# Roof Cleaning How To



## PressurePros

*Roof Cleaning Is A Growing Segment*

For anyone that pursues pressure washing actively, the hottest growth market is roof cleaning. I've read a bunch of misnomers and have seen some companies that really don't know what their doing try to tackle this task. There are a bunch of methods and of course a friendly war on what method is best. This prompted me to write an article of the A to Z's on how to perform roof cleaning properly. Hope you enjoy!

How To Clean A Roof


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## aaron61

Thanks for the article. We do quite a bit! 
I have spent allot of time researching and following the roof cleaning forums. A good pump,system & ground man can be your best friends!


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## RCP

Good article/blog! I never knew that you just left the bleach on and did not wash! I like the way you listed all the stuff needed for a diy'r!:thumbsup:


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## Workaholic

Nice post Ken. :thumbup:


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## PressurePros

aaron61 said:


> Thanks for the article. We do quite a bit!
> I have spent allot of time researching and following the roof cleaning forums. A good pump,system & ground man can be your best friends!


You are right about that Aaron. How is the roof cleaning market down there? I know its competitive.


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## PressurePros

RCP said:


> Good article/blog! I never knew that you just left the bleach on and did not wash! I like the way you listed all the stuff needed for a diy'r!:thumbsup:


Chris, I don't mind telling people how its done. Some may think I am giving away the farm and hurting myself in the long run but reality lies in that the process is not one of the best DIY projects to pursue. There is a ton of risk and no liability insurance to back the homeowner for his/her own mistakes.


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## NEPS.US

Nice article. Roof cleaning intimidates me for all of it's liabilities. It sounds like a great market to explore. How are the margins? I have never seen a company cleaning roofs in this area.


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## RCP

PressurePros said:


> Chris, I don't mind telling people how its done. Some may think I am giving away the farm and hurting myself in the long run but reality lies in that the process is not one of the best DIY projects to pursue. There is a ton of risk and no liability insurance to back the homeowner for his/her own mistakes.


Agree, as a homeowner, I read that and say "no way am i doing that myself, or letting hubby do it". I think it is brilliant you to clarify that for the HO.


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## NEPS.US

RCP said:


> Agree, as a homeowner, I read that and say "no way am i doing that myself, or letting hubby do it". I think it is brilliant you to clarify that for the HO.


 
I would guess that 90% of HO's have no idea that their roofs can be washed. Most probably think it is the wear of their shingles and probably figure they are one year closer to a replacement.


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## PressurePros

It has really taken off the last year or so around here. There are a ton of roof cleaning companies around me that offer it. There are some nice multi-unit jobs that include the house and roof. I've always treated as an upsell I hated but now that I am properly equipped, I chase them pretty hard.


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## plainpainter

I've done 3 roof cleanings this year, so far the most I have done in a year. I suspect as roof shingles continue in expense - roof cleaning will become a more attractive option. The hard part is making the public more aware of this service.


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## NEPS.US

plainpainter said:


> I've done 3 roof cleanings this year, so far the most I have done in a year. I suspect as roof shingles continue in expense - roof cleaning will become a more attractive option. The hard part is making the public more aware of this service.


We should talk about some cross marketing for the spring Dan.


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## Dave Mac

I have seen three companys in the subdivision around the corner from mine, it seems to be picking up around here, I will be exploring it more. I actuallly gave 1 bid to do one this year but did not get it (might of been a good thing) lo


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## aaron61

Down here HOA's have there regulations on keeping their neighborhoods clean.They will issue a letter telling the HO it's time to clean your roof or driveway or paint your house. 
So usually when I get a call from someone in this situation it starts the ball rolling for a few more.
Ken, it's like the painting.Very competetive! Every transient with a truck is a painter.
Many people hire the handy man who destroys their palms.Then they tell all their friends not to have it done because the process kills you landscaping.
I had 1 incident this year. Burnt some leaves on a ladys bushes but I forwarned her that this might happen.


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## aaron61

hope you don't mind me showing an older roof wash video


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## PressurePros

Cool video, Aaron. It shows the importance of a grounds guy when performing a roof cleaning.

What size surface cleaner and how does it perform with the 4 gpm?


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## aaron61

It seems to do well although I have nothing to compare it to. Would you recommend a different set up for residential? I don't know everything about pressure washing but I know gpm seems to be king.


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## PressurePros

Aaaron, the general rule of thumb is 1 gpm for every 4" of surface cleaner. (24" SC would be best run with 6 gpm etc) Up to that size you will find you can move quickly.

I've run this one on our ten and you can practically run behind it.


