New Roof Cleaning Forum Members Post Here

[ProWash.ie]

Yes Chris, we are doing good except for the weather. It rains here too often. How are you doing?

 

You may remember me from a few years back. Michael Hickey is my name and I live Cork in Ireland. I haven't been on the forum for quite a while. We do soft washing of walls, roofs etc. We also do roof, repairs, roof painting, gutters, fascia, soffit and window cleaning as well as power washing. We have recently got into industrial gutter repair and will also be doing flat roof repairs.

[Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL 904-304-0810]

Welcome back. Ireland is a wet place, but rain makes the algae grow so it can be both good and bad for business.

 

[ProWash.ie]

Yes, it can be pretty wet at times over here. On the plus side we very rarely get extreme cold or hot weather. And algae sure does grow quickly.

[ProWash.ie]

Chris,

Have you any thoughts on using air to blow the moss off of tile roofs and out of the joints between the tiles. We currently scrape the moss off of roofs. It works fine but I would like to do it faster and easier hence why I would like to try an air compressor. I don't know how much psi or cfm I would need. If air would work it would be so much faster and also a lot cleaner than pressure washing without damaging the surface.

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

1 hour ago, ProWash.ie said:

Chris,

Have you any thoughts on using air to blow the moss off of tile roofs and out of the joints between the tiles. We currently scrape the moss off of roofs. It works fine but I would like to do it faster and easier hence why I would like to try an air compressor. I don't know how much psi or cfm I would need. If air would work it would be so much faster and also a lot cleaner than pressure washing without damaging the surface.

Honestly, we see very very little Moss here in Tampa, so I have never tried it. Now, back when I lived in Seattle, I remember that shit! Moss is a real bitch to remove, as you know. My opinion is air will blow some of the Moss off, the loose stuff, but when the Moss is still alive, I really have my doubts about air, unless you have a lot of it. Richie Frisson owns EDGE Roof Cleaning in BC Canada, he deals with Moss all the time. He is an RCIA Member, maybe he has some info to share on Moss.

 

[Ken Kelly]

Hello Everyone,

I'm here to learn.  Great info on the site and happy to join. 

Ken

[Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL 904-304-0810]

Welcome Ken. This is the best place to learn about roof cleaning.

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

1 hour ago, Ken Kelly said:

Hello Everyone,

I'm here to learn.  Great info on the site and happy to join. 

Ken

Welcome Ken, my advice is to read, and then read some more, and don't be afraid to post questions, on the forum. Because you are a Premium Member, you are able to call me for help, if you need it. 813-407-1097

I also fixed your forum signature, by activating your company website link

[Karmic]

Hi Everyone,

Was recommended here by a friend of mine who recently sold his property maintenance business.

What thread should i look for cedar roof cleaning procedures/sealing?

 

 

[Michael Kirby]

Hello Everyone,

    My name is Mike and I am located in Charleston, Moncks Corner area of South Carolina. I have been cleaning shingle roofs for about ten years.

[Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL 904-304-0810]

19 minutes ago, Michael Kirby said:

Hello Everyone,

    My name is Mike and I am located in Charleston, Moncks Corner area of South Carolina. I have been cleaning shingle roofs for about ten years.

Hi Mike. Welcome to the best roof cleaning site on the internet! Is asphalt all you clean up there?

[Michael Kirby]

26 minutes ago, Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL 904-304-0810 said:

Hi Mike. Welcome to the best roof cleaning site on the internet! Is asphalt all you clean up there?

No, I have been trying to clean steel roofs also. I have been having problems with steel and would love to find out what I am doing wrong. Is there a section that deals with metal roofs. I am trying to learn navigation of this site

 

[Michael Kirby]

1 hour ago, Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL 904-304-0810 said:

Hi Mike. Welcome to the best roof cleaning site on the internet! Is asphalt all you clean up there?

Yes mostly asphalt roofs. 

