[AndyDS]

Could I have some advice please?
I have a house clean ( Algae over walls - painted pebbledash) and a roof clean (moss - concrete tile) early in the new year.
I have been looking at these products:

Simply Gone - moss and Algae remover            5 Ltr @ £57.00             
Q-Clear 50   (Quats based)                           10Ltr @ £49.50            
Nordic ISO A-CLEAN                                      5Ltr @ £48.00            
Algoclear  (mossgo)                                      5 Ltr @ £55.00
Hypo - which I already use, but have not used it on roofs before.
Looking for lasting effects of 12 -24 months or more   .
Have any of you guys used these products, or could you recommend any of them? A
Thank you. Best wishes to you all for the new year.
Kind regards
Andy   

[chris scott]

Mossgo PRO at 50-1. Remember that heavy deposits will need to be removed first. Speak to Francois  01628 687 022.
I have a pump for sale in the for sale section if you are interested...(shameless plug )

[Rob_Mac]

I'd be interested to know the methodology for the products please, from the OP and how you would use it Chris.

Is it a pre treatment to pressure washing?

Is it a treatment after pressure washing?

Is it a treatment with no pressure washing?

Whichever way it is used what are the benefits?

Rob

[chris scott]

We started using "quats" when cleaning listed buildings and delicate structures...sandstones etc. English heritage ,national trust and the rest of the tree/building hugging fraternity would of had kittens if you had used a "pressure washer" on their listed buildings. Hence I started to look at these biodegradable hippy chemicals for sensitive cleans .
Typically 1 litre of quats mixed with 50/60 litres of water could be applied to about 200 sq feet of "green " building . After that the building along with the sun and the rain cleans itself.
There will always be  a call for pressure washing...everybody wants it clean now! It is a different way of cleaning certain things...not a substitute. What Quats does do is kills all the root system of the mosses and algae...pressure washing only takes the top off.
It can be used as maintenance once you have cleaned say your tesco roof .Every 3/4 years go back and spray it with Quats and you will start "self cleaning" process again. Spraying can be done in  fraction of the time and cost it takes to pressure wash.

Quats can also be used as a sanitiser. Useful if you have been in foreign climates with "women" of dubious status 
Quats kills more germs than Domestos .

[Rob_Mac]

I read the blurb on the links I found and if I am honest I didn't think of the heritage angle but from what you are saying they serve no purpose in day to day pressure washing activities and are a waste of time?

Rob

[Rob_Mac]

If I do go with dubious women I will remember to pack some Mossgo

Good tip

Rob

[chris scott]

Not a waste of time....just different.
I tend you use it for roof cleans instead of pressure washing...i dont like pressure washing roofs
Render cleaning is another...cleaning stonework in/over were there is public access. Disinfection of chicken sheds, stables, dog kennels.
We put some in the monument fountain as the water was going green and staining the stonework....got the quantity wrong tho'  there were bubbles everywhere.

[Rob_Mac]

I understand the principles behind them but I don't see their use in the wider market.

I have only ever used a 36% brick acid and graffiti removers, in seven years of works. I wouldn't use chemicals of any kind on a live storefront and on my works there wouldn't ever be any requirements for a spray & go. There is either the money in the budget to clean - straight away or they don't have the work done at all.

For a spray & Go scenario how long do they take to get an end result?

Rob

[chris scott]

Algae blooms die straight away. How long before the building comes clean is dependant on the level/type of soiling.Generally buildings will be cleaner and remain cleaner with less damage to the structure... than pressure washing.

Pressure washing gives instant results which is what most clients want to see. Those who understand exactly what you are doing to the surface and the a effects of what you are doing are your "quats" clients.

Most people don't give a Fu** tho ...look at what we are doing to our planet so we can have a bigger house,faster car,bigger telly etc

[Rob_Mac]

Yes it is certainly all about the 'now' -  you are talking from a heritage perspective though because let's face it cleaning a block drive, concrete wall & or terracotta tile roof there is no need to concern ourselves with the finer detail of the surface

Rob

[chris scott]

We have a wall to clean with sandstone posts and copings.
The sandstone is soft and will not take repeat pressure washing.The wall is also situated under a long row of trees also North facing. I have explained the method using "quats" to the client and they are happy to accept this method even though the "clean" will not be instant.
For us the job will pay better as we are using specialist methods for a difficult clean. We will complete the "clean" in a fraction of the time it would take to pressure wash. The customer will benefit in that the wall will be cleaner  and stay in better condition than if it was "pressure washed " every year .
Quats is just another tool for cleaning .....same as a fsc or a turbo nozzle.

