Vincent Zuber has cleaned roofs across Schuylkill and Berks counties since 2018. In the last year, he says the phone calls have changed.
“Used to be people called because their house looked dirty. Now I’m getting calls from people who got letters from their insurance company,” said Zuber, who owns Zuber’s Superior Exteriors LLC out of Orwigsburg. “One woman near Deer Lake had a drone photo stapled to her renewal notice. They circled the black streaks on her shingles and told her she had 60 days to deal with it.”
Those black streaks show up on roofs all over this part of Pennsylvania. They’re caused by something called Gloeocapsa magma. It’s not dirt and it’s not just cosmetic. It’s a living organism, a cyanobacterium, that feeds on the limestone filler inside asphalt shingles. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association says it can cut the life of a 30-year roof in half if nobody treats it.
Zuber says he’s seen it get worse in the valleys between Pottsville and Hamburg, especially on north-facing slopes and on homes tucked under tree canopy along Route 61. The combination of shade, moisture, and the kind of humid summers Central PA gets makes those roofs a breeding ground.
The part that catches homeowners off guard is how they’re supposed to remove it. A regular pressure washer will blast the algae off, but it also strips the protective granules off the shingles. ARMA’s position is that the only approved method is a low-pressure soft wash, which uses a cleaning solution applied at low PSI. It kills the algae at the root without damaging the roof surface.
“I’ve seen guys go up there with a 3,000 PSI machine and leave the roof looking clean but completely wrecked,” Zuber said. “The shingles are bare underneath. You just traded an algae problem for a $20,000 roof replacement.”
That roof replacement figure is the number that gets people’s attention. The Insurance Information Institute puts the average water damage claim somewhere north of $15,000. A professional soft wash runs between $400 and $800 depending on roof size and how bad the growth is. For homeowners facing a non-renewal letter, the math isn’t complicated.
Zuber’s Superior Exteriors LLC serves homeowners across Schuylkill, Berks, Lehigh, Lebanon, and Lancaster counties. The company does house soft washing, roof cleaning, pressure washing, driveway seal coating, deck staining, gutter cleaning, and permanent outdoor lighting. Free estimates are available at (484) 650-8956 or at zubersexteriors.com
About Zubers Superior Exteriors LLC
Zuber’s Superior Exteriors LLC is a professional exterior cleaning and property maintenance company serving homeowners across Central Pennsylvania. Founded in 2018 by Vincent Zuber, the company provides house soft washing, roof cleaning, pressure washing, driveway seal coating, deck staining, gutter cleaning, permanent outdoor lighting, and seasonal Christmas light installations. Zuber’s uses low-pressure soft wash systems for siding and roofs and professional-grade pressure washing for driveways, patios, and concrete surfaces. Fully insured and serving Schuylkill, Berks, Lehigh, Lebanon, and Lancaster counties. For a free estimate call (484) 650-8956 or visit zubersexteriors.com.
