Driveway SoftWash - Certified SoftWash Roof Cleaning

Dan Signor · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

Driveway SoftWash

Dan Signor · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

I will head back over in a few days to get another picture after its sat for awhile. They are calling for rain Tuesday too.

Gary Wilkerson · Freshmen Member

Hey Dan, Did you use a surface cleaner on that driveway? It looks good man

Dan Signor · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

Soft wash only. I hit it with a 4% roof mix and left it. AC said to treat it like a roof, spray and leave it. There was a huge difference just in the time it took to spray driveway. Customer was very happy. We did his roof, exterior, carport roof and driveway in 2 hours. I could not have done that with pressure washer in that short of time myself.

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Soft Washing takes 1/4 the time to clean compared to pressure washing and lasts 4 times longer. The profit to the soft wash pro is huge and the value to the soft wash customer is even bigger. Soft Wash is a win / win for all involved. Great job Dan. You are making some strides now honing your craft.

AC

Laurie Benjamin · Lead Tech Certified

did you not worry about the rain washing the chemicals into the grass?

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

I really need to learn this, I just did an entire house. Roof, gutters, siding, concrete. It took me 5 hours. First thing I did, was spray the entire concrete and let it sit, while I did everything else. I used a pressure washer to rinse it off. Results were great in some areas, but other areas lacked a little. Keep me posted on how this went.

Michael Derose · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

Dan the way you did it was fine as time goes on the amount of time to clean will decrease.

Dan Signor · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

I have not had any issues with that yet. However, I have found that if the driveway is really bad I have been running a surface cleaner first. If you from the edge of the driveway in like coloring, edge it and then spray middle while groundman keeps grass rinsed around the drive.

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

Well if you have a surface cleaner, that just makes life easier, but I also wouldn't call that soft-washing? I have been 100% sold on soft-washing except for concrete and brick, I think you need a little pressure. What if dirt is on the concrete? SH doesn't kill dirt. We just need some pressure to knock it loose and rinse it away?

Doug Rucker · UAMCC Officer

I surface clean all driveways, then apply mix and leave it to dry. Really brightens it up.

Michael Derose · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

We apply the mix first let sit then we surface clean I have never tried it the other way becuase the mix allows the surface cleaner to work faster. I dont see how it makes sense to apply after you surface clean.

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

michael derose wrote:
We apply the mix first let sit then we surface clean I have never tried it the other way becuase the mix allows the surface cleaner to work faster. I dont see how it makes sense to apply after you surface clean.

I agree, Its kinda like you don't rinse a roof and then spray it with solution.. I would think the same for pavement.

Doug Rucker · UAMCC Officer

michael derose wrote:
We apply the mix first let sit then we surface clean I have never tried it the other way becuase the mix allows the surface cleaner to work faster. I dont see how it makes sense to apply after you surface clean.

If you ever have those lines left from the Surface Cleaner, or some area under trees that just don't come clean, or you really want your driveway to BRIGHTEN up,,,,try it and you'll see.

Doug Rucker · UAMCC Officer

Apex Roof Cleaning Wilkes-Barre PA wrote:
michael derose wrote:
We apply the mix first let sit then we surface clean I have never tried it the other way becuase the mix allows the surface cleaner to work faster. I dont see how it makes sense to apply after you surface clean.
I agree, Its kinda like you don't rinse a roof and then spray it with solution.. I would think the same for pavement.

Sometimes you do or should....plus the roof is already wet when you apply your 2nd or 3rd coat....On really hot days, in afternoons, roofs with no gutters, I pre wet the roof, helps the mix to absorb into the shingle helping to create less run off.

Applying mix to concrete AFTER you have cleaned it helps to brighten it up as the Sun and the Mix and concrete all love one another.

Again, try it and see, you;ll be amazed.

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Pre-moistening is a great tip Doug!

AC

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

I must be doing something wrong, I never put a second or a third coat on the roofs. Maybe a touch up here or there, but 3.5-4% solution works almost every time. Also I don't understand how wetting a roof first helps it absorb the chemical causing less dripping. I thought when a roof gets wet, it absorbs a certain amount and then it reaches a threshold, thats when we see run off?

lol AC did I miss another module, because this just doesn't make sense to me. Anyone else having trouble understanding this?

Doug Rucker · UAMCC Officer

When a roof is very hot and very dry, it is very slick, causing the mix to run faster than when it is wet. When it is wet the shingles open up a little and are softer thus acting more like a sponge kind of like and the mix gets absorbed in better. You will still have run off, just not as much.

As soon as your mix hit's the roof, (again on hot slick dry roof), the water in the mix begins to evaporate immediately (this why I pre wet SOME roofs, not all, and also why I always spray the bottom 2-3 shingles first and then work up). I have found, and some may not agree with me, but when you start at the top of a roof and spray down, everything that you spray is constantly being chased by more mix, creating an almost water fall affect. If you spray bottom towards the top, the mix is absorbed better and there is way less run off.

Yes I apply 2,3 and even sometimes 4 applications. Understand that my mix is a 3% mix but all I am doing is moistening the shingles I AM NOT flooding them. Each application gets less and less mix to where the 4th if needed is almost like a lite misting. The 3rd or 4th app is really just to get those dead brown algae stains off cause I can;t stand them and I do not want to have to tell my customer wait for the next rain and they'll come off. I want it clean when I leave, for me and my pictures.

Doug Rucker · UAMCC Officer

Here are some pics showing before applying roof to the dirty side of this roof, then after 1st, 2nd, and 3rd application

Notice no gutters and shrubs underneath, pitch of roof. Had to be very careful no to flood even this roof.

Laurie Benjamin · Lead Tech Certified

smile smile

agreeing 100%...you can find confirmation in the roof spraying module

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

That looks great, thanks doug for all the help. I just keep learning and learning. I also spray the bottom 2-3ft as instructed the modules.

Gary P Gelatt · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

Getting back to driveways...I am holding true to Soft Washing, no surface cleaners. I did this driveway 2 months ago, cleaned up great. But, I have this ting along the edges in places. Do I need to hit it with my stream-tip & garden hose along those edges, or touch-up w/4% SH, or something else... I need some advise on this one.

Ray Burke · Community Member

50% in a pump-up

Gary P Gelatt · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

Is that just from an un-even, initial application?

Tim Teed · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

nope, just heavy growth, maybe a little deeper. Experience. you can spray with garden hose in a square to rinse a small section at end of job to see "after"