Welder to Roof Cleaner?

R

RPM Residential

New member
I've been the welding business For 15 years, and I'm looking for something new. I appreciate all of the information that everyone has posted, it has been extremely helpful. I do need a few more questions answered, if ya'll will indulge me. Are you wiring your pumps into your truck or using an alternative power source??? what ratio are you mixing sodium hydrochlorite and TSP to water??? Are you rinsing using a larger pump and clean water supply or using customers water??? Thanks for the help, Chris
 
RPM Residential said:
I've been the welding business For 15 years, and I'm looking for something new. I appreciate all of the information that everyone has posted, it has been extremely helpful. I do need a few more questions answered, if ya'll will indulge me. Are you wiring your pumps into your truck or using an alternative power source??? what ratio are you mixing sodium hydrochlorite and TSP to water??? Are you rinsing using a larger pump and clean water supply or using customers water??? Thanks for the help, Chris
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No problem Man!
Get OTHERS opinions here too, besides mine, and go with what makes sense to you ?

I suggest about 40 percent Chlorine/Water mix for a shingle roof, and 50 to 60percent Chlorine for Tile.

Use 1/2 cup TSP in your mix for shingle, and up to 1 cup for Tile.
ONLY one cup for the dirtyest white tile roofs.

The TSP ratio is per gallon of total mix.

So, for a 100 gallon shingle mix we need 40 gallons liquid chlorine, 60 gallons water, and 50 cups TSP.

Be sure and stir the TSP in the tank real well.

Some use 12 volt generators for the Delevan pump I personally suggest, and some use deep cycle marine battery.

Some wire right off truck battery.

Rinsing is a matter of opinion, some do, some don't.

Some use customers water, some use gas powered roller or diapraghm pumps to rinse.

We believe it best to have a ground man, but some work alone and tarp everything.

BTW,, I went to welding school, learned Low Hydrogen, TIG, MIG and stick.

I worked in Welding at Remke in Detroit building beer trucks out of aluminum.

We ran the MIG machine hot as heck.

That made a nice flat weld, easy to grind.
We had to grind our own welds, so to heck with a nice bead!

Turn the old Miller MIG Machine up, arc up, and fly!
 
Hey James, Chris is the man. He has helped me a lot with roof cleaning.

Personally, I use the 12V Flojet 5.0gpm 45psi pump running into a second battery on my trailer which powers my pressure washer. It has a voltage regulator/rectifier which keeps the battery charged.

I will upgrade to dual 12V Delavan 5.3gpm 60psi pumps in the spring. Still debating whether or not to upgrade my hose also.
 
Mike Sullivan said:
Chris, is Spray and Forget and Roof-revivor Copper Sulfate?, just curious.
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I really haven't looked.

I haven't pulled the MSDS on this particular stuff, but I suspect it may be a Quatenary Ammonium configuration ?

To be fair, I was just informed they have an immediate results roof cleaner, or one that takes time to work

QUAT is a killer of Algae, and I guess the idea is that once it's dead, it will simply rinse away ?

Heck, if that's the case, we should all simply reduce our mixture strength to 1 percent bleach ?
That will kill Algae too, leave the roof dirty until it dies and wait for it to simply wash away ?

Actually Mike, IF I died tomorrow, I would wish people to remember me as a great roof cleaning salesman, rather as someone who knows his stuff.

Our sales figures were so good that my company was awarded by my chamber of commerce. http://www.saferoofcleaning.com

But, as good a salesman as I think I might be, I don't think I could get a customer to pay me leaving his roof dirty ?

Most of my customers want immediate results ?
 
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Speaking of sales.

Here in NC, most of the roofs only get streaky on the north side. Most of my customers only want me to clean the north side which is usually the front of the house. If their house faces south, forget it, they don't care if the back of the house (north side) is streaky.

What are some good ways to sell the customer on both sides.

The mold is there, you just can't see it?

