I think the manner in which I clean roof is about the greenest method of cleaning that can be done. Everyday, people clean their bathrooms, kitchens, etc. with similar chemicals to what I use and let the runoff go right down the drain and into our sewage treatment plants and become part of the water that my family drinks.
When I apply SH to a roof, that chemical is now able to break down and revert back to its basic elements ( mainly salt). There are two big factors in weakening/neutralizing SH, time & sunlight. By allowing the SH to dry on a roof you are allowing it to safely become a "non-issue".
When I compare the RCIA method with other cleaning methods that are used out there such as off the shelf products with truly harmful chemicals with long half-lifes, zinc/metal strips that leach heavy metals into our ground water, and physically damaging type cleaning methods, then I truly realize our method is about he "greenest" type cleaning that can be done.
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Ray Burke
Spray Wash Exterior Cleaning
850.528.3226
visit our website Soft Washing and Pressure Washing
Great Article Chris I posted it a couple months ago very informative :) helps out in sales and Great to show EPA if they tried to question us while working
The Soft Wash and SoftWash styles of cleaning are very GREEN
1. The chemicals break down into carbon and or water within 20 days of introduction into environment.
2. If using a 12 volt pump you are not burning fossil fuels. That pump runs off the power your alternator creates anyway while you drive from job to job.
3. Uses 1/4 the amount of water that a power washer uses.
4. Chemical cleaning like Soft Washing and SoftWash last 4 to 6 times longer that power washing. This also saves on water, fuel consumption etc.
5. Longer life expectancies from clean shingles keep the fiberglass, packaging and asphalt out of land fills.
Marketing question, are you considered a "Green" company?
I say yes, you are saving the landfill from tons of shingles that could be saved.
My other half says no, you are adding more bleach to the earth???
I think the being "green" could add to the business...
Thoughts?
Adding Bleach to the earth is kind of a ridiculous statement but we all know our customers think like this.
Being Green has many faults and just because its eco friendly doesn't mean it wont harm humans.
A cobra is ecofriendly. There is so much deceptive marketing about what is and what isn't green. The whole GREEN thing is just a marketing ploy anymore.
If it sells and you have a reason might as well do it though right?
Your reason...100% biodegradible? Thats bs too. Uranium is bidegradible might take a few 100 thousand years but it is.
Just be sure all of your claims are true and never, ever, ever, ever, ever make any claims about health unless you are a medical professional.
The truth is we shouldn't even say that that is GM on the roof unless we are microbioligists, but in our industry we can say algae and refer to a blanket of microorganisms. GM is so ubiquitous that we should not be worried about that though.
-- Edited by BCRoofClean on Monday 22nd of November 2010 03:00:01 PM
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Bucks County PA Roof Cleaning 267-477-1107 Free Your Pennsylvania Roof From Fungus Serving all of Bucks and Montgomery Counties and surrounding areas of Philadelphia Chalfont, PA 18914
The Soft Wash and SoftWash styles of cleaning are very GREEN
1. The chemicals break down into carbon and or water within 20 days of introduction into environment.
2. If using a 12 volt pump you are not burning fossil fuels. That pump runs off the power your alternator creates anyway while you drive from job to job.
3. Uses 1/4 the amount of water that a power washer uses.
4. Chemical cleaning like Soft Washing and SoftWash last 4 to 6 times longer that power washing. This also saves on water, fuel consumption etc.
5. Longer life expectancies from clean shingles keep the fiberglass, packaging and asphalt out of land fills.
6. Anyone else think about any others??????
AC
I'm with ya brother! Here is an excert of an email I sent to a Dr./Scientist at University of Penn. for the RCIA.
"Currently it is estimated that more than half of all roof replacements in these effected areas are due to misconception that the roof is failing and the owner is not informed of any sort of bacteria or other growth that may cause cosmetic disturbances let alone the other factors. The residual effects of this issue are real. Every roof is then thrown in a dumpster resulting in millions of tons of waste worldwide every year in our landfills and it will continue to grow and grow. Shingles are heavy building materials that do not break down speedily".
"We can help these homeowners save money.....
" chems on there that actually can have the reverse effect on runoff causing rivers and streams to be choked to death by algae."
"The oil to produce shingles, the shipping, the mining of stone, the energy at the factories, the tar needed for adhesive, the tar paper underlayment, the fiberglass, the nails, the landfills and so much more that is wasted on millions of roofs every single year. This is an energy impact does make a footprint, and I am not even including the rise in moisture levels from bacteria nor the costs associated with heating and air conditioning when having this on your roof. And this growth has been breaking down outdoor AC units for quite sometime in certain areas and will only get worse."
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Bucks County PA Roof Cleaning 267-477-1107 Free Your Pennsylvania Roof From Fungus Serving all of Bucks and Montgomery Counties and surrounding areas of Philadelphia Chalfont, PA 18914
Marketing question, are you considered a "Green" company?
I say yes, you are saving the landfill from tons of shingles that could be saved.
My other half says no, you are adding more bleach to the earth???
I think the being "green" could add to the business...
