Two Quick Safety Tips for Roof Cleaning and Rejuvenation.

Roof applicator secured with proper fall protection but missing 2 critical safety items.

Safety in the roof rejuvenation space comes in two main categories and is often overlooked by roofers, soft washers, and exterior cleaners. For instance, when did you last see a roofing contractor wear fall protection harnesses while working on a roof? Or how many times have you seen a soft washer or exterior cleaner working with sodium hypochlorite without proper respiratory protection?

Unfortunately, lack of proper Personal Protection Equipment, or PPE, is the norm in most production environments. To change that, we incorporate safety as one of the foundations of the Roof Shield Academy.

Roof applicator secured with proper fall protection but missing 2 critical safety items.
Read below to find out what is missing in this image.
Advantages of Fall Protection Safety Training

Safety training and adherence to safety protocols are vital to a successful soft washing and roof rejuvenation business for several reasons. The first and most obvious is proper fall protection. Without fall protection, businesses run the risk of financial and physical loss. Financially, OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has strict guidelines to ensure the proper and safe approach to roof work. Ignoring these guidelines can often result in substantial fines that many smaller companies cannot afford.

Physically, injury and death are likely results of accidents at height without proper fall protection. These types of incidents affect a business beyond financially, although the financial burden is amplified greatly when compared to a fine only. Physical incidents can also affect the homeowner.

With this in mind, Roof Shield Academy teaches a full suite of methods to ascend, descend, and work on roof systems at height using OSHA-approved methods and techniques. Specifically, ascending and descending the roof with the RidgePro system, properly fitting a harness, and then anchoring the harnessed workers to the roof during application. This is something all certified Roof Shield applicators learn in the classroom and adhere to in the field.

Sodium Hypochlorite Safety

Educating others on proper respiratory safety when handling and applying Sodium Hypochlorite to clean roof systems is one of my personal vigils. In short, I see way too many soft washers applying Sodium Hypochlorite, or SH, without proper protection.

If you remember from the previous post on Why Soft Washers Should Test the Strength of Sodium Hypochlorite, SH is reactive and will react with organic material. Lungs just so happen to be organic material. Initially, and often experienced by those new to soft washing, exposure to SH will cause minor irritation to the back of the throat. This will generally be short-lived, but repeated exposure will lead to the development of scar tissue in the throat and lungs and, eventually, long-term breathing issues.

To properly clean roofs with Sodium Hypochlorite, applicators must wear proper respiratory protection in the form of an organic vapor respirator or mask. These are the masks labeled OV (Organic Vapor). Masks such as the common N95 will not filter out the vapors from Sodium Hypochlorite. Fortunately, this is a lesson most new soft washers only need to learn once.

Bonus Tip: Wear Eye Protection Always when Applying Sodium Hypochlorite

This shouldn’t need mentioning, but again, the number of soft washers spraying chemicals without eye protection is mind-boggling. SH spraying back into the face and SH overspray are constant hazards during soft washing and roof cleaning.

In addition to carrying a portable eye wash station, applicators should always wear eye protection when on or around the work site. Ideally, eye protection should be wrapped around goggles, but even large safety glasses will prevent the majority of accidents.

Conclusion

One of the many advantages certified Roof Shield applicators have is the comprehensive training they receive through the Roof Shield Academy (RSA). While attending RSA, applicators learn everything they need to know in order to run and build a successful soft washing and roof rejuvenation business. And with safety as one of the foundations of the Roof Shield process, all certified Roof Shield applicators, no matter their background, will understand and be able to implement proper safety protocols during the roof rejuvenation process to protect themselves, their employees, and customers

If you are a roofer, soft washer, or entrepreneur, Roof Shield is selling to and training applicators to service homeowners nationwide. Contact Roof Shield today to join the fast-growing roof rejuvenation and reconditioning sector.

To stay in touch with Roof Shield and always see our latest posts, like and subscribe our:

What is ASTM Testing?

ASTM is The American Society for Testing and Materials, an international standards organization that develops and publishes technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services. With asphalt shingle rejuvenation, ASTM testing compares the performance of rejuvenation products to new products, allowing us to evaluate the effectiveness of the rejuvenation process.

Why is ASTM Testing Important?

