Jeff

Late I know,...A few variables could be at play here,..and not sure how you made out (Yet?) Cedar can be a PITA,..many more variables than with a basic shingle roof,..How infested, access, condition,,....with that said,..a simple solution of NAOH mixed 50/50 with Sodium Percarbonate and NO SOAP,..will clean aged cedar very easily,..and then neutralize with approximately 8 OZ. per gallon Oxalic Acid. Cedar is worth every penny the guys doing it are getting. Jeff

I've been trying to delete my account but don't know how. This site is now censoring and I want no fucking part of it. If one of the simple minded moderators here can delete my account just do it,..I don't want or need to be associated with this socialist site. In the mean time,..I will simply sign out. Jeff

By the way,..just because the posts about Kuri-Tec hose got deleted doesn't make it any less GREAT! I made a post about the quality of Kuri-Tec hose and it got deleted,..Like by Kevin,..who is here to sell his over priced hose. Jeff

You know Chris,..I think alot of you and your knowledge on roof cleaning and knowledge in general. But this Kevin guy that is here is the WORST thing you could have on board here,..I mean look at the post count here,..probably 5 a day at best. Kevin is here to sell his over priced useless stuff to those who don't know any better. And I have a feeling he deleted my post about Kuri-Tec hose. Fuck him,...he's such a fucking clown. Kevin ..,.I don't like you,Ha,Ha,..Jackass. Delete me all want,..you're still a prick. Jeff

Ok,..why the fuck did my post get deleted? You know,..you guys can go fuck yourselves . All I said was Kuri-Tec hose has been the hose of choice ever since David Westerman introduced it to us several years ago.. Kevin,..you're nothing but a fucking sheister,..you don't want people to know that they can run a business without you. Fuck you asshole. Kevin is the worst thing that ever happened to this site,...look at all the more people even post anymore,..it's because of Kevin and his trying to push his views. Look,..I simply informed the readers that Kuri-Tec is GREAT hose,..and that info got deleted. Fuck you guys,.. Jeff

Dave Westerman introduced us to Kuri-Tec hose several years ago and it has been the standard hose for roof cleaning ever since. Besides the AODD Kynar/Teflon pumps,..the Kuri-Tec has been the other bulletproof piece of equipment for many roof cleaners. Jeff

Hey Jim,..yea there are different circumstances,..and it sounds like getting on the roof may be needed for the work you mentioned. Kinda like doing roof repair,..couldn't do that from the roof edge neither. There are always exceptions to the "rule". So I guess I am talking about guys spraying basic roofs,..like many of us here on the East Coast see. Also,.I know some rinse moss and some don't. I prefer to let it fall off on it's own,..but again,..different mindsets among contractors in any service. Jeff

Troy,..you'll be much happier doing it this way,..you also don't have hose dragging around through roof mix and then getting onto the grass when you come down. I can be rinsed off sure,..but that's just another step that's not needed. Go to the top of the ladder, and spray,..so much simpler. This whole climbing around on roofs has been done and is done by many guys to this day,..and I can't figure it out. I really can't.,..especially when they get into rigging ropes and tie off points and everything,..if the roof is that steep, simply let the pitch spread the "Love" cover the roof for you. *Love is a term coined by Chris Tucker years ago by the way. Jeff

Hey Troy,..no issues at all with spraying from the roof edge (Top of ladder) NONE!! Controlling runoff is accomplished by the guy spraying,..not the pitch of the roof,...Spray it slow,..and you'll get a feel for how fast you can go,..learn how to apply and you'll never need to get on the roof. Troy I used to use a pump sprayer about 17 years ago,..with all the knowledge and pumps available to us now,..there is NO reason at all to be getting on a roof,...wait,..there is one reason,...ONLY if the roof is so FLAT that the mix won't readily roll down the roof. Getting on these steep roofs is NOT needed. With the right pump,.a few simple extensions for odd angles sometimes,..but there is always a way to do residential without getting on the roof. AND ,.even if there is the odd roof that can't be done,..just pass it up,.not worth the risk. Jeff