[peter maybury]

Setting up a successful business is not about the now factor. It is about understanding what you are doing and giving your clients good sound advice that they will keep coming back for. If you cannot do that then you are leaving it open for someone that can, to come along and educate and take that customer.
Changing the ph to kill the moss is sound sense but it needs time to do its job, a quick spray then a rinse is not so effective.
Peter

[G O Cleaning]

The prices quoted seem very expensive, you can buy these products cheaper, we use Iso. However, If you pressure wash a roof, in general it will take yrs for moss regrowth without any treatment to eliminate spores, algae can be as little a 6 mths.
Be carefull with spray drift, protect ponds etc as most of these products are higly toxic to fish  .

Chris,
Whats the difference between Benzalkonium Chloride and Didecyldimethylammonium Chloride ?

[chris scott]

The prices quoted seem very expensive, you can buy these products cheaper, we use Iso. However, If you pressure wash a roof, in general it will take yrs for moss regrowth without any treatment to eliminate spores, algae can be as little a 6 mths.
Be carefull with spray drift, protect ponds etc as most of these products are higly toxic to fish  .

Chris,
Whats the difference between Benzalkonium Chloride and Didecyldimethylammonium Chloride ?

Don't know! I will phone a friend after the new year.
Some quats are a naturally "soapy"(helps with application) and some kill a much wider range of bugs, algae etc. than others. Maybe this is why some "quats" products are used more than others.
It might even be down to cost...but i am just guessing.
There are loads of chemicals in the quats group ...both of those you mention are.

[AndyDS]

Thanks Chris,

Do you know the cost of the Mossgo Pro? The standard Mossgo is £55.00 for 5L delivered which has a 15:1 dilution rate.
Also Moss go contains Didecyldimethylammonium chloride. Is this the same as Quaternary Ammonium?

This product contains Quats, also at a 15:1 dilution rate but is half the price at £28.00 for 5L delivered.
http://www.taylormclure.co.uk/pages/more_information__qclear_50_moss_killer_158684.cfm
What are your thoughts?

The roof has small clumps of moss over the surface, can I saturate the clumps and leave it to work. I don't like getting up on roofs if I can help it. In my quote I have priced for a re-visit to clear gutters after a couple months.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Andy

[Rob_Mac]

With the OPs stated works is one of the products beneficial or would it be easier to just pressure wash without a spray?

Rob

[chris scott]

With the OPs stated works is one of the products beneficial or would it be easier to just pressure wash without a spray?

Rob

Rob I don't understand the question.
Andy
Phone the frenchman for a price 01628 687 022 .Use my account if you wish. I think it's around £80 per 5 litres.Diluted at 50:1 thats enough to do about 1000sqm of med porous material (concrete tile etc) Slates and rosemary's you will get about 1200/1300 sqm.
The roof really needs to be free of big clumps of moss else regrowth is possible.
 We usually put up a ally tower to gutter height and use extending aluminium decorators poles with various scrapers and brushes attached to roughly clean the roof up first. This all depends on access, shape of the roof etc.
Clean the gutters from the tower and blow  the downspouts (just like Robs Thai "friend") out from the bottom with a back pack blower.The clean up is very easy as the moss is dry and not sprayed all over the neighbourhood! Back pack leaf blowers and plastic rakes sort the floor out and the moss can go on the compost pile or in the "green bin".
You are then ready to apply the quats. We do this through a carbon wfp with a size 10 pw nozzle (this insures the droplets are of a large enough size to reduced spray drift.) Mix a barrel of quats and apply through your pw at tick over. Apply from the top down ...if it is running into the gutters you are applying to much.
Using this method we rarely return to clean the gutters other than the yearly gutter clean we have also sold to them!
Any of the quats products will work but Moss go is mixed at 50;1 if the others are only mixed max at 15:1 that tells me something....maybe somebody has done some mixing previously...waters cheap . The last thing you need is to be going back and doing it all again because you saved a fiver here and there. Quats are cheap for the amount of work they do and the quantity you will use...it will cost you maybe £10/20 to buy enough of the "good stuff "to do your job. Compared with £5/15 of the others .
My number is 07973216502 if you have anything you wish to discuss furthur.