ASTM testing is important in this market because it ensures that the materials used in asphalt shingle rejuvenation meet specific standards for safety, quality, and performance. Furthermore, ASTM standards establish requirements for the physical properties of the materials used and quantify the improvements products such as Roof Shield’s Roof Reboot make on asphalt shingles.

In roof rejuvenation, we focus on the physical properties of asphalt shingles, which are also the main failure points:

  • granule adhesion
  • vapor permeance
  • pliability and flexibility

And through standardized ASTM testing, we can also compare the efficacy and performance of Roof Shield’s Roof Reboot against other offerings on the market. For instance, the Roof Shield rejuvenation process will take a 15-year-old asphalt shingle and bring its performance to the levels of a brand-new shingle and beyond.

I will expand on our ASTM test results in separate posts that will be linked below. But to eliminate any suspense, here is a summary of Roof Shield’s Roof Reboot results and how it compares to an unnamed competitor:

TestUnitRoof ShieldNew ShingleCompetitor
Water Vapor TransmissionPerms.029.0343.31
Granule AdhesionGrams.3.21.27
PliabilityPass/Fail100% Pass100% Pass95% Pass
Additional Properties
UV ProtectionYesNo
Color EnhancementYesN/AYes
USDA Biobased Product 98%N/A86%
Roof Shield vs. the competition on asphalt shingle rejuvenation and restoration.

Please check out our youtube video on vapor permeance for a prime example of our ASTM testing results and why Roof Shield offers the best product.

Advantages of ASTM Testing for Roof Rejuvenation

In addition to validating the process of roof rejuvenation and providing industry markers to test for:

  • ASTM testing shows that asphalt shingle rejuvenation is a cost-effective alternative to roof replacement.
  • ASTM testing proves that Roof Shield’s Roof Reboot asphalt shingle rejuvenation brings the performance of the asphalt shingle back to new, adding years of life to the roof system.
  • With superior ASTM test results, Roof Shield is an excellent alternative to roof replacement and will save homeowners significantly while reducing the waste found in the roofing sector.

Conclusion

Now that you know what ASTM testing is and why it is used in the asphalt shingle rejuvenation market, we will dig deeper into the industry’s specific ASTM tests.

If you are a roofer, soft washer, or entrepreneur, Roof Shield is selling to and training applicators to service homeowners nationwide. Contact Roof Shield today to join the fast-growing roof rejuvenation and reconditioning sector.

To stay in touch with Roof Shield and always see our latest posts, like and subscribe our:

Why Testing Sodium Hypochlorite Strength is Important in Soft Washing?

Image of a graph showing the degradation of sodium hypochlorite vs storage temperature.

Soft washing is essential for maintaining roofs and removing the damaging black streaks caused by Gloeocapsa Magma. The primary cleaning agent used in soft washing is sodium hypochlorite, which can degrade quickly due to various factors such as heat, low pH, exposure to UV light, and contamination. This degradation is a significant concern for soft wash applicators who must spray a precise percentage of sodium hypochlorite to clean different surfaces.

However, most soft wash applicators do not know their sodium hypochlorite strength or degradation level. They often over-spray chemicals, resulting in potential surface damage and harmful effects on landscaping.

Accurate sodium hypochlorite strength testing is essential, and Roof Shield offers easy, reliable, and repeatable testing that is easy to use in the field. This article will discuss the importance of testing sodium hypochlorite strength in soft washing and the need for an easy and accurate testing method.

Sodium Hypochlorite Degradation

Soft washing is the first step of the Roof Shield roof rejuvenation process, and sodium hypochlorite is the main active ingredient in soft washing. Sodium hypochlorite is an excellent cleaner used in industries worldwide. Its popularity derives from its proven, broad-spectrum action, is non-poisonous in low concentrations, and breaks down into harmless, naturally occurring products (salt, water, oxygen). The decomposition reaction is as follows:

2 NaOCl (Sodium Hypochlorite) → 2 NaCl (Sodium Chloride) + O2 (Oxygen)

Sodium hypochlorite is very reactive, which is one of the reasons it cleans so well. This reactivity also means it can degrade quickly depending on several factors. And as sodium hypochlorite in water degrades to saline, it also loses its effectiveness as a cleaner.

