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Soft washing first. Pressure only where the material can actually take it, and never as the default.
Low-pressure application of a cleaning solution that kills the algae and lichen at the surface, rinsed off rather than blasted off. This is the standard approach for the roughly 80% of Oviedo homes with asphalt shingle roofs, where high pressure can strip the granules that protect the shingle underneath.
Asphalt shingle is the dominant roofing material across Oviedo's subdivisions — Twin Rivers, Carillon, Little Creek, Kingsbridge, Oviedo Forest — and it is also the material most damaged by the wrong method. Soft washing removes the black streaking (Gloeocapsa magma) without lifting granules or shortening the shingle's life.
Tile is concentrated in Oviedo's higher-end and custom-built subdivisions — Seminole Woods, River Walk, and similar guard-gated communities, per local roofing-trade estimates. Tile can take more direct pressure than shingle, but still needs the right nozzle and technique to avoid cracking or dislodging individual tiles; we treat it as a different job, not a harder version of the shingle job.
Moss, not just algae streaking, is the bigger problem on Oviedo's most heavily shaded lots — Seminole Woods' five-acre wooded parcels and the river-adjacent conservation acreage bordering Live Oak Reserve. Moss holds moisture against the roof surface longer than algae does, which is why it gets treated and physically loosened, not just rinsed.
Exterior gutter and fascia brightening, done at the same time as a roof cleaning so the whole roofline reads clean instead of a clean roof over streaked gutters.
| Method | How it works | Best for | Risk if used wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft wash | Low-pressure rinse + cleaning solution that kills algae/moss at the root | Asphalt shingle (∼80% of Oviedo roofs) | Minimal — the standard approach for shingle |
| Pressure wash | High-force water alone, no chemical treatment | Driveways, pavers; some tile with the right technique | Strips shingle granules, can crack or dislodge tile |
Full breakdown, including the warranty question, on our soft wash vs. pressure wash guide.
Where the wash water goes matters too. Oviedo’s Building Services page doesn’t list a permit category for pressure washing or roof cleaning — routine exterior cleaning generally isn’t a permitted activity in Florida. But the city has run a joint stormwater (MS4) permit with Seminole County since 1997, and general FDEP guidance treats runoff carrying cleaning chemicals as a prohibited discharge if it reaches a storm drain or the Econlockhatchee River. We contain and collect wash water rather than letting it sheet into the street.
Source: cityofoviedo.net/151/Building-Services and /1203/Stormwater. This is our reading of public city pages, not a statement from Oviedo Building Services — call them directly at (407) 971-5755 with any project-specific question.