What works as an inhibitor?

I did a roof today and after was talking with the customer and he was being talkative so i asked him about his other quotes for the job and I came in at less than half of one guy ,he was going to use a bucket truck,I used a ladder but he was also going to apply an inhibitor of some sort,I'd like to know if there is something and if it works?the other guy offered a 5 year warranty.Am I missing something by not doing this and charging more for warranty?Or is it snake oil and a gamble?

Never known any inhibitor to work...

Houses we did 6-7 years ago are just getting bad again on the north sides. Assume you charge 30% more for a 5 year warranty, and 3 years later it starts to show again (it won't, but hypothetically), all you have to do is go spray the roof again with a light solution. Would take no time at all. The warranty is easy to honor.

As for inhibitors, THATS what was snake oil about the other guys pitch. Not the warranty. There's nothing you can put on a roof that prevents it from returning that lasts more than a few rains. He only way to inhibit GM growth is to kill it.

The best way to "inhibit" it is by inhibiting the visual aspect of it,..which means maintenance spraying every 2-3 years. Most customers wait until they see it sneaking back on to spray again,...can't say I blame them,..because as Scott said,..they will hold up really well on their own if treated properly to begin with.

*Years ago we were talking about putting copper sulfate into a sealant and applying,..in theory the sealant would be the tool that held the copper sulfate in place,..and copper sulfate is an excellent retardant of algae and mold growth. To my knowledge no on ever tried it? Would have been interesting to treat half a roof and see.

**I want to sell roof cleaning and even maintenance,..not something that stops residual business,Ha,Ha,..

Jeff

basically what I was thinking the guy coats the roof waits a bit then rinses and calls that the inhibitor.I guess i gotta charge more and offer the warranty and no snake oil

I'd like to see how long an inhibitor would last during the rainy season down here. It can rain down hundreds of gallons in a few minutes onto your roof.

I have many houses that we do a warm water rinse after the leaves fall and some first thing in spring . Twenty years and still going. Never used bleach on some and no mold and same roof . huge houses but walkable . just have to know your stuff .
You live in RI talk to guys in New England .

Diamond Jim said:

I have many houses that we do a warm water rinse after the leaves fall and some first thing in spring . Twenty years and still going. Never used bleach on some and no mold and same roof . huge houses but walkable . just have to know your stuff .
You live in RI talk to guys in New England .

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So in your opinion,..and apparent experiences,..the warm water is killing or removing mold spores?

I can't dispute results without having tried it myself,..

In 20 years the roof is treated 40 times compared to 4 cleanings with typical methods, or in 5 years 10 cleanings to 1 hypo,..thats a 10-1 ratio

What percentage of cost is a warm water cleaning compared to a hypo cleaning?

That would be a hard sell around here,..people just prefer to wait until they see the traces of darkening,..which after the first cleaning,..they are now more aware that it is going to continue getting worse.

Jeff

Diamond Jim said:

I have many houses that we do a warm water rinse after the leaves fall and some first thing in spring . Twenty years and still going. Never used bleach on some and no mold and same roof . huge houses but walkable . just have to know your stuff .
You live in RI talk to guys in New England .

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Seems to me that would help to speed up the mold and mildew growth.


Doug Rucker
Clean and Green Solutions
Pressure Washing Roof Cleaning School
Call or Text 281.883.8470

Key is to get as close to a 100% kill ratio of the algae, mold, mildew, bacteria, etc as you can on the roof. Bleach alone will not do this. We use an all-in-one additive called Green Wash that acts as a wetting - penetrating agent that allows the softwashing solution to go deeper into the algae body as well as deeper into the roofs surface. Then the Green Wash also catylizes the bleach making the bleach more active and thereby adding to the kill ratio. The Green Wash also does contain a spore blocker that inhibits spores (algae seeds) from being able to germinate for up to a year in climates like the SE USA and up to two years in northern climates. UV rays break this layer down the most and it is impervious to break down by rain. So this spore block inhibitor allows us to get more longevity out of a clean. Nationwide we give a 5 Year Spot-Free Warranty. It is prorated because there are so many type of roofs and so many types of environments, however the further north you go the better the warranty lasts.

This product was developed in Florida to Florida growth and staining standards which is some of the worst in the US. We have been using this technology for over twenty years with great success.

Hope this helps,

AC

I don't know AC, there are many people here who use liquid hypo and a basic soap,..and seem to get good longevity out of a roof cleaning. Like 4-7 years in alot of cases, at least here up north. Maybe some of the Southern guys can chime in on longevity and the mix they use. Not disputing your product,.(no really),Ha,Ha,...I just think many are experiencing good longevity with basic soaps.

