Moss isn't a stain — it's a wet mat that lifts shingle edges and holds water against your roof deck all winter. We kill it at the root with a low-pressure soft wash, no scraping and no pressure.
Serving
Capital Region, NY
Tell us what you need cleaned and we'll text or call you back fast with a no-obligation estimate. Free quotes across the Capital Region.
About This Service
Black streaking discolors a roof. Moss and lichen damage it. Where algae sits on the surface, moss builds a sponge that holds water against the shingle, works under the courses, and lifts edges — and in Capital Region freeze-thaw winters that trapped water expands and pries the shingle apart. Lichen is worse: it roots into the shingle mat itself. Both need to be killed chemically and allowed to release on their own, never scraped or blasted.
Why It Matters
Removing the moss mat removes the water it holds against your shingles, which is what does the real damage over an Upstate winter.
Scraping moss tears granules and lifts shingle edges. We kill it and let it release naturally with weather over the following weeks.
Lichen anchors into the shingle mat, so surface removal never works. Our solution kills the organism so it dies back and washes away.
Moss almost always arrives after Gloeocapsa magma. We treat the whole roof so you're not back with black streaks next season.
ARMA-approved low-pressure method that keeps your shingle manufacturer's warranty intact.
Zinc or copper strip placement, trimming overhanging limbs, gutter flow — we tell you what will actually keep it from coming back.
Where We Work
Why It Matters
A moss mat behaves like a sponge bolted to your roof. It holds rainwater against the shingle surface long after the roof would otherwise have dried, softens the asphalt mat underneath, and grows under the shingle edge until it lifts it. Once an edge is lifted, wind gets under it and water gets behind it.
In the Capital Region the freeze-thaw cycle turns that into real damage. Water held in the moss freezes, expands, and works the shingle apart from underneath, then thaws and does it again — dozens of times between November and April. Homeowners who put off moss removal for a few seasons often end up replacing slopes rather than cleaning them.
The Right Method
Scraping and pressure washing both feel productive because the moss comes off immediately. Both also take the shingle's granule layer with it and lift edges that were previously sealed, which is precisely the damage you were trying to prevent.
The correct approach is chemical: kill the organism, then let the dead material dry, shrink, and release with wind and rain over the following weeks. The roof continues to improve for a month after we leave. It takes patience, and it's the only method that doesn't cost you shingle life.
Prevention
Moss needs shade and moisture. The single most effective prevention is light: trimming back limbs that overhang the roof lets slopes dry after rain, and it also cuts the debris load that gives moss something to root into.
Zinc or copper strips installed near the ridge release trace metal ions in rainwater that suppress regrowth on the slope below. Keeping gutters flowing matters too — a backed-up gutter keeps the bottom course of shingles damp all season. We'll tell you which of these is worth doing on your specific roof rather than selling you all three.
Our Process
We identify what you actually have — surface algae, established moss mats, or rooted lichen — since each responds differently and takes different dwell time.
Measured remotely from satellite imagery in most cases, priced flat and in writing. Free on-site quotes whenever you'd rather we walk it.
Landscaping, lawn, and plantings soaked with fresh water and covered before any solution is applied.
A professionally diluted ARMA-approved solution is applied at rinse pressure and given the dwell time moss and lichen need to be killed through, not just wetted.
A low-pressure rinse takes the loose material off. Anything still attached is dead and releases with the next few weeks of weather — pulling it off by hand would take granules with it.
Gutters and downspouts flushed of moss debris, then a walkthrough covering what's driving the growth and how to slow its return.
Spread the cost of your project over time. Available on projects starting at $500. Checking your options takes about a minute and won't affect your credit score.
Fast callback. No pressure, no obligation.
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Homeowner Guides
What roof cleaning actually costs in Albany and the Capital Region, the four things that set the price, and how to tell a real quote from a lowball.
Why Are There Black Streaks on My Roof? (Albany NY Roof Cleaning Guide)Those black streaks on an Albany-area roof are algae, not dirt. What causes them and how soft washing removes them safely.
Soft Wash vs. Pressure Wash: Which Does Your Capital Region Home Need?Soft washing and pressure washing aren't interchangeable. Learn the real differences, which surfaces need which method, and how to avoid costly damage.
What Customers Say
“I just want to thank Capital Pro for doing such a phenomenal job power washing my house. It's like I have a new house! I would recommend them to anyone. And the workers are there to please you. Cause they care!”
Kathy Valason
Google Review · a month ago
“The guys did a great job and the house looks beautiful. My sister drove by and said the same thing — it looks beautiful. They were so nice to talk to and deal with. I have recommended them to my family and friends.”
Leslie Kaufman
Google Review · 3 weeks ago
“In a state of bereavement we reached out and got an earlier date. When we returned from funeral proceedings the house was impeccable. Even areas we had no time to prep for were done. Nice work for sure. Call them — you won't be disappointed!”
Islah Umar
Google Review · 3 weeks ago
