"Hillbilly" Roof Treatment That Works!

Apple Roof Cleaning

Roof Cleaning Instructor
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One day, several years ago, we got a call from an elderly lady.
Her grand son was in the auto detail business.
She told me only part of her roof needed cleaning, because her grandson had "went up there" several years ago and "treated" part of it.

To my surprise, the area of roof under a tree, and facing north SHOULD have been dirty, but was not!

Of course, I cleaned the whole roof, but I asked her for her grandsons number.

He used a generic Armor All type stuff to put on the roof.

Curious, I found where to get this cheap Armor All Knock off, and had a "Hillbilly Moment"

WHY not mix some copper sulfate IN with the Armor All type stuff, and so I did!

Guess what, IT WORKS!

Before we stumbled upon what we are NOW using, we have mildew proof all kinds of stuff with our :Hillbilly Mixture:

The roof MUST be completely rinsed, preferably by rain or the Chlorine residue will fight the treatment.

Here is the "theory" to support this "discovery".

The armor all type stuff
"protects" the copper sulfate from being completely rinsed away by the rain.

Therefore, what we have indeed created is a time released Hillbilly Copper Sulfate Delivery System!

We NOW use a system that is Proprietary to our company that is mixed right in with our cleaning chemical.

But I assure everyone that this crude, "hillbilly concoction" works.

The PROBLEM with most treatments is that they are soon rinsed away, leaving a roof unprotected.

The "trick" is to offer a "sacrificial lamb" to keep the copper sulfate from being rinsed away!

What we are looking for in this "sacrificial lamb" is SOMETHIG that will last for a while, yet degrade over time, in effect releasing the copper sulfate, or another biocide in a "time release" fashion.

So, while I will not tell WHAT Apple Roof Cleaning uses, I have just given the "secret" to keeping surfaces free of mildew.

Mildew proofing is another service one can offer, and this works, and works well.

Since we went to what we are now using, we stopped "development" on our "discovery"

So Guys, use your heads, and see what is cheap we can come up with to "time release" the copper sulfate ?

There are other biocides besides Copper Sulfate, but it is cheap and very effective.
So is Zinc Sulfate, and there are many others.

Enjoy!

Chris
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Apple Roof Cleaning
Brandon Florida
813 655 8777
http://www.saferoofcleaning.com
 
Very interesting Chris!! My first thought---I only restore log homes but am learned in other aspects of restoring wood---is that you'd apply a a clear sealer to the roof. The best stain/seal applications for cedar roofs contain high doses of copper, and they are highly effective. And what we describe as "wearing off" you'd spin as "time release"!! Brilliant!! IMO, without considering this much or researching/testing, I'd think the best type of product to use on a shingle roof would be a Thompson WaterSeal product....something with wax. It would wear off nicely. I'll be interested to see where this thread goes, though I'm not a roofie.
 
BTW Copper and bleach are 2 no-no's together. copper and chlorine will turn black when mixed together. Plus I do not know or want to find out what would happen on a roof if a roof wasn't rinsed completely and someone sprayed copper onto it.
 
You can make your own copper sulfate solutions, but why would you?

Why would you ?
Because Copper Sulfate is very effective in killing and preventing Mold and Mildew.
 
BTW Copper and bleach are 2 no-no's together. copper and chlorine will turn black when mixed together. Plus I do not know or want to find out what would happen on a roof if a roof wasn't rinsed completely and someone sprayed copper onto it.
We found this out cleanin a roof with copper gutters!

That is why I said in my original post a roof MUST be rinsed before any copper sulfate treatment is applied to it.

Look at the MSDS for some spray on, let the rain rinse it roof cleaning products ?
Copper Sulfate is the ingrediant.

Back in Seattle, us roofers used to spray mossy roofs with copper sulfate.'
The Moss dies, and the rain and a bit of pressure cleans em right up.

I am fairly confident, though I haven't actually tried it, that one could simply kill the algae on a roof with copper sulfate spray, and the rain wouild eventually clean it, as the dead plant would lose it's grip.

The PROBLEM is that consumers, at least here in Tampa area want instant results.

But make no mistake, copper sulfate is deadly as a killer, and preventer of Mildew and Algae.

Simply spraying a roof with it is not good enough for long term protection.
The rain will simply rinse it away.

What we need is a time release delivery vehicle, like the generic armor all, or a sealer as the other poster suggested.
 
