take place in less than ten years.
For a cost of $20 to $40 (it averages from $25-$35) per square every 5-10 years, your roof can not only look good, but last a lot longer than either one of us need to worry about.
But I Have A Composition Roof?
That's OK. Your roof will get "Organized" just like the shake roofs do. The good news is that unless the moss growth becomes extreme, chances are it is not going to cause a problem with the integrity of your roof. It is however an eyesore and by detracting from the appearance of your home decreases its' value. Any realtor will tell you that.
Because we have treated so many comp roofs, we have learned that they are all different. So we have started charging them according to their size, pitch, and amount of debris on them. Included are debris and gutter cleaning, as needed, as well as clean-up. The majority of our straightforward roofs (2000 – 2500 sq. feet) start at $795 and can go as high as $3,000, depending on which method of cleaning you decide upon.
Oh pulleeeze! We have been restoring and maintaining cedar roofs since 1991 and that is a reply we’ve started hearing in the last few years. The reason people are being told that is simple. The pressure washers are tired of hearing the person on the other end of the phone say, “I don’t want my roof pressure washed.” I’m sure you’ve heard horror stories of pressure washing damage and leaks caused. If not, call me and I can tell you a bunch of them. Rest assured, the ones you’ve heard and the ones I can tell you are all true.