Sodium Percarbonate for Roofs

[Dirtbuster 14]

Has anyone had any success with Sodium Percarbonate for cleaning roofs? I have been getting a lot of calls concerning roof cleaning lately, & this seems to be the new chemical of choice. I have cleaned some roofs in the past with bleach, but I just don't like taking on the liabilities of damaging a roof. If sodium percabonate is the choice of chemical to use, what is a good mixture for shooting it with a xjet, or downstream? I have been experimenting some spots on a friends roof lately, but I am not seeing the results that I would expect. The roof is dark from fungus stains, & has gotten darker since applying the chemical. I can not really find any good threads to point be in the right direction. I see where a lot of people are pumping the SP directly with a high volume/low pressure pump, but am I missing something here?

 

Thanks for any help!

[NAPWO 21]

Precarb cleaners are usually a fairly gentle cleaner that use an effervesence to help lift dirt off a surface. There PH level tend to be around the 7 mark. Precarbs are usually used as a chlorine alternative. Roofs are usually quite dirty once you are called and a fairly aggressive cleaner  is often required to assist in the killing of the growth as well as soil removal. I have spoken with many contractors over the years who have used them and while they will work somewhat, the power and speed wanted by most contracts fall short when it comes to the precarbs.Many distributors have bleach-enhancing surfactants that help you keep you solution strength below damaging levels and will stay stable in your mix so you can use left over mix instead of having to discard it. Many of these mixes also can mask the bleach smell. These products are desirable as bleach and soap mixes are cheap and effective when used correctly, The precarbs just don't seem to have the same "oomph" to get the job done as quickly and effectively. Keep trying things until you find what you think is correct for you. This is just my experiences but if you go into roof cleaning more, I think at some point you will start using the bleach method as it does work..   

[RalphQ 5]

Sodium Percarbonate is good for cleaning decks and fences. To clean a roof without destroying the integrity of the shingles you need SH and a surfactant, with NO PRESSURE. Sodium Percarbonate is way to weak for roofs. You are just spinning your wheels trying to get the job done.  

[Dirtbuster 14]

Thanks for the helps & suggestions. I can honestly say that I am not impressed with the SP, maybe I misunderstood some things that others were stating. The industry guidelines seem to have everyone backing away from SH. States are starting to get very aggressive from cleaning chemicals that are not green to our environment. I am just trying to get my head around why others are having success with SP.

 

Thanks for the helpful comments & suggestions!

[Timo 25]

Just wondering out loud Mr. Dirt Buster. Please don't take this personal and it certainly is not intended as any form of an attack but It seems like you are talking down about a product that is successfully used daily to cleans hundreds if not thousands of roofs.  

 

From my vantage point, it looks like you need to educate yourself on why one of the only chemicals purchased in bulk by most every water purification plant in this country is all of a sudden bad for you and "everyone" is seen backing away from it.

 

Perhaps if you spent a little more time learning why the successful roof cleaning contractors wisely use use sodium hypochlorite as their go to cleaner, you would be less swayed by people that want to sell you something that doesn't work near as well.

 

I love trees and the environment almost as much as the next guy but you are going to have a hard time convincing me that the stuff that sanitizes diapers and makes our drinking water safe is all of a sudden a menace to the earth.

 

It's electrified salt water for crying out loud.

 

Bleach can hurt you so do wear ppe but don't fear it, seek to understand it.

[seymore 90]

 I have been experimenting some spots on a friends roof lately, but I am not seeing the results that I would expect. The roof is dark from fungus stains, & has gotten darker since applying the chemical. but am I missing something here?

 

Thanks for any help!

 

 

If you have been experimenting yourself with no good results i think that answers you question right there huh?

[Dirtbuster 14]

Just wondering out loud Mr. Dirt Buster. Please don't take this personal and it certainly is not intended as any form of an attack but It seems like you are talking down about a product that is successfully used daily to cleans hundreds if not thousands of roofs.  

 

From my vantage point, it looks like you need to educate yourself on why one of the only chemicals purchased in bulk by most every water purification plant in this country is all of a sudden bad for you and "everyone" is seen backing away from it.

 

Perhaps if you spent a little more time learning why the successful roof cleaning contractors wisely use use sodium hypochlorite as their go to cleaner, you would be less swayed by people that want to sell you something that doesn't work near as well.