Thoughts?
Adding Bleach to the earth is kind of a ridiculous statement but we all know our customers think like this.
Being Green has many faults and just because its eco friendly doesn't mean it wont harm humans.
A cobra is ecofriendly. There is so much deceptive marketing about what is and what isn't green. The whole GREEN thing is just a marketing ploy anymore.
If it sells and you have a reason might as well do it though right?
Your reason...100% biodegradible? Thats bs too. Uranium is bidegradible might take a few 100 thousand years but it is.
Just be sure all of your claims are true and never, ever, ever, ever, ever make any claims about health unless you are a medical professional.
The truth is we shouldn't even say that that is GM on the roof unless we are microbioligists, but in our industry we can say algae and refer to a blanket of microorganisms. GM is so ubiquitous that we should be worried about that though.
The earth's surface is composed of 70% water. Which is mostly salt water.
Only 2.5% is fresh water.
Most roof cleaners know that sodium hypochlorite is made from salt water and biodegrades back into salt water within 18-20 days.
I have asked a pest control company how long does their chemical last and work to kill and prevent insects from coming back in or around someone's property and he said 90 days.
So, if you compare us to the pest control industry like AC has told us in Charleston, SC, we are more enviromentally friendly than pest control guys.
We are simply Algae (pest) control guys. We kill smaller organizms, they kill larger ones.
Ours biodegrades faster.
-- Edited by Roof Cleaning Pro Greensboro NC (336)362 7659 on Monday 22nd of November 2010 03:41:33 PM
Green is propaganda and a lot of hype. There are institutions that seek to ban COMPLETELY all chlorine in the world. In doing that death toll would rise considerably. I will never claim anything I do "green" just because it sounds good to the public. What I will do is educate them so they can decide. As some people are vegetarians and are appalled by meat eaters, I am not. To claim that chlorine is the bad for the environment and you are a devote anti chlorine user than you need to rethink your whole world and eliminate many things that involve chlorine as there are thousands. Give up your medications, rip the vinyl siding off your house,( replace it with wood, oh that might take a few trees, sorry) dump your water system that flows in your home, (dig a well and get natures water that might make you sick) You will have to strip away so many things, you might as well go pop a tent in the woods, eat mushrooms and drink river water. Chlorine is NOT an enemy. If any thinks it is, might do a bit of research as I surely have and will continue to look at pros AND cons. As of now I am a dedicated Chlorine user and always will be.
Here is an excerpt from a web by syndicated columnist Michael Fumento http://fumento.com/chlorine/chlorine.html
Never mind that thousands of products and materials are made with chlorine, or that over 98 percent of water supply systems that disinfect drinking water use chlorine because of its germicidal potency, efficiency and economy. It kills viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Without water chlorination, the number of U.S. deaths from horrible diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery would each day swamp the number killed by terrorists on Sept. 11.
About 85 percent of all pharmaceuticals contain or are produced using chlorine chemistry, including Cipro and other drugs that combat anthrax and other bioweapons.
No chemical plays a more important role in the war on terror. Water chlorination prevents spiking reservoirs with germs. Chlorine disinfected the offices contaminated by the anthrax mailings. Chlorine is used to make the bullet-resistant Kevlar that protects our soldiers and police officers, as well as aircraft, missiles, and rocket fuel.
4. Chemical cleaning like Soft Washing and SoftWash last 4 to 6 times longer that power washing. This also saves on water, fuel consumption etc.
AC
Power washing IS chemical cleaning.
Soft washing IS chemical cleaning WITHOUT COMPLETING THE OTHER HALF OF THE JOB.
Soft washing is only intended when needed as a SHORT CUT or on roofs or very very sensitive surfaces.
You have simply MADE UP your facts sir.
Hum, after 18 years of doing this kind of cleaning and arguably being the guy who invented it, hummmmmm about 50,000 roofs later..............nope I didn't make up my facts. They came from my experiences, which I am among a few on this board who can claim such experiences.
4. Chemical cleaning like Soft Washing and SoftWash last 4 to 6 times longer that power washing. This also saves on water, fuel consumption etc.
AC
Power washing IS chemical cleaning.
Soft washing IS chemical cleaning WITHOUT COMPLETING THE OTHER HALF OF THE JOB.
Soft washing is only intended when needed as a SHORT CUT or on roofs or very very sensitive surfaces.
You have simply MADE UP your facts sir.
Hum, after 18 years of doing this kind of cleaning and arguably being the guy who invented it, hummmmmm about 50,000 roofs later..............nope I didn't make up my facts. They came from my experiences, which I am among a few on this board who can claim such experiences.
Green is propaganda and a lot of hype. There are institutions that seek to ban COMPLETELY all chlorine in the world. In doing that death toll would rise considerably. I will never claim anything I do "green" just because it sounds good to the public. What I will do is educate them so they can decide. As some people are vegetarians and are appalled by meat eaters, I am not. To claim that chlorine is the bad for the environment and you are a devote anti chlorine user than you need to rethink your whole world and eliminate many things that involve chlorine as there are thousands. Give up your medications, rip the vinyl siding off your house,( replace it with wood, oh that might take a few trees, sorry) dump your water system that flows in your home, (dig a well and get natures water that might make you sick) You will have to strip away so many things, you might as well go pop a tent in the woods, eat mushrooms and drink river water. Chlorine is NOT an enemy. If any thinks it is, might do a bit of research as I surely have and will continue to look at pros AND cons. As of now I am a dedicated Chlorine user and always will be.
