Cleaning Asphalt roofing shingles

[Clean County]

I landed a job today which consisted of cleaning an asphalt shingled roof which is loaded with mildew and algae. I gave the homeowner a high price to do this along with some other powerwashing she wants done.
As far as the roof goes I generally don't clean roofs but like anything else if the money is there then it is worth giving it a try.
According to the shingle company that made the tiles they recommend using a mixture of chlorine with Trisodium Phosphate and of course water. Not to much pressure from the powerwasher because it may ruin the asphalt shingle. According to this company this mixture should be sprayed on then let sit for a short while and then lightly powerwash it off. The shingle will look new when completed. My questions are this: Has anyone used this mix before and how did it work? Where can I get Trisodium Phosphate and what should the mixture be with chlorine and water? Does anyone recommend a diferent way to clean this roof. Once again thanks. -JOHN-

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[Mark]

TSP aka Tri Sodium Phosphate, should be rather easy to find, most hardware and or paint stores carry it, it is used frequently to wash a surface before painting it.

The combination should be fine.



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Call or e-mail me if I can be of assistance!
1 800 292-3279

Mark McIntyre: AKA: Pressure Washer Zone Man.
PressureWasherZone.com EasyCleanSystems.com
Mark@easycleansystems.com

916 638-0828

 

[Tim]

When I clean roofs, I use straight chlorine. You have to be extremely careful NOT to have any runoff so metal gutters, landscaping, etc dont get damaged. Therefore, I do not use any water to rinse. Just spray chlorine on to the point of saturation (without runoff) then let it sit. It will eat thru fungus and mildew quickly and return shingles to near original color and condition (depending how much grit missing, damage, etc). A white residue will be left from the chlorine, but should go away with the next good rain. You also dont have to worry about "how much water pressure is too much" and cant be blamed (hopefully) for causing leaks. This can be a good time to inspect and make homeowner aware of potential damage and problems they can get fixed (soft spots, chimney flashing, damaged roof vents, etc).
Good luck.

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Tim Srader
X-Stream Kleen

 

[Greg/sd]

I use a 70% mix Chlorine to water add some dawn for a surfacant. Mist the mix on with a shurflo. Try not to get alot of runoff. Rinse if you want I usually dont have to. Work from the bottom up or the roof will streak. If you set up sprinklers around the house you can avoid any plant damage. Good luck Be careful. Greg/Splash&Dash

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Greg

 

[Tim Smith]

Will these methods damaged the shingles?

How much and what does dawn do to the mixture?

 

[Greg/sd]

Dawn is just used as a surfacant. It keeps the chlorine from running down the roof, helps it hold a little better. I usually add about half a bottle to 35 gallons of chlorine. No this method will not damage the roof. But it will damage plants if you dont water before and after. Good luck

 

[Tim Smith]

Are there any good ways of catching the chemicals at the bottom of the downspout?

 

[ron]

catch it

duct tape a heavy duty garbage bag to the end of the down spout.
lol
just leave a garden hose running at the bottom it will deluit it with no proplems
if not just flood out the grass before you start[where it drains]

 

[Vrollingthund]

How many gallon of bleach would it take to do a 2000 sq ft house? What is charge for the average house to make it worthwhile doing? Does all that chlorine eat up your hoses?
Thanks, Anna

 

[Steven Rowlet]

I use the Pitchwitch. My personal opinion is that bleach will soften the shingles. If you spray it through a Sureflo pump straight it is murder on o-rings and couplers.

 

[Glenn]

Roof Cleaners,
I hope you won't take this as my way of pushing my product because that's not what I'm trying to do. I will share with you what I know about the chlorine roof bath. I have found that chlorine alone, no matter the concentration, will not completely clean the roof. It will kill the fungus and turn it a lighter shade. The following rains are not enough to remove the contamination, as there are other contaminates such as carbon deposits on the shingle surface. It will look better, but not clean enough for me. I prefer to use a lower concentration of chemicals followed by a low pressure rinse. Reasons, #1 It will completely clean the roof. #2 It won't kill plants, damage the roof, cause the brass fixtures on the house to rust, or streak and discolor the siding, paint, or windows. From a material costs stand point, it is more cost effective to use the lower concentration and it doesn't take that much longer to properly rinse the roof. Not to mention the results are immediate and you don't have to wait for it to rain to collect your payment. I also have learned that chlorine in high concentrations neutralizes Durasban, the active ingrediant in most pesticides. This voids Termite protection warranties.
Glenn

 

[Tim Smith]

Glenn

How long is the extension on the pitchwitch & how far can you go up on a roof with the pitchwitch?

How do you apply chemicals on steep roofs?

When you rinse - How much PSI and GPM? What size tip? If you have a 3000psi/4gpm pressure washer set up, what do you do to ensure proper psi and gpm for a roof?

Thanks
Tim

 

[Glenn]

Tim,
I use a 36 ft. Coress wand (haven't had a need for a longer one yet) with the Pitch Witch. This gives me a 40ft. reach. I apply chemical to the steep pitched roofs with the X-jet nozzle. It shoots a vertical stream up to 40 ft. at dillution rates as high as 2 to 1. Up to a recent upgrade I was using a 4gpm 3000 psi washer and achieved the lower pressure by installing 4 .025 nozzles which lowered my pressure to @ 500 psi. I recently converted to a 5.6 gpm pump which means I will change the .025's to .03's so I can maintain the 500 psi. The nice thing about the Coress wand is if you order a 36ft. and decide later you need more reach, all you do is order one more 12 ft. section and you have 48ft.
Glenn

 

[Tim Smith]

Glenn

Are you talking about the tips in the pitchwitch?

Where can I find a PSI & GPM conversion chart?

Each extension has to reduce your psi and gpm, how do you take that in consideration?

 

[Glenn]

Tim,
Do you have a Fax, I'll fax you a chart. No noticable reduction in PSI with the extension.
Glenn
Oh, yes I was referring to the nozzles or tips in the Pitch Witch. See, you have a positive displacement pump which means as long as you maintain RPM, you can increase nozzle size to reduce psi but your GPM will always be the same at that RPM. This way you convert a high pressure pump to low pressure out put by changing nozzles, just like when you put in a soap tip.

 

[Tim Smith]

Glenn

I do not have a fax. Can you mail or email?

 

[Glenn]

Tim,
I'll mail you a copy of mine today. Have a good one!
Glenn

 

[Tim Smith]

Glenn

Thanks so much. I appreciate all the help. I hope to pay you back with purchases.

Tim