 

I love trees and the environment almost as much as the next guy but you are going to have a hard time convincing me that the stuff that sanitizes diapers and makes our drinking water safe is all of a sudden a menace to the earth.

 

It's electrified salt water for crying out loud.

 

Bleach can hurt you so do wear ppe but don't fear it, seek to understand it.

 

 

 

If I knew all, I would not have asked for help. 20 years in the business, I have learned a lot, & help a lot of people. I have not wanted to focus on roofs, but reviewing my options. There seems to be a new market, & a new way. I have used SH for years, with great success. My mixtures of SH are very weak, but effective. You do not have to use more than that is needed to do a job, but what is required! There is danger in everything we do, but common sense should prevail. Once again I asked for help, not to be drilled! If you do not want to help, refrain from answering. SP might have its place, but I have not found it yet? This does not mean I will stop looking, but still looking for answers!

Edited November 22, 2013 by Dirtbuster

[Timo 25]

If I knew all, I would not have asked for help. 20 years in the business, I have learned a lot, & help a lot of people. I have not wanted to focus on roofs, but reviewing my options. There seems to be a new market, & a new way. I have used SH for years, with great success. My mixtures of SH are very weak, but effective. You do not have to use more than that is needed to do a job, but what is required! There is danger in everything we do, but common sense should prevail. Once again I asked for help, not to be drilled! If you do not want to help, refrain from answering. SP might have its place, but I have not found it yet? This does not mean I will stop looking, but still looking for answers!

 

Have you found any independent group of people that have any long term success using a known non-successful product? It's okay with me if you wish to go and discover a new way to clean roofs. It's okay with me if you are the one to finally make it successful. It's fine with me if you first post that discovery right here.

 

What is not okay with me is for you to come on a national forum, a place of learning, and begin to denigrate the very successful use of a completely safe product, Sodium Hypochlorite. A product that, when used as recommended by individuals trained in the proper use of it, is completely safe and effective. It's in your drinking water, It's what cleans your babies diapers and it is absolutely safe to use. Go share your dislike for it somewhere else.

 

"The industry guidelines seem to have everyone backing away from SH. States are starting to get very aggressive from cleaning chemicals that are not green to our environment" are your words and they are in error.

 

Do not allow your refusal to get trained and educated in a product as an excuse to bad mouth its use by others.

 

This is not a drill. This is a rebuttal of mis-information.

. 

[Roof Cleaning PA 16]

Have you found any independent group of people that have any long term success using a known non-successful product? It's okay with me if you wish to go and discover a new way to clean roofs. It's okay with me if you are the one to finally make it successful. It's fine with me if you first post that discovery right here.

 

What is not okay with me is for you to come on a national forum, a place of learning, and begin to denigrate the very successful use of a completely safe product, Sodium Hypochlorite. A product that, when used as recommended by individuals trained in the proper use of it, is completely safe and effective. It's in your drinking water, It's what cleans your babies diapers and it is absolutely safe to use. Go share your dislike for it somewhere else.

 

"The industry guidelines seem to have everyone backing away from SH. States are starting to get very aggressive from cleaning chemicals that are not green to our environment" are your words and they are in error.

 

Do not allow your refusal to get trained and educated in a product as an excuse to bad mouth its use by others.

 

This is not a drill. This is a rebuttal of mis-information.

+100%

.

[zapp 72]

Have you found any independent group of people that have any long term success using a known non-successful product? It's okay with me if you wish to go and discover a new way to clean roofs. It's okay with me if you are the one to finally make it successful. It's fine with me if you first post that discovery right here.

 

What is not okay with me is for you to come on a national forum, a place of learning, and begin to denigrate the very successful use of a completely safe product, Sodium Hypochlorite. A product that, when used as recommended by individuals trained in the proper use of it, is completely safe and effective. It's in your drinking water, It's what cleans your babies diapers and it is absolutely safe to use. Go share your dislike for it somewhere else.

 "The industry guidelines seem to have everyone backing away from SH. States are starting to get very aggressive from cleaning chemicals that are not green to our environment" are your words and they are in error.

 

Do not allow your refusal to get trained and educated in a product as an excuse to bad mouth its use by others.

 

This is not a drill. This is a rebuttal of mis-information.

+100%

.

I agree totally , before slinging false information around , please do some more research ,( don't believe everything AC soft wash tells you )