July 19, 2015

Roof Treatment & Cleaning “Foaming Video”

As we discussed in an earlier Etips; having the roof cleaned on any building is an important part of keeping it healthy and effective. Left untreated Moss, mold and mildew growth effectively halves their lives requiring costly repairs or wholesale replacement from Complete Roofing Solutions or a similar roofing company. Winter often a prime time for these growths. The wet, temperate weather, and lack of sunlight, combined with the ample foliage means that all three can grow through most of the year.

So why care about this now? Well its actually the best time for a roof cleaning. The hot dry weather has weakened and, in some cases, killed some roof growth. That doesn’t mean you can forgo any roof cleaning. The dead matter will regrow, or become a home for other, larger plants, which can wreak even worse damage to a roof. Nevertheless in their dried state, the growths are easier to remove effectively than if they are alive and moist.

The dry weather also allows our technicians to operate on a roof more effectively. Fall or winter cleanings often occur in the rain, which complicates matters. In a worse case scenario, this may lead to places being unreachable due to wet conditions. Cleaning now guarantees the best possible outcome.

The cleaning process itself is not as straightforward as one may think, In order to ensure an effective clean, the roof must be treated prior to the cleaning. It is critical that we get off as much of the growth as possible as well as kill potential new areas to get the best outcome. Most of the time we require a follow-up visit to remove any newly dislodged material. Still this does not mean the roof will be spotless. Discolouration is very common and often only cosmetic in nature. Our primary focus is to clean off growths that will damage the roof; cleaning everything would lead to a massive increase in cost that would greatly outstrip the potential value.

So, in this hot weather, spare a thought for your roof and the upcoming winter. You won’t regret it.

January 29, 2015

Roof Cleaning For Strata’s

There are benefits to living in the Lower Mainland: the warm, wet climate is much preferred to the icy coldness that grips eastern Canada today, while verdant forests proviold grungy roof tiles overgrown with mossde a beautiful backdrop for the region. Managing a building with a roof however, is definitely not an advantage of living in the region. The very same climate and foliage makes for almost ideal growing conditions for moss, mildew and mold accumulation. This roof growth has a number of negative effects that a property manager needs to be aware of. Most roofs should have a life expectancy of 24 to 28 years, yet the average age of a roof replacement is 14 to 20. These problems are not confined to roofs designed for replacement; the growth damages all types of materials:

Concrete tiles can become porous

Asphalt loses its oil and disintegrate.

Shake roofs rots cracks and warps.

Metal roofs surface become etched, losing lustre and durability.

All of these cause damage. Moreover mold, moss mildew accumulation can give a building a prematurely aged look. Even if they are removed over time with the help of a Mold Damage Restoration Company near you, they can sometimes seriously discolour the roof surface and facades and decrease property values. Finally, they have a knock-on effect: roof growth traps organic matter like leaves and nettles, which then are pushed into the gutters during storms, causing blockages and overflows. This vastly increases the costs of maintaining a building.

Roof Cleaning is an area we have been doing for the past few years as an offshoot of our gutter cleaning programs. These are often in building that have chronic blockage issues with their drainage systems. However we see many more buildings with similar issues. We utilize industry leading eco-friendly techniques, which not only remove the existing growth, but delay its return for several years. Finally, our technicians can clean most roofs, even ones with steep pitches. We can often use our rope access systems to reach areas that would normally be inaccessible to regular cleaning techniques.

October 12, 2011

Tight Budget? Save With Gutter Programs

A few times this fall, I’ve been asked to provide a quote for a partial clean at a strata. I’ve been happy to do so of course, but quickly found that if a strata is expecting to need a partial clean later in the year in a problem area, going with a gutter program can easily save them hundreds of dollars.

Our standard 1x gutter cleaning service price includes everything youd expect from a single servicing of the gutters at a strata. The program price is usually around $200 more, and includes 3 free visits within a 12 month period after the first visit in which the gutters are completely cleaned. Separately, a visit to do a partial clean can cost up to half the price of the full 1x clean, and is going to cost a minimum call out charge at least. This is usually going to be well over $200. With the free visits included in the program, the strata saves the difference.

For example, one strata who requested a quote for a partial clean would need to pay $475 based on the labor involved in cleaing that area. With the program, they’d save $275, and still have 2 more free service calls in case any other service needs arose throughout the year.

So consider going with a gutter cleaning program if you’re trying to save money for your stratas using partial cleans as a discount idea to leave some extra dollars in the budget. You will save money.