Fact or Frequently Asked Questions
Did you know that algae, lichen and moss are most commonly found on North and West facing roof structures? These areas receive less sunlight and, after a heavy rain, don’t dry as quickly as the other sides of a roof structure. This creates a prime breeding ground for algae, lichen and moss growth. Algae are airborne bacteria that can reduce the life expectancy of your roof by 50% if left untreated. These organisms hold moisture which can cause roof failure, even in relatively newer shingles. Most homeowners are unaware that algae damage to a roof structure is not covered by most manufacturer warranties.
FAQ’s
Q: What are the black streaks on my roof?
A: The black streaks are algae called Gloeocapsa magma. The algae use nitrogen to grow need little to no nutrition to thrive. The black streaks are the signs of the algae reproducing, leaving millions of dead cells on the roof causing a build up that leads to the streaks.
Q: Do algae, moss and lichen damage my roof?
A: Algae is the number one reason for premature failure of roofs. Roofs could lose up to 50% of their service life from infestation from microorganisms. These algae have a filament root system that decompose the roofing materials. Moss and Lichen will create divots with their root systems and remove the protective layer of granules on the shingle.
Q: Can a roof cleaning save me on energy costs?
A: Yes. Everyone knows darker surfaces absorb more heat than lighter ones. When your shingles absorb more heat in the summer time your air conditioning must work harder to maintain the same temperature.
Q: How do you clean a roof?
A: We apply a 100% biodegradable solution to the roof killing the organisms surface layer and eliminating the root system. For roof treatments, we let the weather and rain take the surface layer off naturally. For roof washes, we do a full rinse the day of the job so all the moss is gone when we leave. The latter is more time intensive and the moss in the Pacific NorthWest is quite thick in entrenched in the shingles.
Q: What is the chemical that you use?
A: We use a combination of several products which are strong enough to kill the algae, moss and lichen and their root system. Our products are safe for all environments and 100% biodegradable. MSDS sheets are available upon request.
Q: Do you use a power washer on the roof?
A: We use a soft wash system that is designed to thoroughly apply our cleaning solution. We never recommend using high pressure on any roofing materials. It can cause damage to your shingles by uplifting and eroding the granules.
Q: Will this process hurt my plants?
A: The products must be strong enough to kill the root systems of any algae, moss or lichen on your roof. So yes, if we deliberately sprayed your plants they would have some burn marks on the leaves. But by covering the plants and spraying larger ones with fresh water during the cleaning process we are able to minimize the risk of damage.
Q: Is there any prep work I need to do before you come to clean my roof?
A: Yes. Please make sure all the windows and doors are shut, all pets are inside, your vehicles are parked in the garage or away from the house, and that there are no other contractors working outside of the house. Also, please insure that your water spigots are turned on and working properly.
Q: What other services do you provide?
A: Clean Tech Pro Wash provides softwash services for all types of siding, fences, apartment dwellings and commercial buildings. We also offer concrete cleaning services for all flatwork such as pool decks, driveways, walkways, commercial drive thrus, dumpster pads, membrane roofs, barns, marina buildings and docks, RV's and rust removal.
Q: Do you clean cedar roofs and cedar siding?
A: Yes, we would have to take a look at the roof to see the state of it first though.
Q: Do you use my water?
A: We have water on board but we do hook up to our customers outdoor spigot upon arrival.
Q: What happens if it is raining the day the work is scheduled?
A: If it is a light rain, we will make the call in the morning. Heavy rain will not make for good results. We can still do all the concrete cleaning on rainy days, however!
Q: How long will the roof cleaning last?
A: There are a lot of variables when it comes to preventing algae, moss and lichen growth. Sunlight, the pitch of your roof, color and manufacture properties of your shingles, how close your neighbors are and if their roofs are affected. A standard cleaning should keep your roof clean for 2 to 3 years.
Q: How long does the cleaning process take?
A: It all depends on the size of your house and the amount of algae, moss or lichen growing on it.
Q: Do you have insurance coverage?
