Help please

WASH-IT H.B.

WASH-IT H.B.

New member
I went to do a treatment on an asphalt tile roof today. I was using SH, h2o and dishwash liquid. The ratios were 1>SH to 2>H2O to 200mls dishwash.
Because I can't get my downstream to apply treatment without watering it down all to hell I put it on with an electric back pack sprayer. I DON'T HAVE A ROOF PUMP!!. The Tiles are VERY black with them being nice and clean anywhere there is a lead flashing around back vent pipes etc.
I applied VERY liberally the roof mix [which I found on here] let it dwell for 15-20 minutes and then proceeded to rinse [owners request]. The water came off soapy [to be expected] and orange to brown. Obviously the formula was working but the tiles are still black but not as black as when I started.
The house is right by the coast and it is the south and east facing rooflines that are black {Southern hemisphere}
I have watched the video's of you guys applying you roof mix and the change appears to be all but instant.
Where am I going wrong?? I am suspicious of the viability of the SH. I bought it this week but it could have been in my suppliers stock for some time.
And NO I CAN"T GET ROOF SNOT I'm in New Zealand but if anyone wishes to share with me the roof snot formula, by all means feel free I'd love to have it.
Would make my life easier.
Any help is good help. In anticipation thanks guys.
Stuart
 
What percentage was your SH before you added water? I'm not sure what an "asphalt tile material is",... If these are like barrel tiles they will take more like a 5%-6% SH hitting the roof. So, even if your SH is 12.5% fresh,..you're still at too low a percentage using the mix you described.

* Even if these were common shingles, they sometimes need sprayed 2-3 times,..especially if they're really dark from mold.

Jeff
 
What percentage was your SH before you added water? I'm not sure what an "asphalt tile material is",... If these are like barrel tiles they will take more like a 5%-6% SH hitting the roof. So, even if your SH is 12.5% fresh,..you're still at too low a percentage using the mix you described.

* Even if these were common shingles, they sometimes need sprayed 2-3 times,..especially if they're really dark from mold.

Jeff
 
I would not advise the backpack sprayer My worst burns from chems were because of this.
 
814jeffw said:
What percentage was your SH before you added water? I'm not sure what an "asphalt tile material is",... If these are like barrel tiles they will take more like a 5%-6% SH hitting the roof. So, even if your SH is 12.5% fresh,..you're still at too low a percentage using the mix you described.

* Even if these were common shingles, they sometimes need sprayed 2-3 times,..especially if they're really dark from mold.

Jeff
Click to expand...
Hi Jeff
Thanks for your feedback. Asphalt Tiles, Shingles, roofing. Not sure what they are called in the US. Posted picture.
The supplier sells the SH as 12.5% but I know they don't have a great turnover of it so I suspect it could be old stock and down to 9-10%. Unfortunately I'm stuck for choice I have no where else to go where I live.
Looks like I need to make the mix hotter and go for more than one application.
 

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I would do some test spots with 50/50 or maybe even straight SH to see what works.

If the stuff is old, it can even be as weak as 5%.

Sometimes you have to hit it with multiple coats depending on the strength of the SH and how bad the roof is.

Here in the states the stores are now carrying the bleach as high as 8% to 8.5% which might be cheaper for you and probably fresher, you can still do test spots with the store bought stuff and see what you need to do.
 
As for your surfactant....call a chemical distributor and see if they sell Lauramine or Myristamine Oxide....known respectively as Ammonyx LO or Ammonyx MO. These are the actual surfactants use in things like Dishwashing liquid, Roof Snot, etc. Of the two, Ammonyx MO is the stickiest and most potent. For steep,roofs or roofs with a very high percentage of staining, the added dwell time is a god send, plus it helps to lift the staining off more effectively.

Just be aware that when you use a strong surfactant, the more you use and the stickier it is, the more it sticks to things up you don't want cleaned like plants.

and yes, that electric backpack sprayer is a chemical burn just waiting to happen. Invest in a good roof pump setup if you plan on doing this as a business. Electric is the most common. Air is more reliable and has more flexibility.
 
The surfactant isn't the problem. I know a guy who doesn't even add surfactant (not saying it's right). Regular dish soap is fine as long as it's not antibacterial soap which can contain ammonia.

Try adding trisodiumphosphate to boost the ph level. TSP is a common cleaning agent that is easy to find, at least here in the states it's easy. and for the love of God don't use a back back pack. You'd be better off with a simple pump up sprayer. That backpack WILL leak, in NO TIME, and you will get burned and be out of work for a week with a huge painful scab on you azz. Ask me how I know.
 
Ed Thompson said:
The surfactant isn't the problem. I know a guy who doesn't even add surfactant (not saying it's right). Regular dish soap is fine as long as it's not antibacterial soap which can contain ammonia.

Try adding trisodiumphosphate to boost the ph level. TSP is a common cleaning agent that is easy to find, at least here in the states it's easy. and for the love of God don't use a back back pack. You'd be better off with a simple pump up sprayer. That backpack WILL leak, in NO TIME, and you will get burned and be out of work for a week with a huge painful scab on you azz. Ask me how I know.
Click to expand...
O man I can see you now, you on the roof feeling the heat coming on, rushing down the ladder pulling of the backpack sprayer and sticking the house down the back of your pants.
 