I had a steel roof job this week. I found out that a steel roof is much harder to clean. I could see the black mildew on the roof. I used soap and water to test with then added a little SH. I found I had to use an extension pole brush on the entire roof. The mildew would not release without slight brush pressure. I had a JLG lift and also a 30 foot brush. The job worked me to death. I even sprayed a 20% mix of SH. The mildew turned a brown color like on a asphalt shingle roof but still would not release without a brush. What to do? How do you get the same result as on a shingle roof? We have a lot of dirty metal roofs which are also faded from sun exposure. Metal roofs do not impress me at all. I have done my last metal roof if I cannot find the secret recipe.

 

Edited May 16, 2019 by Michael Kirby

[Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL 904-304-0810]

30 minutes ago, Michael Kirby said:

Yes mostly asphalt roofs. 

I had a steel roof job this week. I found out that a steel roof is much harder to clean. I could see the black mildew on the roof. I used soap and water to test with then added a little SH. I found I had to use an extension pole brush on the entire roof. The mildew would not release without slight brush pressure. I had a JLG lift and also a 30 foot brush. The job worked me to death. I even sprayed a 20% mix of SH. The mildew turned a brown color like on a asphalt shingle roof but still would not release without a brush. What to do? How do you get the same result as on a shingle roof? We have a lot of dirty metal roofs which are also faded from sun exposure. Metal roofs do not impress me at all. I have done my last metal roof if I cannot find the secret recipe.

 

This is the section on metal roof cleaning https://roofcleaninginstitute.org/forum/7-metal-roof-cleaning/

I think your mix just wasn't strong enough, and you didn't have a good enough surfactant to help it stick! There are more things to know about metal roofs, so read up and ask questions. I do a lot of metal roof cleaning here in Jacksonville, Florida, but we also do a ton  of tile roof cleaning here because they're very common. 

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

6 hours ago, Michael Kirby said:

Yes mostly asphalt roofs. 

I had a steel roof job this week. I found out that a steel roof is much harder to clean. I could see the black mildew on the roof. I used soap and water to test with then added a little SH. I found I had to use an extension pole brush on the entire roof. The mildew would not release without slight brush pressure. I had a JLG lift and also a 30 foot brush. The job worked me to death. I even sprayed a 20% mix of SH. The mildew turned a brown color like on a asphalt shingle roof but still would not release without a brush. What to do? How do you get the same result as on a shingle roof? We have a lot of dirty metal roofs which are also faded from sun exposure. Metal roofs do not impress me at all. I have done my last metal roof if I cannot find the secret recipe.

Your Mix was not strong enough, and like Adam said, a surfactant added would have helped.

 

[Washing Raccoons]

Hi everyone! We are Washing Raccoons, work in Los Angeles area, glad to be here!

[Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL 904-304-0810]

3 hours ago, Washing Raccoons said:

Hi everyone! We are Washing Raccoons, work in Los Angeles area, glad to be here!

Hey, welcome aboard. We're glad to have you. Are the raccoons hard to keep still while you're washing them?   lol j/k...great name!

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

4 hours ago, Washing Raccoons said:

Hi everyone! We are Washing Raccoons, work in Los Angeles area, glad to be here!

Welcome to the Roof Cleaning Institute! 

[Midwest]

Hello everyone.  I'm Dustin and I live in the southwest corner of Mo, 20 miles south of Joplin. 

I grew up working with my dad and his HVAC business around the Joplin metro.  I went to college at OSU and received a degree in Automotive Science and Engineering.  I worked as a dealership mechanic for 6 years. Then, became a police officer. 

The last few years, I have been looking for a side business.  One I could work on my days off and potentially do full time as business grows.  I would open a shop but the startup cost is too high and I would have to hire several employees to actual make it viable with my crazy schedule. 

I've played with tons of different ideas.  I've done manual labor my whole life and have many skills from concrete to drywall to electrical work.   

One business I have repeatedly come back to is power washing.  The problem is, here, every guy with a suspended driver's license, a 93 Chevy pickup and a stolen power washer is calling themselves a business and washing anything and everything for nothing.  The market is very over saturated.  While I understand these guys are not the real competition they have made it hard to get started without going after the big jobs that the big companies have locked down.  

In my research I discovered roof cleaning and the RCIA.  I searched the area and found, no one is doing it here.  The closest business to me is Shingle Brite and they are an hour and a half east.