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## Pressure Cleaning

aaron61 said:


> It seems to do well although I have nothing to compare it to. Would you recommend a different set up for residential? I don't know everything about pressure washing but I know gpm seems to be king.


A 4gpm pressure washer is probably the most you'll need for residential service unless your company cleans a lot of driveways and patios. I have had problems with water flow on 4gpm washers.


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## Dave Mac

Pressure Cleaning said:


> A 4gpm pressure washer is probably the most you'll need for residential service unless your company cleans a lot of driveways and patios. *I have had problems with water flow on 4gpm washers.*




isn't that whear a water tank comes in handy??


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## PressurePros

The more flow you have, the faster you will clean. That is everything from houses to decks to concrete. We have zero problems running 10 gpm machine on a residential with a 110 gallon reserve tank. You can run into issues with well water or if your municipal supply is 5 gpm or less. Running a portable machine directly off a water supply is where you will get into trouble. Its best to have a buffer tank for a whole bunch of reasons.


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## Dave Mac

Ken is 110 reserve tank what you like best for residential house washing??


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## PressurePros

Dave Mac said:


> Ken is 110 reserve tank what you like best for residential house washing??


Depends on what size machine and and in an individual's case, what his service area municipal supply is like. In my area, ten gallons of reserve for every 1 gpm of machnie flow is adequate. In an area with wells, low muni supply, commercial jobs where you don't have access to water, etc you can need triple that.


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## Pressure Cleaning

Maximum profit is the goal and faster equipment doesn’t always equate to a more efficient business model. Now to be contradicting there are scenarios in which a previous mention business model can be more effective but most residential pw aren’t to the point in which this would be the case.


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## aaron61

Just picked up a new Roof Washing System.5 gpm Delevan,200'5/8s hose,ball valve for gun....sweet!
I'll get some good video.


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## Pressure Cleaning

This is a good time of year to buy with all the sales going on. I'm thinking of buying a new 4gpm unit with a total set to place in another vehicle.


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## aaron61

Got the new 5GPM going Today. Didn't have a tank yet so I ran it out of a 55GL. drum.Worked Fantastic. Met with customer,hooked up,mixed up sauce,got ground man runnin & another guy pressure washing the house,driveway,pool deck.
Roof was done in 1 hour. By the way,don't forget it's December 6th!


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## RCP

Looks good, ya, I can tell it was winter, he has a sweatshirt on!


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## Pressure Cleaning

You should post pics of your new washer, what's the temps these day's in Florida.


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## K&JPainting

Definately nice knowlege to have. I myself have cleaned a few roofs for homeowners and I used a pressure pot with jo max bleach water mix and left it to sit for hrs and come back and rinsed with a garden hose . They turned out really nice and the homeowners were happy. I always get estimates for roof cleaning because I was never scared to do it where most people dont think you can clean asphalt shingles.


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## Pressure Cleaning

*Pressure Washing*



Pressure Cleaning said:


> This is a good time of year to buy with all the sales going on. I'm thinking of buying a new 4gpm unit with a total set to place in another vehicle.


 Purchased a brand new 4gpm washer the other day.:thumbup:


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## Wood511

What did you get? I had my eye on one of the DeWalt 4gpm models. I don't do that much work with it, so I don't need to blow a fortune on a unit - but I want enough flow to get through the job.


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## 6126

Good job. Really nice article. Great info. Thanks for posting.


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## Pressure Cleaning

Wood511 said:


> What did you get? I had my eye on one of the DeWalt 4gpm models. I don't do that much work with it, so I don't need to blow a fortune on a unit - but I want enough flow to get through the job.


 I was at Lowes for some other items and they had a sale on brand new 3800 psi 4.0 GPM pressure washers in the box for only $749. The funny thing was they didn't have the tools I needed to fix my phone.


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## Wood511

Pressure Cleaning said:


> I was at Lowes for some other items and they had a sale on brand new 3800 psi 4.0 GPM pressure washers in the box for only $749. The funny thing was they didn't have the tools I needed to fix my phone.


Was that the John Deere model? That's a great price but I'm a bit scared of all the reviews that say the pump takes a dump pretty quickly.


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## Pressure Cleaning

*Pressure Washer*



Wood511 said:


> Was that the John Deere model? That's a great price but I'm a bit scared of all the reviews that say the pump takes a dump pretty quickly.


 I have a troy bilt I purchased from lowes three years ago (Still Going) and for the price.....


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## Pressure Cleaning

*Pressure Washer*

Yes its the JD.
and only ten reviews for how many units they sell.


