newbie questions on chemicals and what not

[steven reliford]

Hi every one I'm thinking of trying to start washing roofs and houses and drive ways and I'm the type person I always look before I jump l o l . I've been reading everything and anything on all this on what chemicals to use and not use and so on . there's no doubt I'll probably get a fatboy system to rinse and apply chemicals but all this store bought or Internet chemicals I'm not so sure of.i need a simple but effective mix.ive been looking at roofs here in northern ala and they are very very black and dirty, so I see money waiting to be made but don't want to mess up and spend money replacing my mistakes.any info would be great

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

Hi every one I'm thinking of trying to start washing roofs and houses and drive ways and I'm the type person I always look before I jump l o l . I've been reading everything and anything on all this on what chemicals to use and not use and so on . there's no doubt I'll probably get a fatboy system to rinse and apply chemicals but all this store bought or Internet chemicals I'm not so sure of.i need a simple but effective mix.ive been looking at roofs here in northern ala and they are very very black and dirty, so I see money waiting to be made but don't want to mess up and spend money replacing my mistakes.any info would be great

Forget about any roof cleaning chemicals except Sodium Hypochlorite that we call SH. All you need to clean almost any roof is SH diluted with water. The addition of certain soaps and or TSP are effective, but not absolutely needed, except if the roof is very very steep/very very dirty. 

[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

[Devotions Photos]

But is there a eco friendly solution you can make yourself with out the sh or other stuff that you can apply wait a few and then rinse off and not have to worry about pants and what not

[Devotions Photos]

Sorry guys logged in with Facebook was easier lol and was suppose to be plants....... not pants

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

But is there a eco friendly solution you can make yourself with out the sh or other stuff that you can apply wait a few and then rinse off and not have to worry about pants and what not

No, there is not. You could get some Sodium Hydroxide, and dilute it, then spray it on the roof, wait 30 minutes, and rinse it off, but this method requires considerable pressure to rinse off, not good for the roof. 

[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

Edited February 15, 2016 by Jeff

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Yall the pro's lol if toy say sh then sh it is. But now can I apply the sh and then rinse myself the same day for same day results

[Kleen Roofs]

yes, you will get same day results if you want to rinse. Of course, with black streaks you will get same day results without rinsing. 

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

Yall the pro's lol if toy say sh then sh it is. But now can I apply the sh and then rinse myself the same day for same day results

Who says you HAVE to rinse ? Many of us never rinse the roofs we clean, and get immediate results. 

[Devotions Photos]

Ahhh see lol that's why I'm the newbie and yall are the professional ' s haha this was all my brothers idea I'm just perusing it and just want to get it right before I go for it lol I'll practice on my house first 

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

It is always a good idea to get your pump, tank, and spray hose, etc, etc, then go spray pure water on some roofs, to get the hang of it, before you "go live" with active roof cleaning chemical. You must read read read, then read some more, so you know how to protect the plants, and other things.

 

 

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I'm a truck driver so I got plenty of time to read while waiting to load and unload lol so how many square foot can i expect to get out of a 55 gallon drum of sh.oh and I been watching YouTube bahahaha YouTube and Google knows all

[Advantage Roof Cleaning]

It is always a good idea to get your pump, tank, and spray hose, etc, etc, then go spray pure water on some roofs, to get the hang of it, before you "go live" with active roof cleaning chemical. You must read read read, then read some more, so you know how to protect the plants, and other things.

 

 

Yes read until your eyes bleed. To add to what Chris stated, go live on your own roof first to help get over the fear. And also to a roof for free for someone you know.

[Devotions Photos]

Yeah that was my plan lol but does sh work on driveways, decks, fences, metal roofs and siding and brick.  And how many sf can i expect to get out of a 55 gal tank using sh

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

Yeah that was my plan lol but does sh work on driveways, decks, fences, metal roofs and siding and brick.  And how many sf can i expect to get out of a 55 gal tank using sh

Some people are pure "Softwash", meaning they clean with chemicals and no pressure, and yes, the SH will work on all the things you mentioned, unless they have grease and oil on them. 

I can't say off the top of my head how many SQ FT you can clean, except for roofs. 55 gallons should make at least 160 gallons of roof cleaning mix, and at 25 to 40 gallons per roof, that will be from 4 to 6 roofs. If you buy your drum of SH right, then relax, you will make a lot of profit off of it.

[Devotions Photos]

Ok guys thanks. It be a minute before I try but I'll let you know the results