How much "SAUCE''

gr8white

gr8white

New member
... just wanted to know a ballpark figure on the amount of cleaner I'm going to need on a 2,500sqf roof, a best and worst case scenario would be great. I'm new at this so I'm gonna say 40-80 gal. Would that be a safe guess?

Roof is light grey shingle with moderate to heavy algae with lichen covering about 10%... sorry no pics. Thanks guys
 
Pictures are always best but Oh well.

haven't delt with lichen so I think Chris can answer this one.

Best Guess -min 40 max 60

Your in the ballpark in my opinion
 
Lichen are a beotch to remove w/o scrubbing or pressure.
We suggest adding 3 to 4 percent Sodium or Potassium Hydroxide to your mix.
Alcohol works too, but caustic cheaper.
Read

by Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge ... - 1851
In order to procure it the powder of the lichen is to be treated with alcohol ... They are insipid, and dissolve readily in alcohol and the caustic alkalis. ...books.google.com/books?id=jA8DAAAAYAAJ...
 
gr8white said:
... just wanted to know a ballpark figure on the amount of cleaner I'm going to need on a 2,500sqf roof, a best and worst case scenario would be great. I'm new at this so I'm gonna say 40-80 gal. Would that be a safe guess?

Roof is light grey shingle with moderate to heavy algae with lichen covering about 10%... sorry no pics. Thanks guys
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good luck buddy , looks as if you are a Freshman High school baseball pitcher fixing to play the Yankees for your first game ever .... No harm intended but that is a horrible one to pick for a first
 
Lichens, YUCK :(
I tell customers, "Mr Customer, the Lichens have ATTACHED to your roof like a wart on your foot"
IF I use pressure, or a brush to remove the Lichens, 1/2 your roof will go with them"
"So, here is my plan. I will chemically KILL them, and TRY as remove as much as I DARE w/o compromising the integrity of your roof. They are dead once I spray them, and experience has shown they will eventually fall off" :)
 
I spray them at least twice, somtimes 3 or 4 times. when they all turn white you can then hit them with copius amounts of water. I use the bandit at a long distance; gives me good flow, but low pressure. On a few occasions we have had to go back a couple of days later, re spray, and re-rinse. Pain in the a$$, but safe for the roof. I would play up how difficult it is to clean, and underpromise them results. Then when it comes out clean, you smell like roses. :)
 
When I run into lichen I never remove it, and I let the customer know this up front. All I promise to do is to kill it. Time will get rid of it . I've had it happen to many times in the past where you try and pick it off and it brings the granules off with it, where as if you just allow it to fall off naturally chances are the granules will remain intact, just my experience. It may take a little time for them to come off but they will, but if you remove them forcibly and the granules come off, well then the damage is done, the granules won't grow back. I came to the conclusion a long time ago in this business that you sometimes just have to sell the job as it is,doing this will keep you out of hot water most of the time. Just my .02!!

Jeff
 
Russ Spence said:
good luck buddy , looks as if you are a Freshman High school baseball pitcher fixing to play the Yankees for your first game ever .... No harm intended but that is a horrible one to pick for a first
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I'm not worried about it.... I have spent a good bit of time here and another place reading about the do's and dont's of the process. After reading the replies from all of you just now, I'm positive the customer is going to be happy because you all just verified everything I told him about the lichen.
Thanks guys
 
gr8white said:
It took 45 gallons...algae 100% gone, lichen 100% gone, moss 99% gone. One very happy H/O :)
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Gotta LOVE the Sauce :)
BTW, Apple Cider is more effective on Lichens because of the Alcohol in it.
It gets the Lichen drunk, and they stumble and fall off the roof:D
Seriously, the alcohol helps dissolve them
 
Call me nuts but...What is a lichen? Is that the little moss clumps that turn into like a barnickle thingy? Like what grows on a rock out in the woods?
 
Apple Roof Cleaning said:
Gotta LOVE the Sauce :)
BTW, Apple Cider is more effective on Lichens because of the Alcohol in it.
It gets the Lichen drunk, and they stumble and fall off the roof:D
Seriously, the alcohol helps dissolve them
Click to expand...

Lol. +2. The cider works pretty good on lichens.
 
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