Just did a rather large commercial building roof that is having a problem with seagulls on it. It is a metal roof. When we got up there I found that in a few area there was lichen build up. How long should you let the product dwell. How quickly does lichen take to die? I did a first coating of the roof with a 1% mix and then went over it again. On the second part of the roof I put a 2% solution on, which worked alot better, but I still found we got a better result if we brushed the surface after application of the SH and surfactant.
When I had finished spraying twice I started to rinse.
I am applying the SH and surfactant on at 50 psi with a fan nozzle, which equates to 5 litres per minute which is roughly 2.5 gallons per minute. How much product are other people putting on?
I am rinsing off with the same fan nozzle but rinsing off at around 250psi as it helped to move some of the stubborn bird poo.
T know that I have undercharged for this roof, but it has been a really good learning curve.
Any help would be much appreciated
Zach Maynard said
Jun 7, 2013
On a metal roof you can just brush it off or use a little pressure to sweep the lichen off. Generally you will know its dead once it turns white, at that point it will come off on its own in time. This is not the case with other roofs though, anything other than metal you will want the lichen and moss to come off on their own which can take months. To answer your question, the lichen is dead within minutes of its contact with the SH.
Ray Burke said
Jun 8, 2013
Zach nailed it! Don't try and manually remove it from any roof but a metal one! Expect nature to take between 1-8 weeks to to the job for you.
Garon Buczynski said
Jun 8, 2013
Thanks a million for that.
Jason Mariano said
Dec 30, 2013
Hi there -
I just hung up with a customer that has been waiting for 3 months for her lichens to disintegrate. She contacted us 1 month after and asked to have them brushed off. I explained that we will not brush them off, that it will hurt her roof and to give it a few months. I am now being threatened of being reported to the BBB. Does anyone have any advice?
Zach Maynard said
Dec 30, 2013
Nothing outside of telling her that if it has not come off than it is not ready to and when it is decomposed enough it will just fall right off. Taking it off now will just cause excess damage. We learned the hard way that it can take up to 6 months to fall off, and make sure to tell all customers that it can take from 3-6 months to come off.
Message me if you want regarding the BBB complaint.
Jason Mariano said
Dec 30, 2013
Zach thanks.
I will keep you posted. I greatly appreciate it.
Tim Teed said
Dec 30, 2013
I don't know if the cooler weather slows down the process. Maybe the roof needs to be retreated because the lichen wasn't completely dead. Did you stop by to see if the lichen turned white?
Zach Maynard said
Dec 30, 2013
In my experience the Winter helps with the removal process, although for us its probably due to the snow on the roofs causing a ton of friction from the constant thawing, melting and movement. The worst roof I have ever done was 95% covered in lichen, not moss but lichen. The dead lichen was hanging for dear life but once we were done with the tough part of winter the roof was 100% clear.
Jason Mariano said
Dec 30, 2013
Hi Tim,
It is all white/dead . we are just hitting 3months of when I did the roof.
I would ask the customer if they can hold out till at least march 15th. If it hasn't come off by then, you can go back and rinse it with a garden hose.
Jason Mariano said
Dec 30, 2013
Hi Mike,
Thanks, I will try and talk to them about that. I was thinking of retreating the roof in March.
Danny Cronauer said
Dec 30, 2013
I tell all my customers between 3-6 months. It always comes off, sometimes it just takes longer. I think heavy rain in july and august help the most.
John Aloisio said
Dec 30, 2013
I tell everyone the same...3-6 months. Some people call after a few weeks and say its ot off yet. I remind them and they usually don't care. I did have be lady complain, so I told her I would remove it with medium pressure and a broom, if she would sign off that any leaks, damage, granular loss or anything wrong with the shingles after we finish, am not responsible for. She said no and waited. It all came off in two months or so, and she called me and thanked me for the info.
Jason Mariano said
Dec 30, 2013
Hi John,
Thats a great idea. She’s extremely adamant - I’ll ask her to sign off on a waiver and maybe she’ll decide to wait.
Thanks.
