American Services AR cleans roofs on apartment communities, offices, retail centres, churches and light industrial buildings across Central Arkansas. Commercial roof cleaning is a different job from a house roof: the roof system is usually different, the warranty exposure is higher, the building is occupied while we work, and access is governed by fall-protection rules rather than a ladder and a good day.
Why Commercial Roofs Streak and Stain
The black streaking on asphalt shingle roofs is Gloeocapsa magma, a blue-green algae that feeds on the limestone filler in modern shingles. It holds moisture against the roof surface and spreads down-slope with rainfall, which is why streaks run vertically. On low-slope membrane roofs the problem is usually different — biological growth in ponding areas, plus atmospheric soiling that reduces the reflectivity a white TPO or PVC roof was specified for in the first place. A dirty reflective membrane stops doing the one thing it was bought to do.
Roof Systems We Clean
Architectural & 3-tab shingle
The dominant roof on Arkansas apartment communities. Cleaned by low-pressure soft wash only — the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association is explicit that pressure washing strips the granules that carry the shingle’s UV protection and its warranty.
TPO, EPDM and PVC membrane
Low-slope commercial roofs. Cleaned at pressures and with chemistry that will not attack seams, flashings or the membrane itself. Seam condition is noted as we go.
Standing seam and R-panel metal
Common on light industrial and agricultural buildings. Needs chemistry chosen for the coating system so the finish is not dulled or the panel oxidised.
Modified bitumen and built-up
Older flat roofs on commercial buildings, where the aim is removing growth and debris load without disturbing the cap sheet or the granulated surface.
Our Commercial Roof Cleaning Process
- Roof and access survey. We identify the roof system, check its condition, and plan access and fall protection before anyone goes up.
- Protect the site. Landscaping, parking, walkways, HVAC units and roof drains are protected and pre-wetted. On occupied buildings we agree which entrances and parking rows stay open.
- Low-pressure application. Cleaning solution is applied at garden-hose pressure and given dwell time. The chemistry does the work, not force.
- Controlled rinse and run-off management. Rinsed down-slope, with run-off directed away from storm drains and planted areas.
- Walkthrough and report. We walk the result with your property manager and flag anything we saw on the roof — lifted flashing, blocked drains, failing sealant — so it reaches your roofer before it becomes a leak.
Working Around Tenants and Trading Hours
On apartment communities and occupied commercial buildings the cleaning is the easy part — the scheduling is the job. We work building by building so parking and access are only ever disrupted in one area at a time, provide notice text for you to send residents or tenants, and will work early mornings, evenings or weekends where trading hours make daytime work impractical.
How Commercial Roof Cleaning Is Priced
Commercial roof cleaning is quoted per building rather than from a price list, because the things that drive the cost vary far more than they do on a house. What we are measuring when we quote:
- Roof system and condition — shingle, membrane or metal, and how much growth is present
- Roof area, pitch and number of buildings — a 14-building apartment community prices very differently from a single retail box
- Access and fall protection — height, anchor points, and whether lift equipment is needed
- Site protection — landscaping, parking, drains and adjacent occupied space
- Frequency — a recurring maintenance programme is priced differently from a one-off restoration clean
Send us the property address and we will quote from the roof, not from a guess. Request a commercial quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will roof cleaning damage our shingles?
- Not when it is done by soft wash. Damage comes from pressure, which strips the granules off asphalt shingles. We apply cleaning solution at low pressure and let dwell time do the work, which is the method the shingle manufacturers themselves specify.
- Can you clean a TPO or EPDM flat roof?
- Yes. Low-slope membrane roofs need different chemistry and far more care around seams, flashings and drains than a shingle roof. We identify the membrane type first and clean to what that system tolerates.
- Do residents or tenants need to leave the building?
- No. We work building by building and only need temporary access to the area we are working on. We will give you notice wording to circulate so residents know which parking and walkways are affected and when.
- How often should a commercial roof be cleaned?
- In Arkansas humidity, most shingle roofs on apartment communities show visible algae return within two to four years. Reflective membrane roofs are usually cleaned more often because soiling costs you the reflectivity you paid for. We will tell you what the roof in front of us actually needs.
- Are you insured for work at height on our property?
- Yes. We carry commercial general liability and workers’ compensation, and we can send certificates naming your ownership entity or management company as certificate holder before we mobilise.
- Do you clean the gutters at the same time?
- Yes, and on a commercial roof it is worth doing together — roof cleaning washes a large volume of biological debris down into the gutter line, so cleaning the roof without clearing the gutters afterwards just relocates the problem.
★★★★★ 4.9 from 76 Google reviews · read them on Google
These guys were great. Anthony and Tyler were very efficient and took care of my problem immediately. Great service and fast response.
— Jill Gray, 4 months ago
George did an excellent job power washing my gutters. Very friendly, professional and honest. The price can't be beat...I checked.
— Carolyn Kennedy, 4 months ago
“It’s hard to find a gutter company that actually does exactly what they say they’re going to do. Anthony did exactly what he said he was going to do, when he said he was going to do it, and at the price he quoted. The gutter installation turned…
— Alex Sullins, 6 months ago
Related Commercial Services
- Commercial Window Cleaning
- Commercial Pressure Washing
- Commercial Concrete Cleaning
- Multi-Family & Apartment Services
Part of our commercial services across Central Arkansas.