The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum
"Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"

I have been cleaning roofs over 20 years, and there isn't many methods of roof cleaning I have not tried, or owned. Once, I bought a flatbed truck, it was an old Lawn Spray Truck, and it had one of these Bad Boy Pumps that was nearly 30 GPM, and instead of a 30 hp Kohler Chris, the bloody pump ran from a PTO (power take off) hooked to a big block 460 cubic inch Ford Motor!

With all due respect, my old setup makes what you have now look like a Child's Toy Chris.

 http://www.fmctechnologies.com/en/FluidControl/Technologies/Pumps/PistonPumps.aspx

I was easily able to generate 2500 psi, at nearly 30 gallon per minute of flow. 

I only bought the flatbed truck for the truck, but I figured since I already had this FMC Pump all set up on it, I might as well try it on a roof, so I did!  I cleaned several tile roofs with it, and it cleaned fast as hell. It had a 600 gallon water tank on the flatbed. However, shingle roofs were another story! Even with the pressure turned way way down, it took the granules right off the shingles. 

I also noted that the roofs I cleaned with it, both shingle and tile, did not stay clean near as long, as when I used chemicals. 

I used a wide fan tip and a wand, just like you are using, and still the gutters were full of granules, when I finished.  I could not do steep tile roofs with it, and had zero plans to buy a pitch witch. I made enough off the sale of the huge FMC Pump, to nearly pay for my flatbed truck.

Maybe down where you live, you are able to get away with using a pressure washer on a roof, but up here in Tampa, pressure washing a roof is a tough sell.  People up here overwhelmingly want non pressure chemical roof cleaning. 

roofcleanerspalmbeachcom wrote:

---

There has bee a lot of debate over the use of high pressure portable pressure washers cleaning roofs vs chemical roof cleaning, in particular Asphalt shingles & Cedar Shakes, then Tile

The debate is that high pressure portable pressure cleaners (1000-5000psi) remove the granulated rocks/stone that protect the tar/asphalt shingle composition beneath the surface. Yes high pressure can mar the surface, especially with the water jet at close contact to the roof

The now the assault on low pressure power washing roofs with water has been fierce by chemical roof cleaner companies (bagging your cash in approx 30 minutes),  who have  pitched that power washing with water removes the granules...well with a high pressure cleaner it does...but is chemical roof cleaning the best option?...NO... times have now changed...but still they grip their highly lucrative chemical business model at all costs...

Now its 2015 and equipment has changed!, with the latest new equipment  we can pump large water volumes at 'low low pressure',  through bigger pumps and larger motors to deliver the needed cleaning ability without damaging the roof granules, wood or tile...so high psi is not needed to create cleaning units (psi x h20 volume)

Its clear! cleaning roofs with water only is far superior to chemical roof cleaning,  that has countless drawbacks like shingles drying out cracking/curling, roof corrosion, base sheet damage, metal corrosion rusting, nail fasteners rusting, sky lite plastic damage turning opaque, gutters putting ou  leaking, roof tiles becoming brittle and breaking, roof & gutter debri issues...or not cleaned, BIG environmental concerns... like plants dying, poisoning the soil and toxification of the water table, wildlife harm & operator health problems long term leading to cancer. Do you want to be part of this??? doing this long term too!...its Nuts!. Have you ever thought about a chemical tank leak, trailer tire blow out on the interstate or worse yet a accident!..you could be sued up the A**

 

With low pressure power washing the operator cost is far less, with the cost of gasoline at $2 a gallon, and the potential for more work / income cleaning the downstairs...patio, screens, driveway house...with the same equipment set up already running

The new equipment is not cheap...a rig to do this can cost 5k and up more. The work is more labor intensive as there is no 'Splash n Dash' as some put it...but the job is better removing the dirt / debri the right way...with water only!

High water volume and low low pressure is were the educated market 'is' going  (Typically its 30hp / 12gpm +) and this is what the consumer prefers for many reasons, and they are catching on with many Home Owner & Building Associations opting for low psi power washing over Chemicals

Here is a example of high water volume low pressure Asphalt Roof Cleaning that turns a old dirty roof to like new condition without damaging chemicals

**Remember one thing the person who is telling you the roof chemical is environmentally friendly is the wholesaler or the manufacturer who left out disclosing the harmful chemicals in its make up...you sure don't know whats in it!

