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When should I get my house pressure cleaned?

Fungus grows on dirt. Over time, dirt accumulates on surfaces and if not removed, fungus will

grow.

For shingle roofs, which usually have zinc or copper treatments, it takes approximately 7-14

years for fungus to show. Dirt accumulates between the granules and if not removed, fungus

will grow and become very unsightly. For appearance sake, it is wise to have your shingle

roof cleaned by a qualified roofing tech when you begin to see streaks of fungus.

Tile roofs should be cleaned every 2-3 years if properly cleaned by a professional (low

chemical). However, this depends on your tile color and many different circumstances such as

the amount of trees around your roof system. Trees are dirty and if close to your roof, make it

dirty also (remember, fungus grows on dirt). Chemical cleans or “bleach cleans” (high

chemical application) may look great after application but rarely ever last long. It is advised to

have the roof properly washed clean of excess chemical, dirt or skeletal remains of fungus.

(See – How Should My Tile Roof Be Cleaned?)

Home exteriors, soffit and fascia – we recommend a yearly clean for optimum physical

appearance and maintenance of your home.

Pool cages and decks – at minimum, we recommend a yearly cleaning.

Driveways can be cleaned whenever they show fungus. NOTE: Always use degreasers (Even dish soap works!)

immediately if you see any oil spots on your driveway. (See – Can You Remove the Oil Stains

From My Driveway?)

How should my tile roof be cleaned?

John, the owner/operator of Complete Clean, is a State of Florida Certified Roofing

Contractor. His 30 years of roofing experience and product knowledge makes him qualified to

clean any roof the safest way possible to ensure not only a beautiful roof, but one that will last

as long as it should. Most tile manufacturers recommend an application of 10% chemical solution

applied to the surface. Next, a thorough pressure cleaning with water, not to exceed 1200 PSI,

to remove the dirt, fungus and chemical solution. This procedure does not damage the glazing

on the tile (Note: 96% of all tile roofs are glazed) and prevents damage to any metal such as

eave drip, valley flashing and vents that are critical to the life of your roof system. Be careful

for companies who claim to be professional pressure cleaners when what they really provide is

a chemical cleaning. This process of chemical cleaning involves high concentrations of

chlorine and can be very damaging to your tile glazing, and more important, the overall roof

system and vegetation around your home. Chemical cleaning or “bleach” cleaning does not

remove the dirt and fungus from your roof, it simply bleaches it. Because of this, your roof

needs to be cleaned more often since the fungus grows back much quicker. When getting

quotes for a tile roof clean, be sure to ask what process they use to clean your roof. A proper

clean, ask what percentage of chlorine they use and if they only rinse or properly clean all the

chlorine off your roof. (NOTE: This should be done at close range – 6”-12” or much residue

will remain! This process takes 4-6 hours on the average roof. - 2,000 S.F. Living area. (Chemical cleans are very

easy and take a fraction of the time. Caution: Think about it, who would want 20-35 gallons of Chlorine applied to their home?)

Do you have to walk on my tile roof?

Yes but there is a proper way to do so. Proper distribution of weight on the tile and proper footwear is required.

Qualified technicians know how to walk properly on the tiles. If there

are cracked or chipped tiles on your roof, we will repair them with roof tile

adhesive at a minimal or no fee. (See – Tile Repairing) Note: Most cracking and chipping are

not caused by qualified pressure cleaning personnel. In most cases it is caused by unqualified

people on your roof (i.e. cable/satellite installers), expansion/contraction, golf balls and uneven

decking/tile installation.

Tile Repairing

The largest and one of the most important reasons for hiring a professional is the fact that

once the cracked/chipped tiles are missing from the roof, they are gone forever. Between

each cleaning, approximately 5-15 tiles get chipped or cracked due to expansion/contraction.

When the small piece (normally 1 ½” x 3”) slides off the roof, it is gone. As most roofing

contractors are best qualified to perform this task, it is expensive. Standard charge is over $200.00

per inspection/repair. Therefore, making the thorough clean a bargain. Not to mention, a

chemical clean takes only a fraction of the time, and in many cases almost as expensive as a thorough

clean and is an inferior process. This decision for an informed person is a no brainer.