What Contributes to Sodium Hypochlorite Instability?

Heat is the primary factor that degrades sodium hypochlorite.

For example, the shelf life of 12.5% sodium hypochlorite decreases by approximately three times when the storage temperature is raised from 70° F to 85°F.

  • 12.5% SH at 70° F lasts about three months
  • 12.5% SH at 85° F lasts about a month
  • 12.5% SH at 100° F lasts about a week

Sodium hypochlorite storage in vans or trailers will cause exponential degradation due to extreme temperatures. A van in 85° weather can be 135° on the inside.

  • Vans get 50 degrees hotter than the outside temperature.

  • Trailers get 40 degrees hotter than the outside temperature

The following graphs show sodium hypochlorite degradation and how it relates to storage temperature:

Sodium Hypochlorite Degradation image
Sodium hypochlorite degradation vs. time.
Image of a graph showing the degradation of sodium hypochlorite vs storage temperature.
Sodium Hypochlorite Shelf Life vs. Storage Temperature

Other factors that degrade sodium hypochlorite.

  • Low pH – Lowering the pH will decrease the sodium hypochlorite in the solution and liberates free chlorine.
  • Sunlight – Exposure to UV light degrades sodium hypochlorite.
  • Contamination – Certain metals in the solution (e.g., nickel) will promote degradation.

With the degradation of sodium hypochlorite and soft wash applicators claiming to spray a precise % of sodium hypochlorite, typically 1% to 6%, to clean different surfaces from siding to roofs, it’s essential to know what the sodium hypochlorite strength is.

The problem with sodium hypochlorite testing

Most soft wash applicators do not know what percent of sodium hypochlorite they spray. They purchase sodium hypochlorite labeled with the percent that was present at manufacturing. Without the ability to test the strength of sodium hypochlorite and unaware of the actual sodium hypochlorite degradation that may have occurred, soft washers often spray a higher calculated percent than is required.

ARMA, Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, recommends 3% sodium hypochlorite to clean roofs. So why do many soft washers swear they can’t clean at 3% and must use 6%? The answer is that many soft washers do not know how much their sodium hypochlorite has degraded since they purchased it. So they turn up their blend manifolds until the sodium hypochlorite ‘begins to work .’Effectively guessing at their actual application strength. And one of the significant problems with spraying with 6% is that it is much more likely to kill landscaping.

Using the standard testing method to determine sodium hypochlorite strength is not easy. Traditionally, “Sodium hypochlorite is titrated with standard thiosulfate solution to a colorless endpoint. The number of digits of thiosulfate required is proportional to the hypochlorite concentration in the original bleach sample.”

If you understand this, you must be a chemist.

A soft wash technician trying to ensure they have the right sodium hypochlorite strength should have a test that is easy, accurate, and repeatable. Roof Shield teaches all its applicators just this, a sodium hypochlorite test that is easy, accurate, repeatable, and simple to use in the field. We ensure our applicators effectively clean roofs without killing a homeowner’s landscaping. This test method is taught monthly in Roof Shield’s new applicator class and is just one of many advantages all certified Roof Shield Applicators employ.

If you would like further information on sodium hypochlorite testing, please contact us.

Darral Simmons

If you are a roofer, soft washer, or entrepreneur, Roof Shield is selling to and training applicators to service homeowners nationwide. Contact Roof Shield today to join the fast-growing roof rejuvenation and reconditioning sector.

To stay in touch with Roof Shield and always see our latest posts, like and subscribe our:

How Soft Washers Test Sodium Hypochlorite?

Demonstrating a mock sodium hypochlorite strength test in the field for soft washing and roof rejuvenation.

The short answer is that most soft washers do not test their Sodium Hypochlorite cleaning solutions. As a result, they apply much higher concentrations of SH than they should and run the risk of damaging plants, animals, and even the roof systems themselves. At Roof Shield, we make soft washing a science and teach all of our certified applicators how to test Sodium Hypochlorite easily in the field. Ensuring the roof cleaning is performed in the best and safest manner every time. Here is Roof Shield co-founder Darral Simmons with more:

If you are a roofer, soft washer, or entrepreneur, Roof Shield sells to and trains applicators to service homeowners nationwide. Contact Roof Shield today to join the fast-growing roof rejuvenation and reconditioning sector.