[Simon@Pristine Pathways]

Has anyone used mmc pro moss killer or is it one of the one you mentioned under a different name?

Got to get rid of moss from a very large tarmac area any other recommendations.

Happy new year

Simon

[chris scott]

Has anyone used mmc pro moss killer or is it one of the one you mentioned under a different name?

Got to get rid of moss from a very large tarmac area any other recommendations.

Happy new year

Simon

Mix 4;1 kind of puts me off...saying that it will work.

How large is the area?

Small area    Plastic snow shovel

Med area     http://www.stihl.co.uk/STIHL-Products/MultiSystem/MultiTools/2645-1514/MM-KB-Bristle-brush.aspx

Large area   http://www.nationalroadsweepers.com/

Then apply quats

[Simon@Pristine Pathways]

Chris 600m of tarmac carpark and a tennis court, what would you use.?

[chris scott]

 I am talking worse case senario here ...that it is a real mess,with heavy deposits of moss.

260 sqm of tennis court you will need to clean heavy deposits by brush/hand due to access.
350sqm of carpark you could get a sweeper on £200/£250 a day.

I would remove as much of the heavy deposits by /brush/shovel /sweeper. I would then pressure wash it gently ...bearing in mind pressure washing tarmac can cause a right mess to clean up. It can also stripe very easily.

It would then need maintaining with moss and algae-side  every 4/6 months depending on the location of it

[Simon@Pristine Pathways]

Ok then spray with mossgo pro from my backpack?

[chris scott]

Yep..or make a mix up in your pressure washer barrel and spray with PW on  tick over. It's safe to run through the pressure washer.

[Simon@Pristine Pathways]

So whats the best, cheapest and easiest to get hold off ?

[John Kelly]

We supply Algex at £12.00 + vat for 5 litres. Use 1-1 or neat for really severe or up to 1-200. Sold out last pallet should be back in stock in 2 weeks.

[Andrew Briscoe]

We supply Algex at £12.00 + vat for 5 litres. Use 1-1 or neat for really severe or up to 1-200. Sold out last pallet should be back in stock in 2 weeks.

I have used Johns Algex on my decking and paths, applied last April and still clear.

[Simon@Pristine Pathways]

John, there have been a few products mentioned in this thread and yours costs a lot less than the rest?
Does it kill moss ok? Has it the same stuff in it?

Simon

[chris scott]

So whats the best, cheapest and easiest to get hold off ?

Every thing is easy to get hold of...internet. Which one is the best I don't know.
I don't think you will buy cheaper than Johns algex at £12 for 5 litres. The one I use is £80 for 5 litres.
Bleach would work so would Jeyes fluid. They might work out cheaper.

[John Kelly]

One customer uses it on the students residences which are in the shadow of St James park. The sandstone steps were totally green and a serious slipping hazard. Since they used this there have been no further problems and they still get to pressure was every 6 months for bird crap etc. Takes about 3 days to kill moss and algae.

[Simon@Pristine Pathways]

So whats the best, cheapest and easiest to get hold off ?

Every thing is easy to get hold of...internet. Which one is the best I don't know.
I don't think you will buy cheaper than Johns algex at £12 for 5 litres. The one I use is £80 for 5 litres.
Bleach would work so would Jeyes fluid. They might work out cheaper.

chris doesnt bleach take colour out of tarmac?

[Roger Oakley]

So whats the best, cheapest and easiest to get hold off ?

Every thing is easy to get hold of...internet. Which one is the best I don't know.
I don't think you will buy cheaper than Johns algex at £12 for 5 litres. The one I use is £80 for 5 litres.
Bleach would work so would Jeyes fluid. They might work out cheaper.

chris doesnt bleach take colour out of tarmac?

No not if used properly 3:1 mix no more no less. pre-wet.

[chris scott]

A gallon of bleach is more than Johns product so you can rule that one out ...sorry!
Rogers mix would be fine on moss in tarmac.

[drive surgeon]

Listen to Rodger he knows his stuff