Considering that the cost of reglazing your tile roof properly is in excess of $4K-$7K and an average tile roof

replacement costs in excess of $30K, why would any intelligent person allow an unqualified

tech to dump gallons of highly concentrated chemicals on their residence? The bottom line is

that hiring a professional is a good investment. Hiring a cheap soft washer is a mistake a very serious one.

Can a shingle roof be cleaned without damaging it?

Yes. But only by a qualified professional. The owner/operator of Complete Clean is a Florida

Licensed State Certified Roofing Contractor. The recommended way to clean your shingle

roof is by applying a low solution of chemical to loosen the dirt and kill the fungus. Then, using

VERY LOW pressure, rinse the dirt and fungus from the shingles. This procedure leaves you

with a clean and beautiful shingle roof. Typically, shingle roofs do not show fungus for 7-14

years and if it is cleaned properly, will not show fungus for another 6-8 years after it is cleaned.

CAUTION: Do not let anyone apply high pressure to your shingle roof or use high solutions of

chemical or “bleach clean” your roof. For obvious reasons, high pressure will remove

excessive granules from your roof shortening its lifespan. “Bleach cleaners” or also known as "Soft Wash" spray high solutions of chlorine and tell you that over the course of a few days or so your roof will appear

cleaner. This is because they leave chemical residue on your roof. This process is damaging

to any metal found on your shingle roof including nails, vents, valley metal and eave drip.

Roofing contractors, like the owner of Complete Clean, have seen this damage over and over

again. AGAIN, only allow a professional to clean your roof. NOTE: Typically, we would not

recommend a shingle roof over 14-16 years old to be cleaned.

Do my plants need to be covered?

Quality commercial equipment gives the pressure cleaner the option to use only a light 10%

solution of chemical with water. This will not threaten most plants. Damage to plants usually

is from a high concentration of chemical reaching the soil around your plant. If you are

concerned about your plants, especially newly planted foliage, we suggest the following:

 Water around your plants before your pressure washing (the evening or morning before).

 If possible, move any potted plants off your decks and from around your house.

DO NOT hire Soft Wash cleaners who use high concentrations of chlorine and other chemicals.

Will pressure cleaning damage my pool screens?

Our specialized equipment allows us to use very minimal pressure. Therefore, it is very rare to

damage even old screens. That being said, screens normally last 8-11 years before needing

replacement. Inspect your screens by pushing lightly along the framework of your cage. If the

screen rips away from the spline, you should replace. If your screens fray when you

scratch them. This shows deterioration and the need for replacement.

Can you remove mud dobbers?

Yes, we can remove the dobber, however, if a mud dobber has existed very long, it is very

possible it has penetrated your paint. Quite often, when you knock a mud dobber off your wall,

you will see an outline of the dobber that has penetrated your paint/stucco surface. At times, it

is difficult to remove this outline or stain without removing your paint/stucco. Our pressure

cleaning technician will attempt to remove the dobber without any damage to your

paint/stucco. If you notice some paint or stucco was removed as well, it is because it came off

with your dobber. Our technicians will try to only use low pressure on the exterior of your

home. We will not use more pressure on your dobber area than necessary. Therefore, we

cannot guarantee complete removal of mud dobbers that have existed for too long of a period.

We recommend you remove a dobber AS SOON as you notice it, before it is able to

stain/penetrate your paint/stucco surface.

Will the pressure cleaning streak my windows?

If not rinsed properly, it can. Using a low solution of chlorine, as well as trying not to saturate the window, and then properly rinsing should eliminate most streaking. Although, we cannot guarantee no streaking of windows. Many customers schedule their yearly window cleaning after their pressure

cleaning.

Will pressure cleaning damage the paint on my house?

We use low pressure and treat with a very light chemical to loosen the dirt and kill the fungus.

We clean with pure water and low pressure to remove the dirt and fungus. If your paint is flaky

or chalky, we recommend a Paint Prep which will remove flaky paint and chalk giving you an

excellent surface to repaint. When we have performed a paint prep, your home looks like it is

ready to be repainted. Paint preps should be completed shortly before you repaint.