 

NB: If you comment on this,  please respectively say whether you are a home owner, power washer with water or a chemical roof cleaner... so we understand your view point!

-- Edited by roofcleanerspalmbeachcom on Tuesday 20th of January 2015 12:08:48 PM

-- Edited by roofcleanerspalmbeachcom on Tuesday 20th of January 2015 12:09:35 PM

-- Edited by roofcleanerspalmbeachcom on Tuesday 20th of January 2015 12:10:32 PM

-- Edited by roofcleanerspalmbeachcom on Tuesday 20th of January 2015 12:11:53 PM

---

With respect, you are not progressing with roof cleaning, you are going back to the old method.

There is nothing new about pressure washing machines that put out larger volumes of water.

Most of us here started out doing that sort of roof cleaning.

Myself, Chris Tucker and many other professionals here have been doing this for 20+ years-I started in 1989 and felt so good when, after many years of cleaning roofs, as you do now and feeling bad about washing away large percentages of roof granules, I found a way to remove the black algae [ actually a bacteria ] but not removing the granules!

Now, a few, such as yourself, want to move backwards in technology.

The shingle roofing manufacturers have nothing to gain by saying to use bleach to clean roofs and not pressure. They have to stand behind their roofing warranties and KNOW that anything other than chemically cleaning a roof with an average of 50 -60 psi is going to make that roof in need of warranty replacement much sooner with any other method.

Do I think they are suggesting our method because they care about their consumers? Not really, big business cares about $$$$. They simply KNOW our method will not cause them to have to pay for premature roof replacement, due to people using pressure washers, surface cleaners and pitch witch machinery. The fact is: It requires a certain amount of pressure, to remove black discolorations. Having been a pressure washing contractor for 26 years, I KNOW that is a high enough pressure to remove a large % of the shingled roofs granules, right along with the black bacteria - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloeocapsa_magma

Trying to reinstitute the old methods of roof cleaning you are suggesting, is like taking modern medicine back to using leaches to remove poisons and diseases. That's what killed George Washington.

I suggest you not fight against the grain of progress and that you not place yourself in a position to perhaps be liable to a lawsuit from a roofing manufacturer, when they have to replace a roof prematurely and the homeowner tells them that you came as a professional roof cleaner and told them to disregard the clear maintenance instructions that that roofing manufacturer has in print on their website for their product!

http://www.asphaltroofing.org/algae-discoloration-roofs

Chemicals are not the solution for  the environment...nor are rookies with high psi portable pressure cleaners that remove granules on Alphalt roofs.

As for Tile and Cedar shake...there are NO reasons for chemical roof cleaning solutions when water works better for many reasons...

My system is not old skool...and no granules were lost on this job...if I can stick my hand in the spray its ok pressure and safe, the roof was not old were granules are loose...thats perhaps were chemicals are advisable...on a newer roof...no, the granules are secure. The spray noise is from water volume not high pressure

You have a way I have a environmentally cleaner way that has less draw backs...YES its harder work

-- Edited by roofcleanerspalmbeachcom on Tuesday 20th of January 2015 08:54:30 PM

roofcleanerspalmbeachcom wrote:

---

Chemicals are not the solution for roofs and the environment...nor are rookies with high psi portable pressure cleaners that remove granules on Alphalt roofs.

As for Tile and Cedar shake...there are NO reasons for chemical roof cleaning solutions when water works better for many reasons...

My system is not old skool...and no granules were lost on this job...the roof was not old were granules are loose...thats perhaps were chemicals are only advisable...on a newer roof...NO! the granules are secure

You have you way I have a cleaner way that has less draw backs...YES its work...not 'Splash n Dash!

---

  I just went to your website and watched your 1 video [ No Pictures? Is this the only roof you have done? ]

That's not a very darkened roof, you could have put your thumb on a garden hose to clean that easy roof!