Still can't figure why anyone would go to so much effort to spray a steep roof. Why not just spray them from the roof edge at the top of the ladder. SOOOO much easier. *Notice I didn't use question marks,.because I asked it in a rhetorical fashion,...this has been done to death over the years and I've heard all the reasons why,..and I'm sure they haven't changed,..along with my astonishment every time I see it come up. Jeff

Jim,..as easy as it is to rinse,.why wouldn't you be rinsing,..I mean I really don't care,..other than the fact that you posted it on a forum and I figured I'd ask. Drop the hose in some water and run it for a minute. Jeff

Barrel stand or you can use your roof pump to transfer,..just use cam locks at the pump,..or better yet, buy a 12V as a dedicated transfer pump. Jeff

Steve,..SH is eco friendly. And , it is what's RECOMMENDED and APPROVED for use on shingle roofs by the manufacturers,... and also on Univars MSDS list of approved uses. Do not try and use anything but SH,..if you do will be sorry,..and you will look like a clown to your customers. There are other products on the market,..but to my knowledge,.. none are recommended by the shingle manufacturers for cleaning shingles,..WHY,..because these products like Sodium Percarbonate and/or Sodium Hydroxide,..and they both require pressure to finish. And Sodium Hydroxide is a serious degreaser and has no business on an asphalt based roof. And forget about Calcium Hypochlorite,..(AKA) (Common Pool Shock),.. The only thing that works well for the black streaking other than SH,..is Copper Sulfate,..but it's a time release thing that takes a few months to work,..and that' s a hard sell to customers. There are many guys here who have done ALOT of experimenting,..only SH works in a practical sense. Jeff

I agree Chris,..Sh/Water combo will work,...but the addition of a basic detergent will aid in the SH performance and also allow it to stay wet longer and also penetrate. The reason I mention this is because there are so many off the shelf products we have used over the years that it's just too easy to add it in. Just use something compatible with SH,..especially when starting a new business,..having mix sit in the tank for extended periods of time is more prone to new business's. BUT,..you should always try to use compatible products no matter what. Regular Gain dish liquid that Chris figured out years ago is a good off the shelf choice,..even many laundry soaps will work. Steve,..don't overthink this business like many people do,..Chris is right in that sense,..basic SH and water will work,..so don't get too involved in all the reading of soaps. Pick one and stay with it,..then down the road when you get a feel for the business you can play,..but,..playing is still not needed. The pump set ups and detergents are easy,..don't overthink it,..put your efforts into learning proper application techniques,.controlling runoff,.etc. Don't be consumed by the basics. Jeff

It's the concentration that matters,...considering it's in city water,..and some people drink it,,You can see my point .Bleach is also used in varying strengths to wipe down counter tops,..and can be used on most of today's awning materials,..but again,..watch the strength,..So to ask,.."What's it safe for" leaves alot of room for varying answers. Although not ideal for raw wood,..some guys will use it,.and get great results. I prefer Sodium Percarbonate on raw wood,.like decks or fences. Jeff

I think I read in the past where guys simply used a 12V pump to apply the sealer,...makes sense,..as I know many of the wood guys use 12V to apply stains and sealers to decks. I've never sealed a cedar roof,..so I can't say first hand. I think many guys still use Sodium Hypochlorite on cedar with heavy growth,..maybe not ideal,..but then is a roof covered with moss and lichen. Used appropriately I'm sure it would be fine in certain cases. Case by case basis on methods I suppose. Jeff

Although there has been much "innovation" in roof cleaning over the last 10 years,..most things now are just tweaks at best,..in fact most ideas are just variations of things we already know or do, and not necessarily better,...I've said it NUMEROUS times,..Many like to add their own twist to their business and feel like they are pioneers,..I've done it too.,..it's fun to use your very own ideas too make money. Roof cleaning is VERY simple, and much over thinking has been done in the last few years,.again,..also by me. But as of late I've been content knowing my methods are simple and effective and no need to keep adding new ideas. Doesn't mean I don't think about it,Ha,Ha,..But there are many other things I can do to make improvements in my business as a whole. Analyzing to the point of confusion is counter productive. Jeff