It will keep the north side cleaner longer if both sides are cleaned?

I have been charging 25 cents per sq.ft. for north side only and 20/sq.ft. for both to give them a better deal/ incentive for both sides.
 
Mike Sullivan said:
Speaking of sales.

Here in NC, most of the roofs only get streaky on the north side. Most of my customers only want me to clean the north side which is usually the front of the house. If their house faces south, forget it, they don't care if the back of the house (north side) is streaky.

What are some good ways to sell the customer on both sides.

The mold is there, you just can't see it?

It will keep the north side cleaner longer if both sides are cleaned?

I have been charging 25 cents per sq.ft. for north side only and 20/sq.ft. for both to give them a better deal/ incentive for both sides.
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If I could get 20ct/sq consistantly in this softwash saturated town of mine, I would be thrilled! We passed along a roof the other day (rush job) that the woman had sprayed herself with the above mentioned product. 6 months after spraying it she didn't forget and was pretty upset and ready to have it cleaned properly.
 
Mike Sullivan said:
Speaking of sales.

Here in NC, most of the roofs only get streaky on the north side. Most of my customers only want me to clean the north side which is usually the front of the house. If their house faces south, forget it, they don't care if the back of the house (north side) is streaky.

What are some good ways to sell the customer on both sides.

The mold is there, you just can't see it?

It will keep the north side cleaner longer if both sides are cleaned?

I have been charging 25 cents per sq.ft. for north side only and 20/sq.ft. for both to give them a better deal/ incentive for both sides.
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Ok, here you go Mike.

"Mr Customer, algae is only VISIBLE on the North Side of your roof, but that does not mean it isn't starting to grow everywhere else"

Algae starts out life almost clear, goes to light green, to dark green, then to black.

I will clean only the north side, but it would be in your best interest for me to treat ALL your roof.

Since it takes more chemical to clean AND treat as opposed to treating only, I will take that into consideration in my estimate"

It is easy to treat a roof, all you do is spray the a few rows of shingles under the peaks, and let it dry.
The rain will activate it, and wash the treatment down the roof.

Use Borax Mike, 1/4 to 1/2 cup per gallon of total mix, no more.

!/4 cup IF also using TSP, or 1/2 cup w/o TSP.

It is never good to sell just a partial cleaning job, w/o at least treating the other side.

All the neighbors will remember is YOU just cleaned the roof months ago when the other side gets dirty!
 
taselton2 said:
If I could get 20ct/sq consistantly in this softwash saturated town of mine, I would be thrilled! We passed along a roof the other day (rush job) that the woman had sprayed herself with the above mentioned product. 6 months after spraying it she didn't forget and was pretty upset and ready to have it cleaned properly.[/QUOTE
We get that for Tile, sometimes more.

Shingles at 15 cents sq ft
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Apple Roof Cleaning said:
Ok, here you go Mike.

"Mr Customer, algae is only VISIBLE on the North Side of your roof, but that does not mean it isn't starting to grow everywhere else"

Algae starts out life almost clear, goes to light green, to dark green, then to black.

I will clean only the north side, but it would be in your best interest for me to treat ALL your roof.

Since it takes more chemical to clean AND treat as opposed to treating only, I will take that into consideration in my estimate"

It is easy to treat a roof, all you do is spray the a few rows of shingles under the peaks, and let it dry.
The rain will activate it, and wash the treatment down the roof.

Use Borax Mike, 1/4 to 1/2 cup per gallon of total mix, no more.

!/4 cup IF also using TSP, or 1/2 cup w/o TSP.

It is never good to sell just a partial cleaning job, w/o at least treating the other side.

All the neighbors will remember is YOU just cleaned the roof months ago when the other side gets dirty!
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Good stuff Chris, thanks.