To stay in touch with Roof Shield and always see our latest posts, like and subscribe to our:

VIDEO – Why is My Roof Turning Black?

Unsightly black streaks, aka Gloecapsa Magma, on a roof before treatment by Roof Shield.

Check out the video below to find out what Darral Simmons, the co-founder and developer of Roof Shield’s roof rejuvenation product, Roof Reboot, has to say about those ugly black streaks on your roof. Scroll down after the video for more.

Learn how Roof Shield’s innovative treatment system eliminates algae and restores the look and performance of your roof. Watch our video now.

What are the black streaks on my roof?

The black stains on roofs are dead cells of a tiny, pesky microscopic creature called Gloeocapsa Magma, often referred to as blue-green algae and commonly mistaken for soot, dirt, or tree droppings. Gloeocapsa Magma is technically not algae but is a cyanobacterium or photosynthesizing bacteria that thrives in humid climates.

Why does Gloeocapsa Magma grow on my roof?

Modern asphalt shingles contain powdered limestone that blends well with liquid asphalt. Gloeocapsa magma loves to eat the calcium carbonate found in limestone.

Before the 1970s, limestone was not a component of shingles. Shingle manufacturers used felt paper as the base material instead. In the ’70s, manufacturers replaced the felt paper foundation with fiberglass and soon discovered the thin fiberglass mats would not absorb enough asphalt to meet the minimum requirements of weight per square. 

As a result, powdered limestone was blended with liquid asphalt to meet these requirements.

However, shingle manufacturers should have looked around at limestone buildings in the southern parts of the USA. Most of them harbor Gloeocapsa Magma which would now have a new surface to attack.

Are black streaks causing damage to my roof? 

YES.

Antidotal opinions claim that the black streaks on roofs are only cosmetic and do not cause damage. But the science says otherwise, and in fact, Gloeocapsa Magma is actively destroying limestone fillers found in modern asphalt shingles, resulting in increased shingle porosity. 

We can look at the ASTM E-96 Water Transmission test to validate this claim. 

ASTM stands for the American Society for Testing and Materials, known as ASTM International. ASTM is an organization that publishes production and testing standards for various industries, including asphalt roofing manufacturers. 

We use ASTM testing to show that Roof Shields’s roof rejuvenation process brings a 15-year-old shingle back to the same performance level as a new shingle. And using the Water Transmission test, we can show that a 15-year-old shingle has a water transmission of 29.5 Perms. In contrast, the same 15-year-old shingle, treated with Roof Shield’s asphalt shingle rejuvenator, Roof Reboot, has a water transmission of .029 Perms.

For context, a new shingle is .034 Perms, meaning that Roof Shield brings the Water Transmission of a 15-year-old shingle back to new and more.

And anything above 10 Perms is no longer considered a vapor barrier, meaning a 15-year-old roof allows water to transmit behind the shingles. And this water transmission is the result of years of limestone depletion and shingle thinning.

How to eliminate the black streaks on roofs?

ARMA, Asphalt Roofing Manufacturer Association, recommends using a 3% sodium hypochlorite solution to remove the black streaks through a process called soft washing. Although soft washing is a core component of Roof Shield’s ‘clean-restore-protect’ process, we do not recommend it as a stand-alone process. 

Referencing the previously discussed ASTM E-96 Water Transmission test that showed a 15-year-old roof was failing, removing any material on a failing roof could make the roof worse as the algae’s black top crust acts as a de facto roof layer.

The only way to remove the black streaks on a failing and then restore the shingle’s vapor barrier to new shingle performance is to apply Roof Reboot after soft washing, which is the last step of Roof Shield’s rejuvenation process.

By soft washing, and then applying Roof Shield’s shingle rejuvenator, Roof Reboot, asphalt shingles can be cleaned and restored to like new performance and look.

Please get in touch with us if you would like future information on black streaks on roofs.

Darral Simmons

If you are a roofer, soft washer, or entrepreneur, Roof Shield is selling to and training applicators to service homeowners nationwide. Contact Roof Shield today to join the fast-growing roof rejuvenation and reconditioning sector.

To stay in touch with Roof Shield and always see our latest posts, like and subscribe our: