Exterior House Washing / Vinyl Siding Cleaning - Westfield, Fishers, Carmel, Giest

     Pressure cleaning or pressure washing has come a long way since the "good ole days".  Today, it's much easier to clean the vinyl siding on today's houses than it was "back in the day".  If you have the right equipment, knowledge and solvents, cleaning a house only takes a few hours.  Vinyl siding, stucco or cinder block is really very easy to clean.  Much easier than brick or wood.  Vinyl siding is prone to green algae which is most prevalent on the North side of a home just like moss on a tree.  Sometimes, you'll also see mold or mildew which can be harmful if it gets under the vinyl siding and invades the vapor barrier of your home.   Cleaning that off is very important.
   
     The difference between renting a machine and doing it yourself and hiring AquaPro to clean your house is huge.  Doing it yourself will probably take a whole day not to mention the fact you'll have to deal with sore muscles in your body the next day.  AquaPro Pressure Cleaning, LLC uses environmentally friendly solvents.  We can also clean your entire house within a few hours.  If the customer requests, we can also apply a wax coating to help repel algae, dirt or any other foreign substance.  Another thing to remember about vinyl is the pressure you'll have to use.  You don't want high pressure on vinyl siding because you'll damage the siding panels.  You want to let the solvents do most of the work for you.  As my father always told me, "Work smarter, not harder." which I'm sure he heard from his father.  When we clean a house, our process is as follows:

1. Spray down plants and flowers with cold water.
2. Spray house with warm water to prep the dirt for solvents.
3. Spray house with our special house cleaning solution.
4. Let solvent sit for 5 minutes so that it has a chance to break down the dirt, algae, mold and/or mildew.
5. Rinse with warm water.
6. Repeat if necessary.
7. Spray on wax if customer requests this step.
8. Spray plants and flowers again with cold water.

     Always weigh the pros and cons of a large project such as exterior house washing.  It's a big job and a professional company such as AquaPro can definitely help cut time and sore muscles out of the equation.  If you've ever used a power washer from Lowe's or Home Depot, there's a difference between our equipment and those that you buy at your local home improvement store.  Try to wash your house yourself and then decide if you need help.  AquaPro can really make it a simple decision.

http://www.aquaproclean.com

Black Streaks on Your Roof is Gloeocapsa Magma

     Let's clear up the truth about those ugly "black streaks" on your roof.  That's not dirt.  It's actually an algae called gloeocapsa magma.  I know, that's a mouthful.  But they are also damaging your shingles as I write this.  I'm going to list some truths about this algae and some myths.

Myths:

1. The "black streaks" on your roof is just dirt
2. This is a do-it-yourself project
3. The algae just makes your roof look bad.  There's really no harm being done by the algae.
4. You need to replace your roof.  (One of the costliest mistakes a homeowner can make)
5. You can power wash your roof to clean those "streaks" off.
   

Truths:

1. The "black streaks" are a type of algae or bacteria. (Cyanobacteria to be exact)
2. The algae spreads over time through rain water creating "streaks" on your roof.  The "streaks" will become worse if left untreated.
3. Fiberglass shingles are made with limestone as a filler to make them heavier and the algae feed off the limestone.
4. You'll see the "streaks" more prominently on the North side of your roof.
5. Most "experts" within the industry conclude the algae to be harmful if left un-treated, as the growth holds moisture within the shingles causing premature aging, rotting, and/or granule loss.
6. You can clean your roof for about 1/10 the cost of a new roof.
7. Annual preventative maintenance can keep the algae from returning for a 1/3 the cost of a soft wash roof cleaning.
8. You should NEVER power wash your roof.  Doing this will cause excessive granule loss which destroys your shingles.

     In conclusion, we always tell our customers to do their homework.  There is plenty of information on the internet about this algae.  It explains what it is and what kind of damage it can do to your roof.  The technical name for this algae is Gloeocapsa Magma.  The link for the Wikipedia article is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloeocapsa_magma.  So, always be prepared and research before you have someone un-qualified clean your roof.  We have cleaned hundreds of roofs and know what to look for.  We always do an inspection of your to make sure it does not need to be replaced or repaired.  If you have dry, cracking shingles or you have missing shingles we will let you know that your roof either needs to be replaced or repaired.  We will not clean a roof that's in bad shape.  Hopefully, this article has helped you become more informed about this growing epidemic.