Very interesting Chris!! My first thought---I only restore log homes but am learned in other aspects of restoring wood---is that you'd apply a a clear sealer to the roof. The best stain/seal applications for cedar roofs contain high doses of copper, and they are highly effective. And what we describe as "wearing off" you'd spin as "time release"!! Brilliant!! IMO, without considering this much or researching/testing, I'd think the best type of product to use on a shingle roof would be a Thompson WaterSeal product....something with wax. It would wear off nicely. I'll be interested to see where this thread goes, though I'm not a roofie.
Thanks Jon, it looks like this thread is gonna take off, as I hoped it would.

Having a product that actually WORKS to inhibit mildew and mold on a roof is a good thing ?

One could even off the "treatment" for pool decks, sidewalks and dways too, as well as the whole house!

The slower something wears off and releases coper sulfate as it wears, the better.

Lets all put our heads together and come up with something we can easily and cheaply make, that will be effective.

Is water seal cheap, or wax, etc ?
 
makes you wonder what will come up next ,dont it ????
Hey Russ, Ya gotta admit I have given much though to this roof cleaning stuff, huh ?

I see you have too, and thats why you posted earlier about a roof treatment you found.

The problem with these liquid roof treatments is that they are soon washed, or blown off, or the Sun breaks their chemicals down at the molecular level, reducing the effectivness.

We used to use Anti Fouling paint on boat hulls here in Florida.

It is designed to break down in seawater, and release lead to keep the ships hull clean.

Problem is the Lead made the Fish crazy:eek:
 
yes i put a lot of time into research so that i will be on top of my game when a educated customer throws something my way ,thats the main reason i post the alternatives to our way so that we can make shure that everyone knows whats out there
I have been looking for a "better way" for almost 14 years too Russ.
Unfortunately, the shingle manufacturers only recommend what we are all currently doing.
I THINK Hydrogen Peroxide will clean roofs too, and may be somewhat more plant friendly.
However, it is NOT recommended, so we will not use it.

Plants are really not a problem with an experienced ground man, but some are working alone.

It is good to be "always looking" to stay on top of our field.

This shows professionalism!

You are a true pro, for a Hillbilly, LOL

Please pass the Kuntry Ham ?

And save me sum gravey
 
Thanks Jon, it looks like this thread is gonna take off, as I hoped it would.

Having a product that actually WORKS to inhibit mildew and mold on a roof is a good thing ?

One could even off the "treatment" for pool decks, sidewalks and dways too, as well as the whole house!

The slower something wears off and releases coper sulfate as it wears, the better.

Lets all put our heads together and come up with something we can easily and cheaply make, that will be effective.

Is water seal cheap, or wax, etc ?


....I don't think it would meet your definition of "cheap", for how much it would take to cover a roof. Check at HD or Lowe's at Thompson's WaterSeal of Olmypic WaterSeal, around $50 for a 5'er a believe. But these "water seals" can be used to seal concrete, wood, and probably asphalt shingles as well. How long would something need to "last" for your consumers for this to be something viable to sell at a decent cost?? I have no clue, I don't know if you guys clean a customers roof once a year, two years, etc. How much longer do you need to stretch that out.......and would it effect negatively on the repetitive nature of your business, and cause you to have to grow (in diameter/larger coverage) if you have less repeats, and how would that effect the dynamics of your business?? I've found product improvements are double-edged swords:)
 
Shingles can turn white just like decks if they are the slightest bit wet when sealed, watch out for it! A fellow here charged 2500 for a seal job and .... its white.
Great concept...granules stay put and less chance for mold.
 
....I don't think it would meet your definition of "cheap", for how much it would take to cover a roof. Check at HD or Lowe's at Thompson's WaterSeal of Olmypic WaterSeal, around $50 for a 5'er a believe. But these "water seals" can be used to seal concrete, wood, and probably asphalt shingles as well. How long would something need to "last" for your consumers for this to be something viable to sell at a decent cost?? I have no clue, I don't know if you guys clean a customers roof once a year, two years, etc. How much longer do you need to stretch that out.......and would it effect negatively on the repetitive nature of your business, and cause you to have to grow (in diameter/larger coverage) if you have less repeats, and how would that effect the dynamics of your business?? I've found product improvements are double-edged swords:)

The QUESTION is, will a customer pay more for a longer lasting job ?
Since we use a biocide for our customers, and we are slightly more expensive then some of our competitors, I know they will.
 
i doubt they will in my market area but if it is sold correctly the profits would be there so i guess i am contradicting myself ,but i think that as a whole we better leave well enough alone and not kick the gift horse in the mouth
No, you offer a completely seperate service Russ called Mildewprooofing.
You might be suprised at the customers who will not use you to clean, all because it will "get dirty again" anyway.

And you up sell the customers you already have, and be the only one in your area offering it ?
 
Watching from the sidline

There is always going to be some that will find the value and some that won't.

I'll be follwing this thread. Thanks for the lessons you give.
 
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