Roof washing in Vanderbilt Beach.

There is no drying-out period for a roof at Vanderbilt Beach. Spray comes off the Gulf onto Gulf Shore Drive and drifts back over the Conners canal streets, and the salt it leaves holds moisture on the roof surface continuously. On the tile and metal roofs common here, that gives algae a permanent foothold in the valleys and on the shaded slopes, and it accelerates corrosion at fasteners and flashings at the same time.

Our roof washing addresses both halves — a solution that kills the growth at the root and a low-pressure rinse that carries the salt film off with it, so the roof gets a genuine chance to dry between rains again. High pressure is off the table this close to the water: it drives water under tile and panel seams on structures already taking a beating from the Gulf.

Because the lots run to the water and the beds are close to the house, everything is pre-wet and rinsed and the runoff is controlled. The same salt is working on the windows and the screen enclosures below, which is why most homes here run all of it on a single rhythm. More on the area in Vanderbilt Beach.