Cedar and material questions
How do I know if my cedar roof needs cleaning or full replacement? If the shingles are still pliable and only the surface is affected by moss, cleaning and spot repair usually make sense. If the wood underneath the moss is soft or the shingles are curling and splitting across large sections, cleaning will not fix the underlying problem, and we will say so rather than clean a roof that needs to come off.
Is asphalt or cedar the better choice for a reroof here? It depends on the lot more than a general preference. An open, sun exposed lot can support cedar well with regular maintenance. A heavily shaded lot under dense canopy, which describes a lot of North Shore properties, often gets more consistent long term performance from architectural asphalt, since it tolerates the constant dampness better than cedar does.
Can a damaged cedar shingle be replaced individually? Yes, and doing that as soon as we notice it, rather than waiting for a full section to fail, is one of the more effective ways to extend a cedar roof's overall life.
Moss and moisture questions
Will cleaning stop moss from coming back for good? No, and we will not tell you otherwise. The growing conditions on a shaded North Shore lot do not change because the roof was cleaned once. Regular cleaning on a set schedule, combined with trimming overhanging branches where possible, slows regrowth meaningfully even though it does not eliminate the underlying conditions.
Does moss actually cause leaks, or is it just cosmetic? It genuinely causes damage over time. Moss holds moisture against the shingle surface for days after a storm and can lift the shingle edge slightly, both of which speed up wear and give wind driven rain a path underneath the surface.
Steep lots and flat sections
Do you charge more for a steep lot? Access and staging genuinely take more planning on a steep lot, and that is reflected in the written scope rather than hidden in a general estimate. We would rather explain why a steep, treed lot takes more time to stage safely than surprise you with it later.
My addition has a flat roof and the rest of the house does not. Does that need different maintenance? Yes. A flat or low slope torch on section needs to be checked for ponding and seam condition separately from the pitched roof it ties into, since the two surfaces fail in different ways and on different timelines.