SOFT washing CEDAR roofs "a pack mentality"

Diamond Jim

New member
As a wood restoration expert and specifically a cedar expert I find the recent you tube video By AZ Costal, remarks by AC, the soft wash community, The other remarks by people who have no clue what there talking about offensive to the wood restoration business. I've gone to roof washing sights and have read comments by people who know nothing about wood and claim its OK to wash cedar a few times with bleach( pack mentality) ?.The video and remarks by someone who thinks he knows what he's doing but is clueless in wood restoration and preservation doesn't make sense. Because you can clean some thing are you doing right ? Because it looks good is it correct ? I clean cedar , restore cedar and maintain cedar. I have 20 years of results !Industry guru !

Put a panel together with Anybody concerning soft washing wood with bleach and I'll be there.


Its simple Bleach is brutal for wood unless you use an oil after cleaning. I deal in facts and the fact is bleaching cedar is wrong unless your going to oil after cleaning .


I have become very passionate about this subject and will start blogs against the practice of soft washing cedar roofs and cedar siding with bleach .I have enough idiots to contend with in my territory and i see people in Cape Cod ,NJ, Maryland,NY,and RI practicing this process. ( pack mentality)

This will be a fun winter addressing this issue and educating the un educated in regards to wood .


The soft wash people who clean cedar with bleach are the" BLIND leading the BLIND" Or a great quote "Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it " - Loe Toistuy , A Confession !
 
I look forward to being educated Jim. I haven't washed any Cedar (yet), so having it explained and/or demonstrated the correct way will be a benefit to me (and others).
 
Jim I would like to see that video you talking about? I couldn't find it on You tube I find a lot of videos by Sullivan roof cleaning using a "Special formulated cleaner he designed" ?
 
Jim, anyone who would not consider you a "guru" at this point is an idiot. Your work and expertise are second to none. I am in Maryland tonight and I stated to a group "screw the soft washing crap the wood guys have been soft washing for over 20 years. As far as YouTube videos I have viewed many and sent comments to quite a few and I get some real "crap" back which is hilarious because there are potential customers looking at some of this misinformation and thinking "wow I got to hire these guys!"
 
Jim since you're so "passionate" about wood restoration why not enlighten us on the correct way to clean cedar rather than start a blogging campaign that throws most of the Eastern Seaboard under the bus. Ive read many of your posts through the years and respect you, but your original posts seems self serving. Let's NOT start a blogging campaign that could potentially take food out our families mouth. So I ask, with humility, what is right and what is wrong when it comes to cleaning cedar, and why?
 
Jim, if you do start a blog or two please post it here as I would love to follow it and learn the right methods. I do clean a few wood decks and fences but not much cedar. Of course, that goes for all you wood experts out there. Thanks!
 
If the whole world is doing it wrong this would set a great stage for Jim to become the Jesus Christ of Cedar Cleaning. Zach from Coastal is a friend of mine. He and his crew are hard working and try like hell to give a good product to their customers. They have families and mortgages. It's sounds like you'd have no problem taking that all away just so you can say you were right. It's wrong to call out people by name. Did you even try to reach out to any of these companies to offer wisdom? No, of course not.
 
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This makes me think of many videos showing guys pressure washing asphalt shingle roofs saying how they are not damaging roofs, they are blasting the granules off the shingles and might cause leaks when there are better methods out there for cleaning roofs.

Homeowners might believe them and believe that they are using "lower pressure" or "not much pressure" on the roofs but when you look on the ground or in the rain gutters you will see proof of the damage.

How do you get the message out to the customers when the contractors will not listen to how they are damaging roofs, so the customer does not get ripped off, have their property damaged and be left holding the bag when the contractor will not be found later when the truth is known and roof replacement is needed?

How do we do this so the contractor learns the right way, so the homeowner's property is protected and no damage is done when the contractor will not listen to safer ways to clean the property?

I would hate to see contractors losing money but I don't want to see guys keep on damaging property and promoting this on youtube as it is the right way or a safe way to clean property just to promote their business.

How do we do the right thing so everyone is happy?
 
How do we do this so everyone is happy? Well that's easy for you to say Chris, you weren't called out by name. Look guys, there is no vocation, Lincoln Tech, or cedar cleaning 101 at Rutgers. I searched How To Clean Cedar in Ct and I'm having trouble finding some of Diamond Jims videos. I looked for blogs and couldnt find any of Jims. Why is this? Has Jim failed to stay up on his media? There is anger in Jim's tone. I'm going to go way out on a limb to say Jim is getting crushed by his competition. Its killing him because he has a better technique and is not recognized for it. So I'm going to offer Jim some advice: Instead of blogging or videoing how everyone is wrong, try getting the word out how you are right and hold the correct cedar cleaning method. That will get you far more work than creating sour grape blogs against competitors. If you really care about your customers you will help them by helping us do it right because a smear campaign will probably do YOU more harm than it will GOOD for cedar owners. The motive of this thread was to smear, not to help. And FYI: It's faux pas to consider yourself a guru. If you're acting like this to your customers, it could be another reason why your sales are down.
Please, lay out the facts like you said. Create a compelling argument. I'll even help get you started:
Everyone knows bleach breaks down wood fibers. Jim says it's important to oil a cedar roof if you're going to use bleach. Jim didnt say don't use bleach, he's saying no oil after bleach is the villain. He has facts that will show how using bleach is ok as long as you apply oil after. OK Jim, take it from here.
 
