Those black streaks running down your roof are a living thing. They are a hardy algae that feeds on the filler in asphalt shingles, and it takes hold on the damp, shaded slopes first. Out here on Lake Murray, the moisture comes straight off the water and the pine shade holds it there, so the lake-facing and north sides streak the worst. High pressure looks like the fast fix, but it blasts off the protective granules that make your shingles last. Walking a wet roof is dangerous, and it grinds the same granules underfoot. So we soft wash instead. We use a gentle cleaner that kills the algae at the root and rinses clean, and we work from a ladder or the ground wherever the job allows.
Chapin calls itself the Capital of Lake Murray, sitting on the lake’s north shore in the Dutch Fork part of Lexington County. The town is built around the water: lakefront homes with docks and boathouses, lake-area subdivisions like White Rock, Lake Point, Ballentine Landing, and Milmont Shores, and newer family neighborhoods such as Green Valley Estates and Spring Hill that have filled in fast as Chapin has grown. The constant moisture coming off Lake Murray, along with heavy pine pollen and shade, keeps algae and mildew coming back on the lake-facing and north sides of these homes, and lakefront living means a lot of decks, pool decks, and boat-adjacent concrete to keep up. Crooked Creek Park is the town rec hub, and Dreher Island State Park reaches out into the lake. Homes range from newer vinyl in the growing subdivisions to older places near the original Chapin downtown.
From Lake Point, Dutchman Shores, and Night Harbor, Chapin homeowners count on us for roof cleaning done right.