Is roof cleaning a con and what's the best way to do it?

[P4dstar]

He's spraying that all over the place wearing a short sleeved t shirt.  You gotta to wear the right PPE and keep it off your body. 

You're probably right mate. I also believe you're meant to have a spraying qualification to use stuff like this, reckon most people who do it ain't got it.

If was to use a tower and Marshall scrapper, would that do a good enough job for a customer? 

This is what roofers round here do, they do that because they will get repeat business IMO. A roof scraped needs to be done again in 12-18 months, if you treat it with biocide it will last for 3-5 years. The hard work is scraping the moss, the easy bit is spraying it and probably allows you to charge much more.

 

[Iron Giant]

Still not selling it to me mate. I don't doubt that pressure washing a roof looks great. I just doubt that it's safe.





 

I was walking through the village this morning and saw a young lad pressure washing a roof, a shop roof on a cat ladder no other safety equipment no cordoning off of the footpath below with other shops open for business one wrong move and he would have possibly ended up dead at worst or seriously injured spending the rest of his life a cripple not sure which would be worse for him and his family , but dam right stupid that's for certain 

 

[triangle]

You're probably right mate. I also believe you're meant to have a spraying qualification to use stuff like this, reckon most people who do it ain't got it.

Biocide like hypo is dangerous for our bodies  I've used hypo on patios and walls. Wore wellies, a £10 chemical suit, gloves and chemical mask for the wall job.  Maybe I am over the top and worrying too much but at height and our feet off the ground it's harder to operate with this PPE on.

    This property maintenance who said he'd find me and my friend work cleaning roofs and we'll have a meeting, I'll tell him we'll scrape the moss off only.  That we only use chemicals with our feet on the floor 

 

[P4dstar]

I was walking through the village this morning and saw a young lad pressure washing a roof, a shop roof on a cat ladder no other safety equipment no cordoning off of the footpath below with other shops open for business one wrong move and he would have possibly ended up dead at worst or seriously injured spending the rest of his life a cripple not sure which would be worse for him and his family , but dam right stupid that's for certain 

I reckon we just remove all the warning labels and let evolution take over mate. Give it a few years we would be shut of people like that ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

When I was in the fire service we did working at heights with a harness on. The way we connected the harness was quite unique. Fitted eye bolt at front of house and one at the back of house. A rope with loops in it was place over the top of the roof and connected to each eye bold. On the roof one just snaps the carabiner onto one of the loops. Got the stuff today and that's what I intend to do. :1f609:

 

[Iron Giant]

I reckon we just remove all the warning labels and let evolution take over mate. Give it a few years we would be shut of people like that ?

I hear what you are saying, I also saw another 2 young lads pointing the ridge tiles on a roof not much after 9 am on a Sunday my thoughts are the gaffer will be in bed without any thought for their safety and they will be getting paid peanuts ?

 

[triangle]

When I was in the fire service we did working at heights with a harness on. The way we connected the harness was quite unique. Fitted eye bolt at front of house and one at the back of house. A rope with loops in it was place over the top of the roof and connected to each eye bold. On the roof one just snaps the carabiner onto one of the loops. Got the stuff today and that's what I intend to do. :1f609:

Interesting.  I'd love to see photos of it and where u get the rope with loops from?   All getting a bit Bear Grylls if u ask me. 

 I've got a harness and rope but was told to tie the rope to a tree or car tow bar.  Tying yourself to the chimney is also good but you still got to get it first. 

For now until I have more confidence or training I'm getting one of those metal scrappers putting them on my SLX and hiring a mitower.  You work up to 6 metres on them and only £70.  No chemicals either, my friend did one the other day just scraping.  Builders just scrape roofs without spraying and I'm not messing up my lungs with biocide. 

 

[Pjj]

The knots Scottish is referring to are called alpine butterfly knots , I too have a Fireservice background and they are used a lot with all the working at heights regs a right pain ??? 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Interesting.  I'd love to see photos of it and where u get the rope with loops from?   All getting a bit Bear Grylls if u ask me. 

 I've got a harness and rope but was told to tie the rope to a tree or car tow bar.  Tying yourself to the chimney is also good but you still got to get it first. 

For now until I have more confidence or training I'm getting one of those metal scrappers putting them on my SLX and hiring a mitower.  You work up to 6 metres on them and only £70.  No chemicals either, my friend did one the other day just scraping.  Builders just scrape roofs without spraying and I'm not messing up my lungs with biocide. 

