I am an up and coming roof cleaner and am about to start my first job. I have two houses to do that are only mildly dirty and the first is approx 5500 sq ft and the second 4500 sq ft.So I have approx 10k sq feet to clean and would like to know approx. how much chemical to mix as I will be cleaning both houses in one day. I talked to a man out of santa cruz california who is a member of RCIA and I am convinced that I need to become a member as well but funds are limited right now and will become a member as soon as I complete these two houses as my funds will be back together. Oh also is there a difference in the cleaning power between S and calcium hypoclorite?
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Ricardo Rodriguez
Gulf Coast Scour Power
228-257-5180
It's unlikely that you will get both of those big roofs done with just 100 gallons. The difference is, don't use calcium H - use S H. 30-35% on shingles and 40-45% on tile - if what you buy at the pool store is 10% if it's 12% or more, adjust accordingly.
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Serving Englewood Rotonda North Port Cape Haze Venice Port Charlotte Punta Gorda Boca Grande Charlotte and Southern Sarasota Counties in Florida.
Are they tile? Are they shingle? How severe is the mold and algae? Will they only need one application? Will they need multiple applications? What is the pitch of the roofs like? Steep? Moderate? Walkable? Many factors come into play when cleaning a roof besides just the square footage. One roof may only use up 50 gallons of mix while the neighbors roof may take 80-100 gallons to achieve the same goal.
Are they tile? Are they shingle? How severe is the mold and algae? Will they only need one application? Will they need multiple applications? What is the pitch of the roofs like? Steep? Moderate? Walkable? Many factors come into play when cleaning a roof besides just the square footage. One roof may only use up 50 gallons of mix while the neighbors roof may take 80-100 gallons to achieve the same goal.
Thanks every body for the replies I am learning a lot of valuable knowledge and am excited to do my first couple jobs and get my membership so I can really read and ask questions I will definetaly take all things into consideration and will try to monitor my usage and all aspects of each house until I get a hang of it thanks thanks thanks
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Ricardo Rodriguez
Gulf Coast Scour Power
228-257-5180
Hopefully the few answers you received here help you to appreciate the value of becoming a member, sooner rather than later. I strongly suggest you do only one of those roofs the first day. Take it slow and pay attention to each step. There are a lot of variables.
Walk before you run. Roof cleaning is a professional level service, or should be, and there is definitely a learning curve of several roofs.
You will be much better off allowing yourself whatever amount of time the first, second, third and so on... roofs take to work out the kinks in your method. Your customers will appreciate your attention to detail that one roof will allow you while you learn.
Fast at first will cost you money, not make you money.
We have been in business for 36 years and yet when we started the roof cleaning division, we were newbies, and this forum helped us build a lot to have confidence. That and a trip to Roof Cleaning School by Doug Rucker, and we were off to the races.
You intention to invest in education sooner than later is the wise course. The first oops will cost you way more than the membership fee. This will also make the rest of the guys more willing to invest in your success as a fellow forum member.
Don't run from it, but remember if it can kill green on the roof top, it can kill green on the ground...
Just a little help from a company who is enjoying our second season and rapid growth due to walking before running.
These guys want you to be successful, and enhance the reputation of cleaning roofs the proper way.
Thanks everyone for all your support already I really do appreciate and I am expecting a check from some work to fall real soon and want to become a member when it does my first 2 jobs are not until after the 4th and I am going to try to become a member before then so I can bug the h$&@ out of you guys and soak up the most possible knowledge before my first job as a professional roof cleaner.
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Ricardo Rodriguez
Gulf Coast Scour Power
228-257-5180
I am an up and coming roof cleaner and am about to start my first job. I have two houses to do that are only mildly dirty and the first is approx 5500 sq ft and the second 4500 sq ft.So I have approx 10k sq feet to clean and would like to know approx. how much chemical to mix as I will be cleaning both houses in one day. I talked to a man out of santa cruz california who is a member of RCIA and I am convinced that I need to become a member as well but funds are limited right now and will become a member as soon as I complete these two houses as my funds will be back together. Oh also is there a difference in the cleaning power between S and calcium hypoclorite?
