Friday, September 25, 2009

Red Shingle Roof Cleaning and Stain Removal - Clarksville, TN

As you can see this home had a really bad infestation of algae. The home owner was thinking that he had to replace the roof in order to remove this algae.


This infestation required more than normal amounts of our cleaning solution to remove all the stain.

By the photos you can see that Clarksville, TN roof cleaning is possible no matter how bad the infestation is.



All the algae has been removed from this roof and it looks new again.
By looking at the before photo, most consumers and home owners would not believe that those stains could be removed. How would you like to save thousands of dollars? What about saving 90% over roof replacement? That is a savings you could realize by having your roof cleaned instead of replaced.
If you have any questions visit our web site at http://www.thecleaningdoc.com/

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Clean Those Roof Stains or Replace the Shingles


Decisions Decisions

 
Every day you are faced with decision after decision about the maintenance of your home. Roofing should be the least of your worries, Right? You bought 30 year shingles didn't you?

You may have even bought algae resistant shingles. Now why do you have algae streaks and stains on your Clarksville or Nashville, Tennessee roof? The answer is simple, the shingles have a 30 year warranty but more than likely the warranty for algae resistance ends at the 10 year mark.

Now that you have the algae stains you now need to decide what to do about it. You have 2 choices, one is to replace your roof and the other is to have the shingles cleaned. Well if you are like me I want to get all that I can out of something before I throw it away. So it is that I would have my shingles cleaned. There is nothing wrong with them except that they are covered with algae.
In the last year from March 2008 to March 2009 shingle prices have risen by 57.5% according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' Producer Price Index. This year, they went up 3.8 percent from February to March alone.

Now let's look at replacement cost. A typical 1200 square foot house will require roughly 14 squares of shingles (100 square feet per square) and a tear off and new roof installation can cost upwards of $4,000.

Now that we know what it costs to replace the roof let's look at the cleaning costs. For that same roof, the cleaning costs would normally be around 1/10 of the replacement costs. For this specific example the cleaning of your Clarksville or Nashville, TN roof would be approximately $300 - $400. That is a savings of  $3,600 - $3,700 for the homeowner.

Here is an article from the Seattle Times about the price of roofing shingles on the rise.

Click here for more information on Roof Cleaning and Stain Removal for your Tennessee home.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Sodium Hydroxide Based Roof Cleaners - Why we don't use them!

Sodium Hydroxide based cleaners are sold and marketed as being safer for the landscaping, but sodium hydroxide is caustic and very toxic. Sodium Hydroxide is used in stripping stains and sealers off of wood surfaces such as decks and fences. Sodium hydroxide is also a very effective degreaser and is used in the cleaning of commercial kitchen hoods. Asphalt shingles are a petroleum product (i.e. grease, oil). So high levels of sodium hydroxide in a cleaning product can cause permanent irreversible damage to an asphalt shingle roof. These products generally require much more rinsing and pressure than the sodium hypochlorite cleaning solutions used by ARCA Certified Roof Cleaners and the recommended cleaning method of the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA). The rinsing process is not only time consuming, but it can also be potentially damaging to the roof if not done correctly. A sodium hydroxide based cleaning product requires more than normal garden hose pressure to effectively rinse an asphalt shingle roof and some granule loss should be expected.

Be sure to ask your roof cleaner what the main active ingredient is in their cleaning solution before you hire them.

For more information visit our web site at http://www.thecleaningdoc.com/

Friday, September 11, 2009

Wood Restoration in Adams, TN

Our wood restoration is a three step process for a complete restoration. If all you do is pressure wash and then stain you are missing an important step that will give you the full potential of your stain/sealer. If you skip one of these steps you will end up with a finish and fails prematurely.




The first step is either cleaning if no previous sealer was used on the wood. If the wood has been sealed before then the cleaning process is replaced with the stripping of the old sealer. This process removes the mold, mildew and algae from the wood surface along with any previous sealer if we are using the stripping method. Pressure washing alone will NOT kill the mold or algae spores that are imbedded into the wood fibers. It may look clean but you can not see the spores. The algae and mold will then grow back under the new finish.


The second step in preserving your exterior wood is to neutralize the cleaner or stripper that was used in step one. This returns the PH levels of the wood back to the proper levels and brightens the wood back to it's original color thus allowing proper adhesion of the stain. If you skip this step you will find that the wood will not accept the new finish as readily as it would with proper preparation.



The third and final step is to apply the stain or sealer of choice. You are now ready to enjoy your exterior wood for years to come.









Serving Clarksville, TN and all surrounding areas, The Cleaning Doctor has the cure for what ails your exterior wood surfaces. For more information on exterior wood preservation, deck staining and sealing or fence staining and sealing please visit our web site at www.thecleaningdoc.com or call us at 931-933-5421.