Everywhere I look I see roofs that need cleaned.  Even nice clean houses have dirty roofs.  I think there is a massive market here that hasn't been tapped.  I think a large part is ignorance to roof cleaning.  Everyone I've talked to said they just thought their roof was old and that's how they look.  

I've been reading on here for hours a day for weeks.  I jumped in and got a premium membership last week.  I'm looking very seriously at starting my own roof washing business.  I've drawn up a dozen mock ups of trailer set ups.  I've been eyeing the Outlaw skid to wash with and skipping the 12v pumps. 

Currently, I have 3 concerns.

First, is water/liquid hauling.  If I have over 119 gallons or 1000lbs of liquid I need a CDL with a tanker endorsement, right? Or am I reading that wrong? 

Second, is a good SH supply. Pools are very seasonal here and 10% in a gallon jug seems to all anyone has.  The nearest bulk supply is an hour+ drive.  Lot of diesel to burn and gamble using up a 55g drum. 

Lastly, is there actually a market for roof cleaning here or is that why no one does it.  We also get a ton of hail here roofs get replaced constantly. I'm afraid no one will pay what it's worth. 

[Midwest]

Hello everyone.  I'm Dustin and I live in the southwest corner of Mo, 20 miles south of Joplin. 

I grew up working with my dad and his HVAC business around the Joplin metro.  I went to college at OSU and received a degree in Automotive Science and Engineering.  I worked as a dealership mechanic for 6 years. Then, became a police officer. 

The last few years, I have been looking for a side business.  One I could work on my days off and potentially do full time as business grows.  I would open a shop but the startup cost is too high and I would have to hire several employees to actual make it viable with my crazy schedule. 

I've played with tons of different ideas.  I've done manual labor my whole life and have many skills from concrete to drywall to electrical work.   

One business I have repeatedly come back to is power washing.  The problem is, here, every guy with a suspended driver's license, a 93 Chevy pickup and a stolen power washer is calling themselves a business and washing anything and everything for nothing.  The market is very over saturated.  While I understand these guys are not the real competition they have made it hard to get started without going after the big jobs that the big companies have locked down.  

In my research I discovered roof cleaning and the RCIA.  I searched the area and found, no one is doing it here.  The closest business to me is Shingle Brite and they are an hour and a half east.

Everywhere I look I see roofs that need cleaned.  Even nice clean houses have dirty roofs.  I think there is a massive market here that hasn't been tapped.  I think a large part is ignorance to roof cleaning.  Everyone I've talked to said they just thought their roof was old and that's how they look.  

I've been reading on here for hours a day for weeks.  I jumped in and got a premium membership last week.  I'm looking very seriously at starting my own roof washing business.  I've drawn up a dozen mock ups of trailer set ups.  I've been eyeing the Outlaw skid to wash with and skipping the 12v pumps. 

Currently, I have 3 concerns.

First, is water/liquid hauling.  If I have over 119 gallons or 1000lbs of liquid I need a CDL with a tanker endorsement, right? Or am I reading that wrong? 

Second, is a good SH supply. Pools are very seasonal here and 10% in a gallon jug seems to all anyone has.  The nearest bulk supply is an hour+ drive.  Lot of diesel to burn and gamble using up a 55g drum. 

Lastly, is there actually a market for roof cleaning here or is that why no one does it.  We also get a ton of hail here roofs get replaced constantly. I'm afraid no one will pay what it's worth. 

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

50 minutes ago, Midwest said:

 

Currently, I have 3 concerns.

First, is water/liquid hauling.  If I have over 119 gallons or 1000lbs of liquid I need a CDL with a tanker endorsement, right? Or am I reading that wrong? 

Second, is a good SH supply. Pools are very seasonal here and 10% in a gallon jug seems to all anyone has.  The nearest bulk supply is an hour+ drive.  Lot of diesel to burn and gamble using up a 55g drum. 

Lastly, is there actually a market for roof cleaning here or is that why no one does it.  We also get a ton of hail here roofs get replaced constantly. I'm afraid no one will pay what it's worth. 

