extra thick lichen.anything special to do??

Doodaa

New member
I have to do a roof the homeowner's insurance is going to cancell if not removed from roof.I looked at it and it's pretty well established for maybe 10-15 sq' in 3 locations, didn't think to take pics but always do before work and after,my question is a 50-50 sh mix with roof snot sufficient?I figure we will have to use more mix on bad areas.Also the insurance told her removal but that will damage shingle,are the before and after pics of the lichen being dead sufficient or should I try and knock off the thickest of it?
 
Unless you have some heavy rain in the near forecast you might need to actually remove that stuff to get paid. If its safe to stand on it, a soft-bristle brush can help with minimum granual loss in some cases.
 
The only way to avoid damage on heavy lichen will be to spray it heavy and leave it. Come back a few days later and spray it again. After a heavy rain, inspect and respray. Even light lichen is no picnic. That heavy stuff is a real bitch. Charge accordingly.
 
Ok, here's the thing with these jobs,..first don't look at it as though it's your RESPONSIBILITY to clean it,...I use to almost feel that way and do as much as I could to appease the customer,..not anymore. I tell the customer in a respectful manner that this doesn't happen overnight,..and it can't be removed overnight. Scott is correct,..spraying lichen and letting it go away on it's own is the only way to do it without causing damage,..physically removing it will remove patches of roof granules. If the customer wants results NOW,..either walk away,..which is what I would do,...or make them sign something that states they were informed and you're not responsible for patches of missing granules. If they don't agree,.then walk away,...these jobs are the customers' fault due to neglect.

*I know there are contractors here and on other boards that physically remove lichen because they couldn't imagine leaving the customer with a roof full of dead lichen,..well,..to me that's ethically worse than making the customer wait for the results,..that will be MUCH better given time. I'm also fairly certain these jobs are sold by some who tell the customer,.."You're gonna have alot of granule loss, but there's nothing we can do about it",...just so they can get the job by promising instant results,...and to be fair,...some may just not know any better.

**Also, I've dealt with this a few times regarding insurance companies,..talk to them and tell them the procedure,..and they will be happy a professional is doing the work in a manner that keeps the roof surface intact as can be for the situation at hand.

***As far as getting paid,..the customer is informed of the procedure,..and your part is DONE after the treatment and that is when payment is expected. An expectation of time for it to go away can be anywhere from 1-3 months,...but it will begin to look better as soon as it dries up from the spraying,..the lichen begins to shrink and will just flake away.

Jeff
 
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After talking to chemists who make bleach , chemical suppliers, and ARMA who recommends rinsing . More damage is done by leaving the salts behind drying out the granules . This is why I rinse . All lichen produce bald spots.

Have you every walked on a roof that been bleached a few times ? It's very dangerous because the granules are all loose .
 
Jim,..how many roofs have these chemists done? Through experience I have to disagree,..I've done roofs that were plastered with lichen,..after about 3 months the results show very minimal granule loss compared what to physically removing it would do.. The salts don't stay on a roof,..they are washed away and diluted with coming rainfall. But as stated,..I don't need a chemists inexperienced opinion,..I have experience on my side.

*Also,..where lichen is concerned it isn't rinsing,..it's removing. If you wanna rinse the salts away,..come back and rinse it away,..but leave the lichen there to fall away on its own.

**All roofs,.even brand new have loose granules,..sometime you're on a job where they replaced the gutters and roof at the same time,..go up and look inside the gutter.

Jeff
 
Ok, here's the thing with these jobs,..first don't look at it as though it's your RESPONSIBILITY to clean it,...I use to almost feel that way and do as much as I could to appease the customer,..not anymore. I tell the customer in a respectful manner that this doesn't happen overnight,..and it can't be removed overnight. Scott is correct,..spraying lichen and letting it go away on it's own is the only way to do it without causing damage,..physically removing it will remove patches of roof granules. If the customer wants results NOW,..either walk away,..which is what I would do,...or make them sign something that states they were informed and you're not responsible for patches of missing granules. If they don't agree,.then walk away,...these jobs are the customers' fault due to neglect.

*I know there are contractors here and on other boards that physically remove lichen because they couldn't imagine leaving the customer with a roof full of dead lichen,..well,..to me that's ethically worse than making the customer wait for the results,..that will be MUCH better given time. I'm also fairly certain these jobs are sold by some who tell the customer,.."You're gonna have alot of granule loss, but there's nothing we can do about it",...just so they can get the job by promising instant results,...and to be fair,...some may just not know any better.

