Hey Maverick,.moss has to be sold as it is,...I've talked about this numerous times over the years. First thing to do, is make sure you don't have to take these jobs by having enough other work to be able to outright pass,..or at least not try to have to appease the customer. Especially considering every roof isn't accessible to do any kind of force removal,..which often leads to excessive loss of protective granules anyhow.
"Here's what you got Mr./Mrs. Customer,..this roof has been let go too long,..YOU should have addressed the issue at the first sign of growth,..no real fault of yours,..but this is where you're at with it."
I tell them this with respect,..never make a customer feel stupid. But,..make it known it's not YOUR fault, and they are now past instant results. If they want to hear more then explain:
Maverick,
I tell them I will treat the roof,..and give it a general rinse,.what comes off,..comes off,..what doesn't,.... WILL come off it in time,..may take 6 months in some cases,...depends on moss type,... or lichen,...and density,...the Sun is more beneficial than the rain,..the Sun helps dry it up so it will naturally flake away. Often times,..if you have to work very hard at picking the moss off,.you're likely doing more harm to the shingles. Some types of moss really roots in.
Considering they've likely lived with it for several years,..always befuddles me that they now want it gone in hours. I realize they are paying money,...but that doesn't equate to a perfect World or scenario just because they want it gone instantly.
If they can live my process and evaluation,.... I then price accordingly,..moss sucks up alot of liquid,...and considering I do want it to disappear as fast as possible,..I will bump it up to at least 6%,..and in some cases I will will spray at least certain areas with straight 12.5%.
Always better to under promise and over deliver.
Jeff
-- Edited by Jeff Wible on Saturday 15th of February 2020 06:01:12 AM
We charge more for heavy moss. It takes a lot more material to fully kill it off and soak all the way through and it takes more time to do the job. Because we are more thorough and not in a rush when a roof is severely infested, I very rarely have call backs for moss.
I find the moss when treated correctly actually comes off very quickly. 2-3 weeks with some good rain. It's always the lichen that seems to hold on the longest especially the huge ones. In these cases I lean to using more solution rather then a stronger mix and do not rinse. I feel rinsing cause more harm then good. Every situation is different and we adjust the process for the best results.
A lot of customers dont care how it looks and defer maintenance but are now forced to get there roof cleaned by their insurance company. If it wasnt for insurance they would just let it go and face replacement in the near future.