A: Yes, Clean Tech is a division of Green Tech Resurfacing which has 5, 000 000 liability and is in good standing with WorkSafeBC
Did you know that algae, lichen and moss are most commonly found on North and West facing roof structures? These areas receive less sunlight and, after a heavy rain, don’t dry as quickly as the other sides of a roof structure. This creates a prime breeding ground for algae, lichen and moss growth. Algae are airborne bacteria that can reduce the life expectancy of your roof by 50% if left untreated. These organisms hold moisture which can cause roof failure, even in relatively newer shingles. Most homeowners are unaware that algae damage to a roof structure is not covered by most manufacturer warranties.
FAQ’s
Q: What are the black streaks on my roof?
A: The black streaks are algae called Gloeocapsa magma. The algae use nitrogen to grow need little to no nutrition to thrive. The black streaks are the signs of the algae reproducing, leaving millions of dead cells on the roof causing a build up that leads to the streaks.
Q: Do algae, moss and lichen damage my roof?
A: Algae is the number one reason for premature failure of roofs. Roofs could lose up to 50% of their service life from infestation from microorganisms. These algae have a filament root system that decompose the roofing materials. Moss and Lichen will create divots with their root systems and remove the protective layer of granules on the shingle.
Q: Can a roof cleaning save me on energy costs?
A: Yes. Everyone knows darker surfaces absorb more heat than lighter ones. When your shingles absorb more heat in the summer time your air conditioning must work harder to maintain the same temperature.
Q: How do you clean a roof?
A: We apply a 100% biodegradable solution to the roof killing the organisms surface layer and eliminating the root system. For roof treatments, we let the weather and rain take the surface layer off naturally. For roof washes, we do a full rinse the day of the job so all the moss is gone when we leave. The latter is more time intensive and the moss in the Pacific NorthWest is quite thick in entrenched in the shingles.
Q: What is the chemical that you use?
A: We use a combination of several products which are strong enough to kill the algae, moss and lichen and their root system. Our products are safe for all environments and 100% biodegradable. MSDS sheets are available upon request.
Q: Do you use a power washer on the roof?
A: We use a soft wash system that is designed to thoroughly apply our cleaning solution. We never recommend using high pressure on any roofing materials. It can cause damage to your shingles by uplifting and eroding the granules.
Q: Will this process hurt my plants?
A: The products must be strong enough to kill the root systems of any algae, moss or lichen on your roof. So yes, if we deliberately sprayed your plants they would have some burn marks on the leaves. But by covering the plants and spraying larger ones with fresh water during the cleaning process we are able to minimize the risk of damage.
Q: Is there any prep work I need to do before you come to clean my roof?
A: Yes. Please make sure all the windows and doors are shut, all pets are inside, your vehicles are parked in the garage or away from the house, and that there are no other contractors working outside of the house. Also, please insure that your water spigots are turned on and working properly.
Q: What other services do you provide?
A: Clean Tech Pro Wash provides softwash services for all types of siding, fences, apartment dwellings and commercial buildings. We also offer concrete cleaning services for all flatwork such as pool decks, driveways, walkways, commercial drive thrus, dumpster pads, membrane roofs, barns, marina buildings and docks, RV's and rust removal.
Q: Do you clean cedar roofs and cedar siding?
A: Yes, we would have to take a look at the roof to see the state of it first though.
Q: Do you use my water?
A: We have water on board but we do hook up to our customers outdoor spigot upon arrival.
Q: What happens if it is raining the day the work is scheduled?
A: If it is a light rain, we will make the call in the morning. Heavy rain will not make for good results. We can still do all the concrete cleaning on rainy days, however!
Q: How long will the roof cleaning last?
A: There are a lot of variables when it comes to preventing algae, moss and lichen growth. Sunlight, the pitch of your roof, color and manufacture properties of your shingles, how close your neighbors are and if their roofs are affected. A standard cleaning should keep your roof clean for 2 to 3 years.
Q: How long does the cleaning process take?
A: It all depends on the size of your house and the amount of algae, moss or lichen growing on it.
Q: Do you have insurance coverage?
A: Yes, Clean Tech is a division of Green Tech Resurfacing which has 5, 000 000 liability and is in good standing with WorkSafeBC