Doug Rucker sent me some Green Wash once, (nice guy that Doug),...Anyhow,..I liked the product,..but someone said it was changed after that? Never used it enough to get a real feel for it. I don't prefer soapy roof mixes, so I still use TSP or Sodium Bicarbonate in my mixes,..and my results are good with good longevity.

Jeff

Have used copper sulfate and it works well on shingle roofs with good sun exposure. But i like repeat business why give five year warranty and clean it again in 3 years approximately? In Florida hovering a roof with no chemical lasts one year, bleach 2 to 3 years fyi. Depending on type of tiles etc.

If your roofs are getting dirty again within 2-3 years, you're not 100% killing the growth and you're doing your customers a disservice. That's bad business. Just FYI...

Scott D. said:

If your roofs are getting dirty again within 2-3 years, you're not 100% killing the growth and you're doing your customers a disservice. That's bad business. Just FYI...

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Come to florida and see how fast that stuff grows. Shaded areas, lake front.. Rain neighbors with dirty roofs spreading spores. 3-4 years is good for my area.

We have almost the same climate. At 4-5 years, and in the worst conditions you might start seeing a little growth on 1 side. The whole roof won't be covered though. The one side won't even be covered. A 20 minute touch up at most. But I'd guarantee 99.99999% of the roofs, would never be touched within that 5 years.

I understand the sales angle of charging to clean it every 2-3 years. I just don't see it as an honest one.

Scott points out something important,...when explaining to a customer the expectation of cleaning longevity,..I think it is VERY important to make the customer understand that,..when you say the number of years it will be clean,..REMEMBER to tell them "the whole roof won't be covered with growth in 3-5 years",...but you may see it sneaking back on in 3-5 years. Without stressing that point,..they may take it that the roof will be bad again in 3-5 years and maybe not see as much value in the service you're providing,..resulting in a lost sale.

* I personally tell different customers different time expectations, depending on surroundings,...some may live in the country,..and some may have neighbors on either side with a serious infestation.

** When giving them YOUR business's expectation,... remember,..under promise and over deliver is better than setting their expectations too high.


Jeff

Scott D. said:

We have almost the same climate. At 4-5 years, and in the worst conditions you might start seeing a little growth on 1 side. The whole roof won't be covered though. The one side won't even be covered. A 20 minute touch up at most. But I'd guarantee 99.99999% of the roofs, would never be touched within that 5 years.

I understand the sales angle of charging to clean it every 2-3 years. I just don't see it as an honest one.

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This is my roof. Cleaned it 3 years ago for a school. Then cleaned 1/2 it last month


Doug Rucker
Clean and Green Solutions
Pressure Washing Roof Cleaning School
Call or Text 281.883.8470

814jeffw said:

So in your opinion,..and apparent experiences,..the warm water is killing or removing mold spores?

I can't dispute results without having tried it myself,..

In 20 years the roof is treated 40 times compared to 4 cleanings with typical methods, or in 5 years 10 cleanings to 1 hypo,..thats a 10-1 ratio

What percentage of cost is a warm water cleaning compared to a hypo cleaning?

That would be a hard sell around here,..people just prefer to wait until they see the traces of darkening,..which after the first cleaning,..they are now more aware that it is going to continue getting worse.

Jeff

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When a roof has a considerable amount of trees overhead ,skylights that collect ,and has a slope that catches everything a yearly wash is a preventative maintenance step . All the debris from the year starts to compost on the roof creating a source for faster mold growth . Removing it with a hot to warm low pressure rinse works . Hotter water gets up the dirt better.

Prior to rinsing the roof yearly there were major issues in problem areas . Depending on slopes and tree issues just a low pressure rinse cleans off the dirt and debris.

Jeff I take care of a lot of high end properties with schedules on every surface . Just did a couple of cedar shake roofs which I restored ( cleaned and oiled)a few years ago and now walk the roof every year and blow all the debris out / off that collects between the shakes after the leaves fall . This prevents the composting effect and let's water flow better.you only can inspect and control a cedar roof by getting up there

I have a few large long ranches ( slope collectors ) that I walk about every other year when I do the deck maintenances . Just water and low pressure. No mold !

Doug what is your reasoning behind saying it would increase mold growth ? If your removing all the debris that creates the growth it's called preventative maintenance .it never gets a chance to build up ! Its Just like cleaning a sidewalk on a weekly basis or yearly in front of Walmart .