Soft Washing

Should you soft-wash or pressure wash your tile roof?

 Although some companies like to brush it off and create the illusion that these two processes are interchangeable, there are key differences that you as a homeowner should hesitate to neglect. The first two words of each option hint at the main distinction. Soft washing is “soft” on your roof and pressure washing utilizes brute force or “pressure”. During a roof pressure wash, water is drawn from the source and pressurized using a pump. The pressurized water is then is then forced out of the nozzel which in turn blasts any buildup from your tile roof. The dangers of this method originate in the fact that tile roofs are not built to withstand such high velocity water. In fact, some roof warranties can be voided with just a single pressure wash. It can also lead to premature aging of the roof and take time off your roof’s potential lifespan. Cracking tiles is also more of a concern, with this method requiring more walking time on the roof.  This brings us to the second option, soft washing. Instead of using high pressure to muscle off organic matter, a chemical treatment that typically contains a mixture of Sodium Hypochlorite (the same chemical active in bleach) is utilized.  This chemical is then sent through a low pressure pump, which in turn is used to cover the entire roof in the compound. The chemical reacts with the living cells, thus elimnating all organic matter and stains from your roof. This method does not directly damage your roof, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, what we are pumping up is an active chemical that more than capable of damaging the plants and grass surrounding your house. When choosing the right company, this consideration is essential to keeping your plant growth healthy. At Pulse Pressure Washing, there are a few things we do to ensure your property remains healthy after the job. First, we tarp as much livegrowth as possible with careful consideration given to the more delicate plants. Secondly, we pre-water plants causing them to be far less likely to be subject to the potentially damaging chemical. Finally, after the job is completed, we water off all livegrowth once again to ensure that no chemical is left to do it’s damage on your property. When choosing a company for soft-washing, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that they have similar standards to that we have set for ourselves. There are clearly pro’s and con’s to both soft washing and pressure washing your roof. In my opinion, the soft-washing technique blows pressure washing out of the water when it comes to the most effective and safest option for your roof, but in the end, it’s up the the homeowner to make the decision and balance the options against eachother. I hope this article has been able to present you with clarity between the two methods.