I have read about many many incidences of people getting painful chemical burns trying to use a backpack sprayer to treat roofs with. For the love of God and yourself DO NOT RISK IT! I have been burned on my forearms from leaky hose /wand fittings until I learned to cuff my rubber gloves. Dayam that's was painful but a long shot from being burned in the junk in the trunk!
 
All of you guys that are good enough to be concerned about my health I thank you. Just to expand on the circumstances of the job it is a 2 & 3 storey home that is scaffolded up to the gutter line as it is undergoing repair work by a builder. The pack sprayer is sitting on the scaffold planks at my feet. I have an extension lance for the sprayer that reaches right up to the apex of the roof. If and when I use SH in the sprayer I wear waterproof overpants as well as a high quality raincoat. I am well aware of the risks involved with a back pack type sprayer. This treatment is a one off situation for me. I DON'T DO ROOFS. Here in NZ we have an Occupational Health and Safety {Government} Department that has regulated working at height [6 feet and over] to the extent that common-sense can't and doesn't get a chance. To do a roof I would have to have a harness [no problem with that] have a harness trained certificate, have a worker with me that is also Trained and certified in the use of a harness as well as first aid training ETC ETC ETC. OSH has made so aspects of being in business in NZ an absolute nightmare. The only reason I took this job on is because of the scaffolding and the fact that it is only two sides of the roof. Had it been the whole roof I would have passed on the job.
Thanks go out to the guys that offered constructive input with regards to the original post which was with regard to the viability of my treatment mix and why it maybe hasn't worked to my expectations. Thank you PEAK OF PERFECTION for your info on surfactants I will approach my supplier with regards to the Lauramine or Myristamine Oxide.... to see if they can assist with this product.
 
The main purpose of the surfactant isn't cling,..it's to add another dimension of cleaning and also allow the SH to penetrate better,..where as bleach really only kills mold and doesn't clean dirt, and secondly to keep the mix wet. The cling is an added "bonus" for those who prefer a soapy mix,...but with proper application,..even on a steep roof the cling factor isn't that important.

Ed mentions TSP,..which is what I use most of the time,...but I will also add Sodium Bicarbonate as a substitute sometimes,...depends on the severity I'm dealing with. Doesn't have as good detergency factor as TSP,..but some roofs just don't require it and also enhances the effectiveness of the bleach,..which in turn allows for less gallons of SH in your mix.Neither of products are very soapy but will thicken the mix without all the suds.

Jeff
 
I went back to this job on Tuesday to finish off. Instead of using dishwash I used a fleetwash that I knew was compatible with SH. I used the same SH to H2o ratio and it came up a treat with one application. I did have to re-do the side of the roof that I had done on Saturday. The side of the roof that I had not touched came up as clean as with one treatment and a rinse. had some good spring rain over the last couple of nights so it has been getting a good wash off.
I can only conclude that there was something in the dish wash that reduced the effectiveness of the mix. Funny thing about that is the manufacturer recommended the dishwash to me to add to the mix.
 
WASH-IT H.B. said:
I went back to this job on Tuesday to finish off. Instead of using dishwash I used a fleetwash that I knew was compatible with SH. I used the same SH to H2o ratio and it came up a treat with one application. I did have to re-do the side of the roof that I had done on Saturday. The side of the roof that I had not touched came up as clean as with one treatment and a rinse. had some good spring rain over the last couple of nights so it has been getting a good wash off.
I can only conclude that there was something in the dish wash that reduced the effectiveness of the mix. Funny thing about that is the manufacturer recommended the dishwash to me to add to the mix.
Click to expand...

What manufacturer?

AC
 
Hi AC
My supplier is a local firm here in Tauranga New Zealand.
You guys in the US have such a wide range of products at your disposal I am envious every time I read a posting about how some one has tackled a problem with products that I can only dream of.
Just as a PS to this reply I think that my supplier buys the dish wash product in bulk 1000ltr containers [from where I don't know] and just bottle it off into 5 litre containers for retail. The guy that I talked to probably doesn't even know what is actually in the dish wash. He was just the guy behind the counter.
 
WASH-IT H.B. said:
Hi AC
My supplier is a local firm here in Tauranga New Zealand.
You guys in the US have such a wide range of products at your disposal I am envious every time I read a posting about how some one has tackled a problem with products that I can only dream of.
Just as a PS to this reply I think that my supplier buys the dish wash product in bulk 1000ltr containers [from where I don't know] and just bottle it off into 5 litre containers for retail. The guy that I talked to probably doesn't even know what is actually in the dish wash. He was just the guy behind the counter.
Click to expand...

Got you! We are expanding to Australia in 2015. Maybe you can get our products more readily then?

AC
 
AC Lockyer said:
Got you! We are expanding to Australia in 2015. Maybe you can get our products more readily then?

AC
Click to expand...
Sounds like a nice idea AC but the shipping cost from Australia to New Zealand would be cost prohibitive. That Tasman Sea just bumps the price up big time.
 
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