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I Always turn down cedar roofs, and usually just recommend competition. If you have any information on the correct way to clean them I would be more then happy to hear you out. Will be following this thread!
 
I Always turn down cedar roofs, and usually just recommend competition. If you have any information on the correct way to clean them I would be more then happy to hear you out. Will be following this thread!
Right Brad. I hear you brother! Where is it etched in stone? Please first let me apologize to Mr Foley for my tone. I already regret my approach but I'll leave it as it is. I'm as passionate as anyone including Zach and many other guys who need this badly. I will be willing to work with you, maybe make a video. You supply content and I'll make you a video. If your a guru than you must lead. I'm hear to help. There are many guys, including myself who would love to be able to advertise safe roof cleaning.
 
What is more damaging to cedar roofs? Washing with bleach, or letting moss/ lichen/ mold grow wild? I've been told you can't walk a cedar roof. So with the cost of renting a lift to apply sealer, high cost of many gallons of sealer, hours of labor... How much would you have to charge for an average cedar roof restoration? $2000? $3000? $4000? Every... what? 5 years of so? I don't know what demographics you come across, but my typical customer will let their roof fall apart, or even spend thousands in premature replacement just out of principal before paying those kinds of prices. Is soft washing with bleach not an acceptable compromise? Wouldn't it add a few years to the life of the roof as compared to letting lichen grow wild?

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Cedar is a different animal. Lots of variables compared to asphalt shingle cleaning. I have done a few,..some were terrible with moss and lichen,.. and others were just a simple.

There's cleaning,..and then there's CLEANING

Percarbonate and washing soda mixture, rinse,.. neutralized with light oxalic, rinse. DONE! If they want something on them, they make arrangements or I refer someone.

The ones that people let go and get covered with moss and lichen all over the edges and between the cracks leave few options on completing the job without doing something that would be considered unacceptable by many:
(1) Treat with something that will kill it and it will fall off on its own,.then go back and clean it further.
(2)Treat it then remove it by pressure washer with minimal pressure utilizing high flow washer, neutralize,..access can be difficult, (Pitch, slippery,etc..)
(3) Don't use any cleaners that are harsh enough to destroy the moss and lichen for fear of damaging the cedar,.. and just use the pressure washer with more effort and pressure

First and foremost though these jobs have to be sold as they are,..no sugar coating,...$$$,or walk away,..some guys use what they feel will get the job done and they can collect a check,..I don't blame them,...customer should have had it done long before and then educated on proper maintenance to eliminate "abusing" the roof next time to clean it.

These moss covered shingles are where I think there aren't many options on doing it "properly" At some point,..it is what it is,..and customers don't usually want to wait months for the moss and lichen to disappear,..so what other choice is there?? Walk away,Ha,Ha,..

I love learning and using what I've learned, when applicable. So I'd like to hear others' methods for doing moss and lichen covered cedar in a gentle fashion, aside from treating and waiting,..which is what I prefer,..I'm a good salesman though, Ha,Ha and don't run into many cedar jobs,..maybe 4-5 a year.

It's not a perfect World!

Jeff
 
I agree with Josh on the money thing,.,.. done "properly" would never happen in my region,...so you explain the big money way and the economical way,..and the customer decides,..and usually they will go for economical,..if you can get the money great,..but to walk away because you refuse to do it the economical way wouldn't make sense,..because it will most likely never get done at all anyhow,..or if it does,..it's by the next guy who cleaned it and got a check.

Jeff
 
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I don't have a dog in this as I have never cleaned a cedar roof. Just did a quick search of Cedar Roof and Siding Manufactures and they say under cleaning to use a 5% mixture of Sodium Hypochlorite, water, soap and TSP. CertainTeed was one of them, can't remember the other.
 
Chances are a cedar roof will endure 1, maybe 2 cleanings in its life. How much percent of the roof is compromised when using sh? Compare that to any time length increased to the life of the roof when done "properly". If there is any measurable amount of life added to the roof the $ return wouldn't come until it reached near the end of its life. So you can potentially add years of life to the roof. Those are benefits that will come in 30, 40, maybe 50 years. You'd be better off taking the savings and investing long term.
 
Cedar can be cleaned properly with 12% but should always be OILED up after cleaning!
 
I have done cedar roofs both ways. No doubt in my mind that soft washing with SH is easier but cleaning with sodium percarb and medium pressure is better. Both can be done wrong and both and be done right. When we use SH we rinse with PM for Bleach or Bleach Wash to neutralize and stop the bleaching effect on the wood. I'd rather do them all this way cause so many cedar roofs are very challenging to access safely to pressure rinse. Wouldn't it be great if Bruce would chime in and offer his solution ;) He markets a soft wash without any SH. The best of both worlds.
 
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