I looked up Borax. Chemical name is -- Sodium Borate

Next time I place an order for chemical from www.univarusa.com I'll include 50 lbs of sodium borate.
 
taselton2 said:
If I could get 20ct/sq consistantly in this softwash saturated town of mine, I would be thrilled! We passed along a roof the other day (rush job) that the woman had sprayed herself with the above mentioned product. 6 months after spraying it she didn't forget and was pretty upset and ready to have it cleaned properly.
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I am the cheaper guy in town actually! One roof cleaning company that used to have yard signs all over town reads this.

UGLY ROOF STAINS REMOVED

They charge around 75 cents/sq.ft. !!

I have seen these guys work, they use sodium hydroxide & potassium hydroxide, climb the roof no matter how steep, and pressure wash with 5hp 2.5gpm 2500psi washers! No bleach!

I'm sure you've heard of them. www.americanroofcare.com Chris knows them.
 
Mike Sullivan said:
I am the cheaper guy in town actually! One roof cleaning company that used to have yard signs all over town reads this.

UGLY ROOF STAINS REMOVED

They charge around 75 cents/sq.ft. !!

I have seen these guys work, they use sodium hydroxide & potassium hydroxide, climb the roof no matter how steep, and pressure wash with 5hp 2.5gpm 2500psi washers! No bleach!

I'm sure you've heard of them. www.americanroofcare.com Chris knows them.
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I have seen thier site before, but we don't have any around here. People in my town are ok with bleach, it's pressure they are worried about. Chlorine cowboys have made some weary, but softwashing has taken over.
 
Mike Sullivan said:
Good stuff Chris, thanks.

I looked up Borax. Chemical name is -- Sodium Borate

Next time I place an order for chemical from www.univarusa.com I'll include 50 lbs of sodium borate.
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A wise decision!
Your roofs will stay clean longer, and you will be giving your customers an added cleaning agent as well.
 
Apple Roof Cleaning said:
taselton2 said:
If I could get 20ct/sq consistantly in this softwash saturated town of mine, I would be thrilled! We passed along a roof the other day (rush job) that the woman had sprayed herself with the above mentioned product. 6 months after spraying it she didn't forget and was pretty upset and ready to have it cleaned properly.[/QUOTE
We get that for Tile, sometimes more.

Shingles at 15 cents sq ft
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15ct is about right for shingles, but we provide a total cleaning service so to get roof, house, & drive we will bring the roof down some. We don't have tile roofs in numbers like you do down there, but I do them on ocasion and 20ct is about right. We do asbestos tiles on older homes from time to time also.
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taselton2 said:
Apple Roof Cleaning said:
15ct is about right for shingles, but we provide a total cleaning service so to get roof, house, & drive we will bring the roof down some. We don't have tile roofs in numbers like you do down there, but I do them on ocasion and 20ct is about right. We do asbestos tiles on older homes from time to time also.
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Asbesto's ?
Never had much luck cleanin them, do you use light pressure ?
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taselton2 said:
Apple Roof Cleaning said:
No pressure, same methods just a little tighter mix. Chris, becareful what you say about "name brand" roof cleaning solutions or franchised roof cleaning co's. There is a snake in this here grass.
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Yeah, you are right Tim.
These companys do not really effect me.
There have always been those doing it themselves with pump up sprayers and pure chlorine!

There will always be a DIY market, no matter what, just like the customers you quote 300 dollars to clean their homes, and they go and buy a Home Depot Pressure Washer.

It's all good, you give a quote for professional cleaning, and move on if they do it themselves.
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RPM Residential said:
I've been the welding business For 15 years, and I'm looking for something new. I appreciate all of the information that everyone has posted, it has been extremely helpful. I do need a few more questions answered, if ya'll will indulge me. Are you wiring your pumps into your truck or using an alternative power source??? what ratio are you mixing sodium hydrochlorite and TSP to water??? Are you rinsing using a larger pump and clean water supply or using customers water??? Thanks for the help, Chris
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James How the Roof Cleaning going?
 
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