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Look at them straight faced and say "absolutely", then do what Gary said. Sadly, many homeowners think they have the "inside scoop" on bleach. Kindly help them to appreciate they have been deceived by dingalings.

Wow   thanks  for  the reply,  what a website, learned alot just from site, printed it out will study and use the info  thanks so much  Steve  Do-WeDabber  low pressure roof cleanning   PS  my dad retired from the army 27 years

Where is the technical bulletin regarding use of Bleach?  Any help would be greatly appreciated as I just joined yesterday.

Thanks

Marc

william ghetti wrote:

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Where is the technical bulletin regarding use of Bleach?  Any help would be greatly appreciated as I just joined yesterday.

Thanks

Marc

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 Welcome to the roof cleaning institute Marc! 

Advantage Roof Cleaning wrote:

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You also have to remember manufacturers of chemicals and cleaning products are marketing and pushing their off-the-shelf roof cleaning solution. In order to sell their product they need to differentiate their product as "environmentally safe" and "bleach free" and such. They attempt to discredit the proven process that is endorsed by the major shingle manufactures that we use. So at times we need to reeducate the HO after misinformation from these chemical manufacturers.

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 You got that right! There are so many outright lies and deceptions in the roof cleaning world it is silly.

I re educate homeowners every day, and whenever I am faced with a shady competitor who claims his chemicals will not kill plants, I always ask "If it can't kill plants, how will it kill the one growing up on your roof"!

 

I now start my conversation with a prospective client, with the assumption, that a pressure washing contractor, or some "BIO" foam company has already, or will discourage them from allowing what they refer to as "Bleach" Or "Pool Chlorine" on their roof.
I tell them to expect that, because many pressure washing companies are still blasting roofs clean, with their 3000 to 4000 psi machines and don't own, or have the knowledge to clean roofs in the manner that many roofing manufacturers have devised--which calls for the use of "bleach" or "pool chlorine"
I explain the reason these manufacturers and their association ARMA, have come up with this non-pressure-chemical cleaning method, is because they do not want to pay to replace roofs, that are being destroyed with high pressure cleaning systems--including those that try to downgrade the pressure they use, by calling it a roof shampoo.
I have printed info and before and after photos in an album, that they look at, as I slowly walk around the house, looking the roof over for my bid price.
Works like a charm to stay ahead of the game, instead of bidding it and having a PW guy come by and say "Don't let anyone just spray bleach on your roof"
When that happens, my customer is already educated.

I research a lot before I jump into something, and these (part of the homes protection on top of the house) (another form of soap) people do have a very persuasive fear tactic based sales pitch, but we all know that is all that it is. I was on board with this company at face value until they called and talked to me and sent me a brochure for buying their franchise and their franchise included a 13 HP pressure washer and "gentle rinsing disc", and red flags started going up all over the place. Knowing already my 6 HP pressure washer had far too much PSI for cleaning a roof, I knew a 13 HP machine was going to give way too much pressure. I couldn't get them to tell me the exact pressure their 13 HP pressure washer was dialed back to (if it truly was dialed back). All the lady did do was to keep preaching how bad SH was. Knowing SH is caustic and the massive change in plant pH is one of the things that helps kill the plants, including dwell time, etc., I put the question to them how long their dwell time was on this "softer, safer, bio friendly" cleaner they sell with their franchise and they said you can spray the solution on and INSTANTLY start rinsing, no dwell time required. OK, more red flags...if SH is so much more harmful than their product and caustic and nuclear and we require the SH to sit on the roof for a thorough cleaning/sanitizing, and their softer crap did not require dwell time at all, BINGO, it's obviously ALL about the pressure washer/rinse disc. So I thought about it overnight and the following day asked some hard questions. I told them I was ready to purchase, but I didn't want to put my money out without seeing the product work first hand. I asked for about 1/2 a quart of their cleaning solution so I could clean a roof with their product and clean another section of roof with SH for a side by side comparison, and viola! All the sudden they replied that the two areas I was asking about (60 miles apart) had been purchased the night before and all the surrounding areas as well, in both locations. I told them I was going to be moving in a few months and I was still interested, but I couldn't get them to respond to my e-mails. I believe I even left a voice mail and it was not replied to either. Funny how you mention a side by side comparison with SH without their pressure washer and they clam up and won't talk to you anymore. I'm still laughing at them.

Someone said they dialed the 13 HP pressure washers down to 800 PSI...and had a gorrilla image standing on a pair of 1 inch sticks.  It wouldn't hurt to have a image of a 1" by 1" square to reference for exactly the size that 800 pounds is being applied to.

They say the Consumer Reports reporter said "Do not use bleach", but I found that report and the REST of that sentence was basically "Unless it is done by a trained professional, and then it is safe and effective."

They say Bleach is corrosive to metal...well, yes it is, but people put bleach in their washing machines every day for years without any corrosion problems in their washing machine, so by comparison, a single spraying of SH isn't going to melt their roof of cause a problem.

They say Bleach releases dangerous gases, well, doesn't bleach stored inside a home vent off gas continually, inside the house as it deteriorates? Don't people use bleach in a tiny laundry room for years on end with no problems, with NO VENTILATION? This is a good sales point too...Yes, bleach can release bad gases, and that's why you want someone who is certified and trained to clean with bleach (flash your training certs). If some "back yard Bubba" doing closet chemistry and doesn't know what he is doing, he can create poisonous gases, start a fire, or even an explosion. Only use trained professionals. Plus, the "Back Yard Bubba" probably won't have insurance if they burn your house down or cause an explosion." (OK, I probably wouldn't say quite all of that to a customer...:0)

They say Bleach is harmful to your roof...we already know how to debunk that lie and back it up with information from the ARMA.

They even say on their website NOT TO USE A PRESSURE WASHER, then turn around and rinse your roof with a 13 HP pressure washer themselves.

The base model was about $3,200 for the basics, a 13 HP direct drive pressure washer, rinsing disc and a few gallons of their "cleaning solution". The higher franchise was about $5,500 and they gave you a few hundred $ worth of advertisement paperwork (that you need to attach a business card to so it's "yours"), the 13 HP pressure washing is belt driven now, and you get some more cleaning solution too.

I wish the shingle manufacturers would speak up and put them out of business, but that company just gives them more business from damaged roofs. Not that I want to put people out of business, I just hate fear based sales tactics with a passion. Sadly, people fall for the scam and buy the franchise anyway, then commence to harming customers roofs because they don't know any better, or just don't care.

I think the worst scare tactic I ever saw was shortly after the Twin Towers were attacked on 9/11. A company was producing two models of parachutes saying more attacks were coming etc., feeding fear for sales. Worse than that, the lower end model was about $500 and they told you up front that if you jumped out of a building and used the parachute you'd most likely break both of your legs from the impact, and the other model was a little bigger and over $700, and there was less expected damage, but you still expected damage. Here America was pulling together as a team with patriotism and here is this jerk trying to capitalize by scaring people into giving him money for crap equipment.

-- Edited by Troy Layman on Monday 3rd of November 2014 10:10:32 PM