Polyurethane Foam Roof Cleaning

[reddogz12]

Hello all ! My Name is Clint and I am new to the powerwashing industry down here in Florida and I am in need of a little advice.

I recently bid on and won a job for the cleaning and repainting/sealing of a polyurethane foam roof on a house that was built in the 20's.From what I understand this is the same type of covering thats on mobile homes.The roof is pretty much flat other then it is graded towards the drains holes on the sides of the house.There are no down spouts or gutters so the cleaning solution and debri is going to run down the side of the freshly painted home.On the roof itself there is of course algea thanks to our lovely climate here in FL.So my question is what would be the best type of cleaner to use? I want to avoid alot of pressure in fear of blowing a hole in the foam,but I dont want to use chemicals that are going to affect the foam or streak or affect the paint while running down the side of the home.
In addition there are overhangs with clay tile that I wouldnt dream of walking on but they are easily accesible from the roof that would also need to be cleaned via chemical and rinse.

Any suggestions for a newb in FL would be greaty appreciated
Thanks Clint

[north coast]

Sounds like you bit off more than you can chew for some one who is new.

[Dan S]

wow this may be the job that puts you in search of working for somebody else.

How can you bid on something that intence with so many variables. and being new to this industry?

Im not trying to bust your bubble..........but e-gads you are in for a picnic.

since you are new and have no-clue how to go about it I would suggest you put plastic on the whole house.- block the drains and use a sump pump to put your h20 in.

You do know that if you cannot do this job you need to tell them.

I would sub it out to a pro. and ask to work with them to get some experience........that way you learn and the job will ( should) be done right.

Next question>> what did you bid? I wonder why you won the bid and the other fellows did not????

Could be that the "pros" had it set on a price b/c they know it would be an intence job to undertake.

I would really think about this job and do alot of homework before you plunge into this.

You are starting off right by seeking info. here .............BUT that should of been done before you submitted the bid.

I really wish `ya luck..............your gonna need it!!

[reddogz12]

Well the job was more or less sub contracted to me through a buddy who is already working on the home so if the homeowner got any other quotes is unknown to me.I bid the job at a $1000 plus materials. All im really looking for here is the best chemical to use that will require minimal pressure with good result to save me the time and money of buying every product on the market.
Dan the drainage holes are few and far between so plastic hung over the exterior walls in these areas is an excellent idea that I will put to use I appreciate that.

Clint

[delam]

Could you use a mild bleach and water solution to first kill the mildew and fungi then somehow either shop vac your waste water or attach some kind of flexable hose to the down spouts and collect it in buckets? If you use bleach, which will kill all of that crap, you will want to neutralize it so it does not react with the new top coating of that white, elastermeric, rubberized roof gunk you will be applying with a roller. I would use minimum pressure and just let the bleach do the work. Then follow the roof coating manufacture's suggestions. Oh yea, get before and after pictures because if you pull this one off without a hitch, everyone in Florida will be after you to do theirs! I've never done one of these but that never stops me from trying something new. I would try it once. I say go for it!

[Don Phelps]

Do you have any pics of the roof?
We're located in Orlando and do residential and commercial roof cleaning. I don't think it would be that much of a problem, but I need to see what you're dealing with.

[Micah]

Clint,

Insurance is a material... right?

Hope it works out well,

Micah
We-Wash-Windows.com
South Carolina

[reddogz12]

Hey there Don,no I dont currently have pictures but I'll take some and post them or drop them in your e-mail.I'm going to have another look thurs or fri I'll take some pics then.
Hoses on the down spouts is something I have been thinking about gonna have a look at those too.
And yes insurance will be on the job too

Thanks Clint

[Don Phelps]

You can either post them or send them to A1ADaze@bellsouth.net and I'll take a look at them and offer what I can to possibly help you out.

[Scott Stone]

We have a lot of foam roofs here in Arizona. I used to work for a foam roofing contractor. Most of these guys are WAY overreacting to the request, probably because it is something they are not familiar with. It is an amazingly tough surface, but make sure you wear soft soled shoes so that you do not put a hole in it. Also when you seal it, make sure that you use an elastomeric coating. You can try these guys, because they are the guys I used to work for. SWD 480-969-8413. They can probably give you all of the particulars on what to do to clean and install the material. As for teh runoff, can't you just wash the house, too? You should have probably included it in your bid. Finally, your bid is probably too low, but I do not currently know the pricing of the materials. This stuff is good, but is a bit more than paint.
http://www.arizonafoam.com/pages/about.html is a link for their construction arm. If you cruise around, there is a ton of good info there.

Scott Stone