Here is an excerpt from a web by syndicated columnist Michael Fumento http://fumento.com/chlorine/chlorine.html
Never mind that thousands of products and materials are made with chlorine, or that over 98 percent of water supply systems that disinfect drinking water use chlorine because of its germicidal potency, efficiency and economy. It kills viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Without water chlorination, the number of U.S. deaths from horrible diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery would each day swamp the number killed by terrorists on Sept. 11.
About 85 percent of all pharmaceuticals contain or are produced using chlorine chemistry, including Cipro and other drugs that combat anthrax and other bioweapons.
No chemical plays a more important role in the war on terror. Water chlorination prevents spiking reservoirs with germs. Chlorine disinfected the offices contaminated by the anthrax mailings. Chlorine is used to make the bullet-resistant Kevlar that protects our soldiers and police officers, as well as aircraft, missiles, and rocket fuel.
What we are using is sodium hypochlorite.
Chlorine is a gas. Sodium Hypochlorite is the liquid form of Chlorine and much safer.
Chlorine is deadly and highly toxic and has been used in chemical warfare before.
Where I live, Greensboro NC. The city water treatment plant switched from using Chlorine gas to sodium hypochlorite in 1999 because liquid bleach is much safer to work with. The end result is the same, they both disinfect the water supply.
Roof Cleaning Pro Greensboro NC (336)362 7659 wrote:
Where I live, Greensboro NC. The city water treatment plant switched from using Chlorine gas to sodium hypochlorite in 1999 because liquid bleach is much safer to work with. The end result is the same, they both disinfect the water supply.
They mix it with ammonia, and the molecules wrap around the Sod. Hypo., reducing the power but making it much longer lasting and better for human consumption.
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Midtown Service Solutions
Roof Cleaning Wake ForestNC27587 919-412-2432
Roof Cleaning Wake Forest, Raleigh, Knightdale, Rolesville, Youngsville NC
Roof Cleaning Pro Greensboro NC (336)362 7659 wrote:
Where I live, Greensboro NC. The city water treatment plant switched from using Chlorine gas to sodium hypochlorite in 1999 because liquid bleach is much safer to work with. The end result is the same, they both disinfect the water supply.
They mix it with ammonia, and the molecules wrap around the Sod. Hypo., reducing the power but making it much longer lasting and better for human consumption.
4. Chemical cleaning like Soft Washing and SoftWash last 4 to 6 times longer that power washing. This also saves on water, fuel consumption etc.
AC
Power washing IS chemical cleaning.
Soft washing IS chemical cleaning WITHOUT COMPLETING THE OTHER HALF OF THE JOB.
Soft washing is only intended when needed as a SHORT CUT or on roofs or very very sensitive surfaces.
You have simply MADE UP your facts sir.
In my opinion, Soft washing allows the product more dwell time and allows the chemicals/solution/minerals whatever you want to call it, to do the work as opposed to pressure doing the removal.
I agree soft washing is a better solution for killing the problem at the root literally as opposed to just making it look clean with the human eye.
Every situation calls for a different plan. I'm not ruling out out pressure cleaning at all, I just agree that when you are using cleaning agents and a surfactant vs. pressure there is no comparison. The scientific fact is that there are surfactants that I know some guys are using right now, that clean down to the nanoscopic level and clean nearly every nook and cranny. This is why AC said softwashing lasts 4 to 6 times longer because with a clean slate no growth can occur, only after the biofilm is established can microbiological growth take place. ( by the way a biofilm is a complex aggrigation of microorganisms and their fragments nesting on any given surface, all in all it is basically dust that creates a slime on anything and they consist of very small living things and parts of living things and other dust makeup) New surfaces don't have biofilms yet.
When we clean a roof using the proper surfactants and non pressure cleaning methods we wipe away this biofilm as much as we can, sometimes repetitive cleaning is necessary. Our cleaning does not stop there. Some surfactants can stay active for weeks. Additionally the SH is dried to salt which relieves any extra roots or organics left behind. This cleaning in all can change the static charge of the surface and completely elimanate the surface of it biofilm and thus no living microorganisms may attach themselves to the roof. It then takes even longer for a biofilm to be established which enables the surface to stay algae free for much longer.
This is also why Chris Tucker is always saying bleach and water alone doesn't clean because he completely right.
This is scientific fact and AC didn't make anything up, and it will be explained in full, in easier understanding language possibly in your new certification course.
Bucks County PA Roof Cleaning 267-477-1107 Free Your Pennsylvania Roof From Fungus Serving all of Bucks and Montgomery Counties and surrounding areas of Philadelphia Chalfont, PA 18914