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## Wood511

I hear ya. I'm gonna make the plunge soon. Good luck with the JD model and keep us posted.


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## rehoboth

Great video,
What type of footwear is the guy in the video wearing?


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## Pressure Cleaning

*Pressure Washing*



Wood511 said:


> I hear ya. I'm gonna make the plunge soon. Good luck with the JD model and keep us posted.


 I check the reviews on the Dewalt and its not much better (3800 psi). However the 4200 psi looks to be the best of the Dewalts.


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## Brett MCP

Thanks for posting the vid and this article. I have had a few people in the past few years ask me about this, and I had no idea what they were talking about. Must have been transplants from other areas maybe. I personally haven't seen any done in my area - going to google search now to see if there are. The roofs look great I must say, almost brand new after the wash.


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## Wood511

Pressure Cleaning said:


> I check the reviews on the Dewalt and its not much better (3800 psi). However the 4200 psi looks to be the best of the Dewalts.


I gotta look a bit more. If I'm going to go ahead and pay around $1200, I might as well get a solid performer. It seems like the pumps are the real issues with most. If I'm going to get a belt/gear drive model, I can't expect to pay less than 1K anyway.


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## Pressure Cleaning

Wood511 said:


> I gotta look a bit more. If I'm going to go ahead and pay around $1200, I might as well get a solid performer. It seems like the pumps are the real issues with most. If I'm going to get a belt/gear drive model, I can't expect to pay less than 1K anyway.


 Get the most for your $1. You may pay a little more but a cat pump is may be the way to go. Your right its the AR pump according to others that's failing.

I'm going to ask if they will knock $50 off floor model and put it in storage.


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## Roof Cleaning

Great post and nice article Ken.

We use a 14gpm pump for our roof cleaning services.
We also have a 5.5 pressure pro belt driven skid and a 4 gpm direct drive pressure washer.

I took the 4 gpm unit off and only use it when I need it (mainly for gutter cleaning).


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## Slopmeyer

So I dont get it. If the soft wash product is so good as everybody claims why do you need a PW with orbital attachment for the sidewalk?? Does soft wash not work on concrete???


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## vermontpainter

I miss Torahl there, the skilled dude.


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## Roof Cleaning

941owassard said:


> So I dont get it. If the soft wash product is so good as everybody claims why do you need a PW with orbital attachment for the sidewalk?? Does soft wash not work on concrete???


IMO of course..

You can clean up concrete with a strong soft wash solution, but you can't remove the dirt and grime. So you need a pressure washer for that service.

Also gutters and pool screen rooms sometimes require a pressure washer to remove leaves and debris that gets lodged in the screens. You can hand scoop it but if you have jobs stacked that day you will want a pw.


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## PressurePros

941owassard said:


> So I dont get it. If the soft wash product is so good as everybody claims why do you need a PW with orbital attachment for the sidewalk?? Does soft wash not work on concrete???


The term softwash is not so much a product as a marketing buzzword. Its a method for applying chems and using low pressure to wash. Low pressure is a relative term. You still need 500-1000 psi to wash most surfaces to really remove the grime. The chems loosen the dirt and kill the mold so you don't have to blast with 3500-4000 psi. Even on a vinyl house there are nests, cobwebs and dirt that need some pressure to coax them off.


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## 4ThGeneration

I became friends with Michael K of First Choice Power Washing over in Lexington Kentucky. He had the coolest set up that was the most simple of all for washing vinyl houses and such. He had this video on the use of 



 to clean homes on youtube. 

I use a 0 degree 40 orifice tip on my gun and it works out fine. Get the heights without the high pressure.

I have a small detail brush that I use on my extension pole to remove the cob webs and stuff ahead of the wash if need be in order to not cause trouble down the road.

At this current status I am washing anywhere from 7-15 homes a week depending...


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## PressurePros

Pressure Cleaning said:


> Maximum profit is the goal and faster equipment doesn’t always equate to a more efficient business model. Now to be contradicting there are scenarios in which a previous mention business model can be more effective but most residential pw aren’t to the point in which this would be the case.


Thanks for your wisdom. I see you are out of business (again). You selling that brand new 4 gpm machine?


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## saul

*Thanks*



PressurePros said:


> *Roof Cleaning Is A Growing Segment*
> 
> For anyone that pursues pressure washing actively, the hottest growth market is roof cleaning. I've read a bunch of misnomers and have seen some companies that really don't know what their doing try to tackle this task. There are a bunch of methods and of course a friendly war on what method is best. This prompted me to write an article of the A to Z's on how to perform roof cleaning properly. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> How To Clean A Roof


Good information thanks


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