You will have to check your local laws about how much chemical you can carry. Until you can use a 55 gallon drum, but your SH in smaller amounts, and charge accordingly.

I am sure people there would like a clean roof, but many dont know they can safely have one! That is your job now, to get a rig, and clean some roofs, and develop your local market.

[Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL 904-304-0810]

15 hours ago, Midwest said:

Hello everyone.  I'm Dustin and I live in the southwest corner of Mo, 20 miles south of Joplin. 

Currently, I have 3 concerns.

First, is water/liquid hauling.  If I have over 119 gallons or 1000lbs of liquid I need a CDL with a tanker endorsement, right? Or am I reading that wrong? 

Second, is a good SH supply. Pools are very seasonal here and 10% in a gallon jug seems to all anyone has.  The nearest bulk supply is an hour+ drive.  Lot of diesel to burn and gamble using up a 55g drum. 

Lastly, is there actually a market for roof cleaning here or is that why no one does it.  We also get a ton of hail here roofs get replaced constantly. I'm afraid no one will pay what it's worth. 

Welcome Dustin. For hauling water, you would only need a CDL if you have over 10,000 lbs GCVWR. It's the SH that you need to worry about. You can only carry 1000lbs of it. 

I am positive if you see black streaks on roofs, there is a market for it. Believe it or not, even my area of Florida people are mostly uneducated about roof cleaning. We've been changing that for a number of years now. The market here is saturated, but not with high level professionals.

The first thing to do is forget what anyone else is doing in your area. Lead the way forging your own path. Those other guys will come and go. Some will stand the test of time, some won't. The thing I always say is if you're focusing on their business, you're not minding your own business. Businesses that get the most attention grow the fastest, so put your attention on yours. I operate like there is nobody else on earth that does what I do. There are people who claim to do similar things, but it's not what you do, it's how you do it that matters. 

Good luck on your new venture. This forum is the best place to learn about roof cleaning, and you'll get a lot of help growing your business here too. 

[Midwest]

15 hours ago, Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777 said:

You will have to check your local laws about how much chemical you can carry. Until you can use a 55 gallon drum, but your SH in smaller amounts, and charge accordingly.

I am sure people there would like a clean roof, but many dont know they can safely have one! That is your job now, to get a rig, and clean some roofs, and develop your local market.

I will start working on it as soon as I can. My job has allowed me to build a great network so I know I'm a step ahead on building a market.  Thanks.

[Midwest]

15 hours ago, Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777 said:

You will have to check your local laws about how much chemical you can carry. Until you can use a 55 gallon drum, but your SH in smaller amounts, and charge accordingly.

I am sure people there would like a clean roof, but many dont know they can safely have one! That is your job now, to get a rig, and clean some roofs, and develop your local market.

I will start working on it as soon as I can. My job has allowed me to build a great network so I know I'm a step ahead on building a market.  Thanks.

[Midwest]

50 minutes ago, Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL 904-304-0810 said:

Welcome Dustin. For hauling water, you would only need a CDL if you have over 10,000 lbs GCVWR. It's the SH that you need to worry about. You can only carry 1000lbs of it. 

I have 2500 Ram Cummins truck.  It's about 8k unloaded. With my car hauler and a small car, I'm around 12k.  Also I its tagged 18k in MO.  I'll call a trooper lol. 

I am positive if you see black streaks on roofs, there is a market for it. Believe it or not, even my area of Florida people are mostly uneducated about roof cleaning. We've been changing that for a number of years now. The market here is saturated, but not with high level professionals.

The first thing to do is forget what anyone else is doing in your area. Lead the way forging your own path. Those other guys will come and go. Some will stand the test of time, some won't. The thing I always say is if you're focusing on their business, you're not minding your own business. Businesses that get the most attention grow the fastest, so put your attention on yours. I operate like there is nobody else on earth that does what I do. There are people who claim to do similar things, but it's not what you do, it's how you do it that matters. 

Good luck on your new venture. This forum is the best place to learn about roof cleaning, and you'll get a lot of help growing your business here too. 

Solid advice.  If roof cleaning drys up, you should be a life coach.  You've got me fired up and ready.