Garon Buczynski said
Dec 31, 2013
Great to hear all this advice. I have also thought it might be a good idea to use low pressure a couple of months after treatment just to remove.... Maybe a good add on service if the customer is impatient
Zach Maynard said
Dec 31, 2013
Honestly Garon, when it comes to lichen and fiberglass shingles I think all the guys agree that this only applies to worst case scenarios. Making lemonade out of lemons is always a smart move but the potential to cause damage will always be a concern.
Mark Fermoyle said
Jan 7, 2014
Zach Maynard wrote:
Honestly Garon, when it comes to lichen and fiberglass shingles I think all the guys agree that this only applies to worst case scenarios. Making lemonade out of lemons is always a smart move but the potential to cause damage will always be a concern.
ABSOLUTELY. Sometimes it seems to be a delicate balance between pacifying a customer and possibly damaging their roof. I agree whole-heartedly with the advice to have the customer sign a waiver which describes in detail what industry expectations are for lichens to release AND sign off on what the possible damage could be to their roof should they insist on having lichens or moss "forcibly removed" as opposed to weathering off safely.
The entire reason we service their roof is to END the damaging process caused by the infestation. The customer must completely understand that what they are requesting us to do is in direct conflict of what they contracted us to acheive.
Garon Buczynski said
Jan 7, 2014
fantastic way you have put that into words Mark. Will definitely use that in the future
Just did a rather large commercial building roof that is having a problem with seagulls on it. It is a metal roof. When we got up there I found that in a few area there was lichen build up. How long should you let the product dwell. How quickly does lichen take to die? I did a first coating of the roof with a 1% mix and then went over it again. On the second part of the roof I put a 2% solution on, which worked alot better, but I still found we got a better result if we brushed the surface after application of the SH and surfactant.
When I had finished spraying twice I started to rinse.
I am applying the SH and surfactant on at 50 psi with a fan nozzle, which equates to 5 litres per minute which is roughly 2.5 gallons per minute. How much product are other people putting on?
I am rinsing off with the same fan nozzle but rinsing off at around 250psi as it helped to move some of the stubborn bird poo.
T know that I have undercharged for this roof, but it has been a really good learning curve.
Any help would be much appreciated
This is not the case with other roofs though, anything other than metal you will want the lichen and moss to come off on their own which can take months.
To answer your question, the lichen is dead within minutes of its contact with the SH.
I just hung up with a customer that has been waiting for 3 months for her lichens to disintegrate. She contacted us 1 month after and asked to have them brushed off. I explained that we will not brush them off, that it will hurt her roof and to give it a few months. I am now being threatened of being reported to the BBB. Does anyone have any advice?
Message me if you want regarding the BBB complaint.
I will keep you posted. I greatly appreciate it.
I don't know if the cooler weather slows down the process. Maybe the roof needs to be retreated because the lichen wasn't completely dead. Did you stop by to see if the lichen turned white?
Hi Tim,
It is all white/dead . we are just hitting 3months of when I did the roof.
Thanks, I will try and talk to them about that. I was thinking of retreating the roof in March.
I tell everyone the same...3-6 months. Some people call after a few weeks and say its ot off yet. I remind them and they usually don't care. I did have be lady complain, so I told her I would remove it with medium pressure and a broom, if she would sign off that any leaks, damage, granular loss or anything wrong with the shingles after we finish, am not responsible for. She said no and waited. It all came off in two months or so, and she called me and thanked me for the info.
Thats a great idea. She’s extremely adamant - I’ll ask her to sign off on a waiver and maybe she’ll decide to wait.
Thanks.
ABSOLUTELY. Sometimes it seems to be a delicate balance between pacifying a customer and possibly damaging their roof. I agree whole-heartedly with the advice to have the customer sign a waiver which describes in detail what industry expectations are for lichens to release AND sign off on what the possible damage could be to their roof should they insist on having lichens or moss "forcibly removed" as opposed to weathering off safely.
The entire reason we service their roof is to END the damaging process caused by the infestation. The customer must completely understand that what they are requesting us to do is in direct conflict of what they contracted us to acheive.