Sodium Percarbonate mixed at 8 OZ. per gallon and Sodium Hydroxide added at 2 oz. per gallon and applied with dedicated pump and neutralize with oxalic mixed at 6 OZ per gallon. You could also DS Sodium Hydroxide I've done it many times on Cedar,..and is actually my preferred method due to speed. Cedar that is just grayed out is VERY easy to clean. Cedar with heavy moss takes alot of rinsing, so having a good "On Board" rinsing pump is a necessity,...counting on the customers' water is a gamble at best. And if they're on a well,..that will need to be discussed beforehand. YES, these need to be charged for appropriately. Nothing like doing an asphalt shingled roof. The results though are very gratifying. Jeff

Not sure what you mean by over our heads,...but,..there is enough information on this board and the old RCIA board and PWI to answer any common questions regarding roof cleaning. What you're trying to do doesn't sound like anything anyone else has ever really discussed on here. Maybe somewhere in a small thread,..but nothing with any real information. Jeff

No disrespect felt,..but there is a time to pack it in. And that IS the proper advice. You won't find much here or anywhere else about cold weather roof cleaning. If you don't like that answer I don't know what to tell you,..because that's what most of us do when it gets too cold. Jeff

Time to pack it up for the year! Not worth struggling over,.. and can make you seem desperate for work,..which I understand,..because in the beginning years,..so was I,Ha,Ha,.. Jeff

Chris mentioned a while back about this pump. Runs 4 GPM at 200 PSI. Other models are also available. Has anyone tried this pump,..I'd say not,.. only because I've never seen it mentioned as being used. I like the idea of it,..small size ,.. and twice the PSI as my air pump,..so at 4 GPM it should spray very well. But,..these aren't cheap,..I think this one runs $500-$600? They say they are made to spray chlorine "solutions",..but that can be anything from city water and up I suppose. Doesn't mention an actual percentage by numbers. Also runs at 39 AMPS,...seems like alot of draw when compared to even the FB2 at around 20 AMPS I think? It is also rated for continuous duty and can be run in bypass mode,..which would allow the use of small nozzles. *Thinking about trying one next season,..keeping the air on board until I get a feel for the Hypro. IF I do go this route I will be sharing my experiences with it. Would like to free up some space on my rig, and this little pump looks promising when it comes to 12V. Jeff

Chris mentioned a while back about this pump. Runs 4 GPM at 200 PSI. Other models are also available. Has anyone tried this pump,..I'd say not,.. only because I've never seen it mentioned as being used. I like the idea of it,..small size ,.. and twice the PSI as my air pump,..so at 4 GPM it should spray very well. But,..these aren't cheap,..I think this one runs $500-$600? They say they are made to spray chlorine "solutions",..but that can be anything from city water and up I suppose. Doesn't mention an actual percentage by numbers. Also runs at 39 AMPS,...seems like alot of draw when compared to even the FB2 at around 20 AMPS I think? It is also rated for continuous duty and can be run in bypass mode,..which would allow the use of small nozzles. *Thinking about trying one next season,..keeping the air on board until I get a feel for the Hypro. IF I do go this route I will be sharing my experiences with it. Would like to free up some space on my rig, and this little pump looks promising when it comes to 12V. Jeff

Yea Karen,....beginning to wonder what's actually going on here. He's been out a while now. Jeff

Air pump setups are not contraptions,..they are a well "oiled" machine when set up properly. Some people like them, and some feel as you do,.that it's too much "going on" to simply apply a liquid to a roof. But they are also very reliable and that extra spray distance may be the difference between slipping on a a roof,..or spraying from the the relative safety of a ladder. Me,..I like the reliability factor over the distance factor. Many guys do spray roofs mostly by walking,..they claim it uses less chemical. So a 12V would suit as far as distance goes if you're walking. SH is VERY slippery itself, so using a different surfactant on a tile roof probably isn't gonna make a huge difference. Jeff