It’s all this forum’s fault, I see dirt EVERYWHERE now.
There are a ton of one story, low pitch houses in the older parts of town that are in desperate need of roof washing. I don’t have a dedicated roof wash setup of course, but after reading quite a few posts on the technique, it seems I could use my M5 with no proportioner and 12% to achieve around 6%.
I’m not talking about anything serious here, just wheels turning in my head every time I see one of these little houses. Most seem walkable.
This is a topic that gets me in trouble with the old timers. Depending on how bad the roof is (streaks only, no moss), the temperature (hotter the better), and what gpm your machine is (lower is better for this, more chemical draw through the X-jet) YES YOU CAN CLEAN ROOFS WITH AN X-JET.
Lol. Get ready for the flood of comments saying it’s not possible.
Caveat: it takes a long time if you’re not getting 4-6% and you need more surfactant because the X-jet blows water and a 12v you can “rain” it. It’s a little more “delicate”.
Here’s why I got in trouble with an old timer: “If you keep telling people roofs can be done with an x-jet they may be able to clean 3 out of every 10 roofs with it when if they’d just spend the money on the right equipment they can clean all 10 roofs in the same amount of time it took them to clean 3 and find out they couldn’t clean the other 7 and they’d make their money back on the equipment after 2 jobs.”
That’s not verbatim, but it was something to the same effect and I can’t remember if it was @Racer or @Innocentbystander or both, but the condensed version is this: Buy the right equipment to do the job and future jobs effectively in the least amount of time so you can do more jobs!
That’s my soapbox. Essentially telling people they can use an X-jet is a huge disservice. i know it was a roller coaster, but we’re rounding the last turn.
If they’re all small, walkable roofs, why don’t you just spot treat the bad spots with a pump sprayer full of 50/50 mix? By the time you get to the ground off the ladder the streaks will be gone and you can rinse from the ground with a garden hose.
You can build an adequate roof cleaning system to do it the right way for less than $500. If you don’t have it, get a part -time job at Mickey D’s for 2 weeks or whatever till you do have. You can make or buy a great system for $1500.
The ROI on a roof cleaning system is higher than any other type of cleaning by far.
But dirty roofs are like dirty drives, a lot of people have and don’t notice or don’t care. You still have to sell it.
I’m in the same boat. I am new and am thinking of adding roof cleaning down the line. Although I have seen videos of Xjetting roofs from the ground, I don’t think I want to go that route. I’m concerned about the over spray of the hot mix. If the roofs are an easy walk, I’d start with a pump sprayer (like @squidskc said) until you can afford a good roof system. I need to learn my market better and get an idea if people will even pay to have their roofs done. To me it goes along with the house, driveway and sidewalk (for Better Curb Appeal) but my opinion doesn’t matter. It’s what the homeowners are willing to pay for.
I tried with no success to clean with an xjet. Under the advisement of several members of this forum I ordered the kit from PT and an agm battery fromsams club. About 600 total. It was paid for in 1.5 jobs and has made me money ever since. Only regret I have is trying the first go around with an xjet. I had to reschedule the job due to improper equipment while the correct equipment was being shipped. Fortunately I was honest with the guy about it being my first roof cleaning. I had a thread on it. Some good info in it if you can find it.
Well if you’re anything like me you will have to learn for yourself. Even if you are successful cleaning the roof with the Chevy, eventually you will run into one that requires stronger mix then 50/50. I did two days ago. It looked like it’s been underwater for years there was so much growth. I bumped it up to 60/40 and still had to use straight 12.5 in a pump up to get some of it.
XJet’ll disappoint. I tried and failed, bought the 12v system, and now use that system for a lot more than roofs. Incorporate in your overall scheme and you’ll never look back. BTW, I LOVE XJet. Just not for roofs.