**Also, I've dealt with this a few times regarding insurance companies,..talk to them and tell them the procedure,..and they will be happy a professional is doing the work in a manner that keeps the roof surface intact as can be for the situation at hand.

***As far as getting paid,..the customer is informed of the procedure,..and your part is DONE after the treatment and that is when payment is expected. An expectation of time for it to go away can be anywhere from 1-3 months,...but it will begin to look better as soon as it dries up from the spraying,..the lichen begins to shrink and will just flake away.

Jeff

Good post Jeff as always!
 
After talking to chemists who make bleach , chemical suppliers, and ARMA who recommends rinsing . More damage is done by leaving the salts behind drying out the granules . This is why I rinse . All lichen produce bald spots.

Have you every walked on a roof that been bleached a few times ? It's very dangerous because the granules are all loose .

Poppycock
 
Jeff nailed it….again. When we treat roofs with lichen the only thing I guarantee is that it can be a painfully slow process. Forcibly removing lichen will almost guarantee scarring. The lighter the shingle, the more obvious the damage. And even without rinsing or agitation, scarring is probable. A clean roof is merely a by-product of treating the infection.
 
Been cleaning roofs for 20 years now and know the chemistry and roofing materials just like wood restoration, Stone restoration and cleaning in general .
Because I took steps in a logical manor and did research . I concluded leaving bleach which turns to a salt not a good practice so I rinse and finish the job . No spray and pray ? It's easy marketing and a common sense approach explaining the difference .
 
I'm pretty sure Jim is referring to a low pressure rinse....wheres the harm in that?

If it was just rinsing it would be fine,..But lichen is not "RINSED" away,..it is REMOVED away,Ha,Ha,..,...The problem is,..it doesn't matter what means you use to physically remove lichen from a shingled roof,...you're gonna pull up patches of granules,..you can't do it with your fingers and not remove a patch.,.Physically removing it leaves unrepairable damage,..which is there for whats left of the life of the roof. Where as,..allowing it to flake away naturally over a period of time,..even if it's 6 months,..is a better alternative and more responsible to the customer. Granules are on the roof to protect the asphalt,..once the asphalt is exposed the Sun will dry it up and it will crack.

As Ed stated, with lichen,..bald spots are probable no matter what,..but there's a big difference in the percentages of exposed asphalt when you compare the two methods.

I certainly HATE these jobs,..but they are what they are,...and I explain them to the customer and explain the issue,..they can take it or leave it. When they are educated on what protects the roof,..they agree that the best thing to do is allow it to simply flake away.

Lichen, especially in a big thick patch,...will leave a huge amount of exposed asphalt if ripped from the granules,..to me that looks worse than the lichen itself.

Jeff
 
Been cleaning roofs for 20 years now and know the chemistry and roofing materials just like wood restoration, Stone restoration and cleaning in general .
Because I took steps in a logical manor and did research . I concluded leaving bleach which turns to a salt not a good practice so I rinse and finish the job . No spray and pray ? It's easy marketing and a common sense approach explaining the difference .

Jim,..Why doesn't the salt rinse away with rainfall,..or even by the contractor if he wishes? I've salted my ice covered asphalt driveway and when it dries it leaves a big white haze,..but it easily rinses away with Spring rain.

Also,..it's not "Spray and Pray",...when lichen is dead,..it simply flakes away and goes the way any dead organic growth does. It simply decomposes.

I've done these numerous times,..and as Ed stated,..it's PAINFULLY slow for the customer and for me,..Ha,Ha,...but hey we don't live in a perfect World.


Jeff
 
I remember one job in particular that took this to a whole different level,..One side of the customers' roof was absolutely plastered with lichen ,..I even told them,."This is as bad as it gets,..and I didn't have a real good feeling about getting good results",...Told them it was a gamble on their part. I did it in the Fall,..and although it took ALL Winter for it to go away,..it left the roof amazingly intact. That was about 5 years ago and the roof is still there,..never been replaced as they had "figured" it would need be when they bought the house.

If the lichen would have been physically removed there isn't any doubt the roof would have been ruined. A little patch here and there is one thing,...but when it's thick and very well established,...Physically removing it is gonna leave a severely damaged roof.

* Believe me,..I wish there was a way to get instant results without sacrificing the customers' property.

Jeff
 
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