Nothing personal but you are biting off more than you can chew. You might get lucky and not have any problems, but it is unlikely. It takes time to get your system down. If those are tile roofs and if I were a betting man, I would say that you will be lucky to finish only one roof per day. This time of year you better drink lots of water, even before you start a job that size or else you could end up with a severe heat stroke if you are from the South were it is blazing hot now. It is better to take your time and do a perfect job than to rush it and do a half way job. If you do a great job you will be lucky if either customer gives you a referral. Do a less than good job and the customer will give you lots of referrals that you do not want other potential customers to hear. Stop and Listen to what we are telling you. Learn to walk before you run or you will run yourself out of business.
You ask how much chemical to use and give us only the facts that it is so many sq ft and mildly dirty. What you forgot to tell us is what type of roof is it and what is the pitch. Those two factors are just as important. A 4500 sq ft roof that is tile, mildly dirty, low pitch roof (walkable) will probably take at least about 100 gallons of mix. The more you use the faster it cleans but then you have to consider run off. That takes time to control as well as applying the SH.
Do not even think about using CH at this point. It will cause you more heart aches than it is worth. Just ask the teacher Doug Rucker what he learned from using CH. It turned into his worst nightmare.
There is a lot to learn by using the search button at this web site. Read before you ask any questions. If you ask questions that have been answered many times it will be apparent to others that you have not taken the time to research the questions and that you want to be spoon fed. That will not fly here. Intelligent questions will bring more prompt answers.
I am not trying to scare you off but I have seen many newbies come and go. Take the time to pace yourself and I wish you lots of luck.
Thanks for the great input Marcus and so everyone that may read this in the future knows it is a shingle roof that is only mildly dirty and the bigger on has 8/12 pitch or 30 degree pitch and the second has 6/12 pitch or 22.5 degree like I mentioned early both are only mildly dirty and not the whole roof is dirty. I do plan on cleaning the whole roof but only parts of it has mild blackness to it. Marcus I hope I do get lucky and have no hiccups but I have been researching about this now for about 3 weeks to a month a few hours a night and have found some training seminars given by Bill Booz that I found online Plus I have read most everything on this forum and I will become a member hopefully Monday If I get the check I am looking for this weekend. I also plan on doing this to my house and a couple neighbors with comparable roofs as my first customers this weekend will let everybody know how it goes. I have a 5.5 gal at 60 psi everflo pump with 200' of 5/8" Kuri Tec Chemical Hose. It is all connected to a 275 gal tank that I got practically new for 75 bucks so I will use for now but prob only mix 100 gal at a time. I have a 850 CCA amp marine grade battery hooked to a 2.5 amp solar panel to keep charged. I am using sh at 1 gallon 100 gal solution is as follows 68 gal water mixed with tsp approx 10 lbs the night before then next morning 30 gal bleach 1 gal green wash and 1/2 gal roof snot. for a 100 gal monster mix I hope and I am going to start using a tow able man lift when possible cause I can get for 100 a day that will put me all over most houses roofs without the headache of ladders or tie offs. I have secured a few 30 gal drums that I am going to place under gutter run offs if possible or place my extensions on the bottom to run out to the road plus I have a hell of a ground guy. I am going to spray roof and give good coat let sit maybe 10 15 min until I can see some results possibly spray lightly again let sit 10 min then switch over to water and rinse. One side of the house at a time. My calculations have me at the 5k sq foot house with the steep pitch about 4 hours set up and broke down off to the next house.using about 100 gal of solution. I charged .15 per sq ft as pitch sucks but roof is only mildly dirty. So I think I am about spot on but when I do my house and a neighbors house this weekend I will know better.
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Ricardo Rodriguez
Gulf Coast Scour Power
228-257-5180