A local radio construction show had a special on cleaning roofs yesterday. The gentleman suggested excessive bleach can actually burn holes in gutters. Has anyone heard of or had any experience with this?
Excessive bleach can burn a hole through gutters? Possible, maybe. But very highly unlikely. I always rinse the gutters after the roof is sprayed, as do most professional roof cleaners. Shouldn't cause a problem.
This is definitely the first time I've ever heard of that. I've never had a Roof Cleaning client call and say that my materials have burned a hole in their gutter. I'm just wondering what this person on the radio is basing their theory on.
Hmmm. I have a few pieces of gutter lying around both aluminium and plastic. I spot treated them with undiluted 12.5%. Gonna let them sit for awhile although if burning should occur it should happen fairly rapidly before the SHC loses strength. Nothing as of yet in the burn department.
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Prime Choice Power Wash LLC Roof Cleaning Kissimmee Florida
Thanks for taking a look at it... Unless you clean roofs frequently (or for a living) you may not know exactly what you are talking about... That may be the case with this guy... He is the "Tim the toolman" on Louisville radio...
Just thought I would pop the question to some vets
LOL, Tim the tool man, I actually looked him up a few months ago because of the pressure washing deal, he said you can take a pressure and clean roofs. I emailed him and told him how in correct he was, also he said that he proved it my blasting shingles that was 10 + years old and they looked fine. I sent him the technical bullentins by ARMA and GAF/ELK shingle manufactures for proof, he never emailed me back about anything after that. This guy is clueless like most who do not do what we do for a living.
Anything is possiable I suppose but that statement seems unlikely given SH's exposure to the oxygen in the air and the evaparation caused by the sun. Thats if you don't have sense enough to rinse the gutters after cleaning the roof. Spouting off half ****ed over the air ways to sell advertising space ....say it isn't so ,really say it isn't so
If we go to this link we are giving this guy a higher ranking by clicking his link. The only damage I have ever seen is if the enamal is all oxidized and basicly already ruined, the SH will take the finish off at very high strengths. This is a rare thing that happens. Sure SH could burn a hole in them if we soaked them in a barrel for a couple months lol.
I've been in the roof cleaning business for 18 years. I have never experienced damage such as you have described. I'm sure if you were to expose alumimium to 10% or stringer SHC you will eventually witness some form of corrosion as SHC returns to it's salt form. As noted, we flush out the gutters before and after a cleaning. I often ask myself, why would anyone apply such a srong mix of SHC to a roof when you can clean any roof with a 1 to 3 mix easily.
Another note on this subject that I am sure most will agree. Bleach is not the same as SHC. Bleach contains other inert ingredients. In most cases BLEACH, such as Clorox only contains 3% SHC. When I am asked if I am using Bleach by a customer. I explain to them that our chemicals contains one of the ingredients found in household bleach.
It's funny, I have had people ask me if I use bleach to clean their roof. I always reply the same way. I tell them that I use the same active ingredient that bleach uses but it is not bleach. For some reason, they think that if you use "bleach" you have less credibility? In their mind, real professionals use professional cleaning chemicals and if the chemical sounds difficult to pronounce, it must be professional.
-- Edited by theroofcleaners on Thursday 25th of June 2009 10:26:47 AM
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Brian Friel The Roof Cleaners llc Oxford PA 19363 610 842 2104