Can pressure cleaning remove a fertilizer stain from my deck, sidewalk or driveway?

Not usually. A fertilizer stain is a mineral stain, therefore, it changes the concrete surface by

sinking into the top layer of slurry (1/4” – 1/2”, permanently changing the chemical composition

of the concrete. Fertilizer stains are usually very dark and can sometimes be confused with

rust stains. We will use cleaners to try to lighten the stain but we cannot guarantee removal of

a fertilizer stain. In most cases the stain will not budge.

Note: If there is dirt and fungus, we will remove it, but we cannot guarantee the removal of

invasive stains such as fertilizer, rust or oil.

Can you remove rust stains?

In many cases, yes. Please specify when calling for quote since more time, effort and cleaning

solution is needed to deal with this issue. We apply rust removers that can sometimes

completely remove the stain. In some cases, if the stain has set for a long time, we are only able to

lighten the stain. Since every stain is different, we cannot guarantee all rust stains will be

removed. Note: If there is dirt and fungus, we will remove it, but we cannot guarantee the

removal of invasive stains such as fertilizer, rust or oil.

Can you remove the oil stains on my gutters, soffit/fascia or eave drip?

Remember, if there is dirt and fungus, we will remove it, but we cannot guarantee the removal

of invasive stains such as oak trees, foreign stains, oil or oxidation. Usually these streaks on

your gutters are caused by the oxidation of pollutants that have settled on your gutters.

Certain products and mixtures can be purchased and used to clean oily residue on gutters

which usually requires spraying the product on the gutter and then wiping it off by hand. We

do not offer this service. The best defense is a yearly standard pressure cleaning.

Can you remove the oil stains in my driveway?

Removal depends mainly on how long the stain has been there. Concrete is porous and oil,

transmission fluid and grease can soak in quickly. We recommend applying degreasers (dish

soap works well) immediately to break up the oil. Our technician will use degreasers on the

stain and then pressure wash. This process can, in some cases, eliminate the stain

completely. If the stain has been set for a while, it will usually lighten the stain considerably.

Because all stains are different, we cannot guarantee their complete removal. Suggestion:

Put dish soap occasionally on the stain and do not rinse. Let the degreaser sink into the

concrete and eliminate the stain over time. This has worked but no guarantee depending on

the age and severity of the stain.

Is there anything I should do before you arrive?

Yes. Here is list of some helpful tips:

Water:

Your hoses can remain where they are. We will be using our own hoses.

Plants:

 Water any foliage around the home the evening or morning before the pressure

cleaning.

 Move any moveable potted plants from the area that is being pressure cleaned. (Your option)

Exterior Clean:

 Remove any moveable decorative items from area that will be cleaned.

 Remove parked vehicles away from the home.

 Make sure all windows and doors to the home are closed/sealed.

 If you are aware of any leaks around windows or doors, please alert the technician on the day of appointment.

Roof Clean:

 A light chemical solution of chlorine and water will be running off your roof. Please remove

any personal items, furniture and anything that could be damaged from this runoff. If

there is an attached cage and deck area, please pull items under the roof into the lanai

area. If you are getting a roof clean only, we will do a light rinse of your exterior and

deck area where there is runoff.

 If you are aware of any leaks please alert office personnel when making the

appointment and the technician on the day of appointment.

Pool Cage & Deck Clean:

 Make sure screen door is unlocked for access.

 Remove personal items such as towels, swim suits, etc. from deck and lanai area.

 Remove furniture from lanai and deck area. (Your option)

Driveway:

 Make sure all vehicles are removed from driveway.

​

NOTE: While we are pressure cleaning, be careful coming in and out of your home since there may be water with minimal chlorine dripping from above. Also, DO NOT DRIVE OVER OUR HOSES since they will be damaged. These are specialized hoses that are expensive to replace.

Will you be using my water?

Yes. Although it may seem a tremendous amount of water is used, that is not the case. Your water bill is usually not affected, and if it is, it will be VERY MINIMAL.

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