Make the loops in the rope by yourself, all you do is tie a knot in it. Simple and very effective.

The knots Scottish is referring to are called alpine butterfly knots , I too have a Fireservice background and they are used a lot with all the working at heights regs a right pain ??? 

Thanks, always wondered what they were called? We just called them loops but you are right with that working at height regs. I don't know where a firefighter gets the time to train in all the new stuff never mind the main job.

 

[triangle]

Make the loops in the rope by yourself, all you do is tie a knot in it. Simple and very effective.

Thanks, always wondered what they were called? We just called them loops but you are right with that working at height regs. I don't know where a firefighter gets the time to train in all the new stuff never mind the main job.

I have a rope and harness in my garage. Going to try and get some lessons at a local climbing centre.  They teach vertical climbing and we would be climbing up steep surfaces but would still be able to apply the skills as a backup if I had to go up a roof i reckon.  

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I have a rope and harness in my garage. Going to try and get some lessons at a local climbing centre.  They teach vertical climbing and we would be climbing up steep surfaces but would still be able to apply the skills as a backup if I had to go up a roof i reckon.  

I always use an extending roof ladder when I am on a roof also.

 

[triangle]

I always use an extending roof ladder when I am on a roof also.

U could even use both.  Ladder and rope with harness.  The rope is a backup incase you slip off ladder. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I am also a joiner, builder so I naturally put a ladder up to the gutter or beyond and then fit the roof ladder and tie both together. If there is a chimney then I will use that as an anchor as well. Common sense in the end, utube is good for videos of it. Miserable day up here and I'm meant to be working outside.

 

[triangle]

I am also a joiner, builder so I naturally put a ladder up to the gutter or beyond and then fit the roof ladder and tie both together. If there is a chimney then I will use that as an anchor as well. Common sense in the end, utube is good for videos of it. Miserable day up here and I'm meant to be working outside.

I guess tieing the ladder (on a standoff) to a roof baton and also to roof ladder which is hooked over ridge gives you better safety.  Transferring from one ladder to another is quite dangerous I reckon 

 

[triangle]

I am also a joiner, builder so I naturally put a ladder up to the gutter or beyond and then fit the roof ladder and tie both together. If there is a chimney then I will use that as an anchor as well. Common sense in the end, utube is good for videos of it. Miserable day up here and I'm meant to be working outside.

How do you know if the tiles are asbestos?   Curious before me and my friend start scraping. 

I see another plus point for pressure washing now - u won't breathe in any dust or asbestos fibres with all that water. 

 

[P4dstar]

How do you know if the tiles are asbestos?   Curious before me and my friend start scraping.

It's only in old cement tiles by the look of it. I've asked the question to a retired former roofer, i'll let you know what he says.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Old asbestos tiles are very thin and usually on old buildings, if unable to identify then seek advice before going ahead.

 

[P4dstar]

Old asbestos tiles are very thin and usually on old buildings, if unable to identify then seek advice before going ahead.

The answer I got was that the tiles would only be a few mm thick and easy to spot. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Got another roof clean to do today. Small mid-terrace roof with moss on it which falls onto the patio area. Window cleaner cleaned the gutter but couldn't clean the roof. I said I would do it but need a calm day to do it. My minimum price is 200 for a roof clean so I will let you know how I get on in a week or two.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Did that small roof clean today and I'm knackered. PW the roof is ok its the cleaning up after you come back down. Only took me a few hours but many more cleaning up the mess. I think I will put a minimum price of £300 on roof cleaning. Neighbours were out talking to me about cleaning her porch roof. Think it will be a talking point and may get a few others from it. I have a big 5 bedroom roof to clean tomorrow so this will be key because its a big posh area with posh prices.

 

[Pjj]

Did that small roof clean today and I'm knackered. PW the roof is ok its the cleaning up after you come back down. Only took me a few hours but many more cleaning up the mess. I think I will put a minimum price of £300 on roof cleaning. Neighbours were out talking to me about cleaning her porch roof. Think it will be a talking point and may get a few others from it. I have a big 5 bedroom roof to clean tomorrow so this will be key because its a big posh area with posh prices.

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Looking good , nice job done there , not being critical but you are way to cheap , should be a minimum of £600 at least , I don’t know anyone that dies roofs for less than that , Evan the pickeys charge that , don’t undersell your services