You are simply blasting the sight of the black "bacteria" off the roof, using quite a high pressure! - I'm guessing a minimum of 1500 psi.

The wide fan tip makes it easy for you to put your hand a little ways into the spray pattern-it's still high pressure washing, exactly what the roofing manufacturers say NOT TO USE!

After you finish, your "Water Only" idea, leaves living bacteria spores all over the roof and everywhere else you blow them around the house!

Without using bleach "Chlorine" you are not killing the growth, just making it "appear to be gone"--It's still alive and well and will be needing another blast job soon!

Sorry, but I don't understand why you would come to the biggest roof cleaning site on the net, where seasoned and learned professional roof cleaners have tried everything and found the best roof cleaning method that exists and will give the homeowner about 4 years of bacteria - algae free living.

Your blast method doesn't even give them 1 day of algae / bacteria free roofing?

You are at the wrong place to push your old style roof blasting method. You will find more support on the pressure washing sites, where you are likely to find others who ignore manufacturer specifics and just blast away. Of course, 99% of them are still conscientious enough to at least use their downstream chemical injectors to attempt to kill off a good % of the living organism creating the discolorations.

You are kind of in your own little boat I guess?

At least if you get customers with your "No Chemical" sales pitch, you will be able to make good money off them, as the black regrowth rate will probably be practically yearly!

I can only assume you do it this way because you fear bleach for your own health?

It's in your drinking water, you soak in it in your pool and your wife washes your cloths with it - or don't you use chemicals for anything?

If not, that explains why you won't follow the manufacturers instructions.

I have had to walk away from many asphalt roof cleaning jobs because i could not clean a roof with no granules and what the Homeowner thought was Algae was actually asphalt and the fiberglass mat showing with no granules on the shingles, only to find out the roof was previously pressure cleaned. I remember doing an asphalt roof cleaning and it had some granule loss, I asked the Homeowner if it was extremely hot the day they installed the roof, because it looked like scuff marks from the roofers shoes. The Homeowner said no and that they had it pressure washed a couple years ago. I am going to start taking pictures of the damage from high pressure roof cleaning. Good luck selling that as low pressure!

Wow, Chris, where to begin.  You sound like that other company that spews out stuff saying how horrible bleach is, and how corrosive etc.  People use bleach in their washing machines day in and day out and you don't see washing machines rusting away with corrosion, so why do you think a single application of a bleach based roof cleaning solution is going to do all this mythical damage? 

Around 15-20 seconds in you say using high pressure water is what the ARMA suggests to use on asphalt shingle roofs.  Could you provide a link to this information please?  I'd surely love to see it.  All the links I've seen say bleach and to avoid high pressure water, so please, share the link.

What is your warranty period?  I know tons of roof cleaners who give 5 year warranties on their bleach based chemical cleaning jobs, so how many years does your water based cleaning last?  What is your warranty period?

I'm not impressed with your hand in front of the nozzle.  I have a ~3000 PSI machine and I can put my hand in front of a much narrower spray and closer to the nozzle, and the same on my leg.  I'm not saying it's a gentle rain, but for a few seconds like you did on your video, my 4 YO daughter could man up that long (she's a tough cookie!)

You said no granules were displaced?  It's pretty much impossible to walk across an asphalt roof without dislodging granules just from your shoes.  For me that's about 215 pounds spread across size 12 1/2 shoes.  If that pressure will dislodge granules, how can you say 800 PSI (800 pounds in a single square inch, or whatever you are using) is NOT going to remove granules when my weight is 1/4 that spread across a much larger surface?  On top of that, my weight is pressing down on the granule, where high pressure water hits the shingle and pushes 90 degrees to the sides, the optimum angle to dislodge granules.

Nice picture of the half dead plants.  I'm wondering if you did this yourself to your own plants for a good sales pitch photo?  I can't blame you if you did since we all need to make a living, but posting here was just not all that bright in my opinion. 

I see on your webpage that you have "Hurricane Sealer".  Can you show me where the ARMA has approved this for putting on their shingles?