| Author | Message | ||
     Matthew Libhart |
Now that the snow is melted from the tile roof and we've had plenty of rain, I'm noticing a lot of black (little specks) in the snow below my gutter line. The gutters work fine but were clogged with snow so the water was washing down the tiles and dripping on the snow below. What is the black that's on this snow. Is it just safe road dirt/algae/lychen, etc, or is it asbestos fiber? The roof is only about 55 years old. Thanks again | ||
| Anonymous |
We have moss and mildew on our high pitched, asbestos roof, (or a tile composition with asbestos ) 20 years old. It has become yellow and green discolored and needs to be cleaned. We have been warned that power washing would loosen and partially break up the top surface layer which would start the eventual total deterioration break up of the tile. Could you suggest how we can safely accomplish this cleaning task. The cost to remove the asbestos tile and then re-roof the house would be prohibitive. Any help you can give us is most appreciated. We are really confused and concerned. Many thanks. Berel | ||
| admin |
You can physically scrape heavy moss off an asbestos roof with, for example, a wonder bar (flat wrecking bar). I doubt that power washing would start the total deterioration of the tiles, however, asbestos tiles can be brittle and people who do power washing are not people who are experts in asbestos roofing. So if you hire power washers to do anything to your roof, you're taking a chance. If they damage the roof, will they be able to repair it? Regarding asbestos fibers - they're not likely to be a problem when the roof is being washed as any fibers would be carried away by the water flow. They have to become airborne and then inhaled to become a problem (which could result from dry scraping - so wear respiratory protection if you do scrape the roof). | ||
| James Johannes |
What if that is what the pressure washing company speicalizes in. Click this link to see asbestos roofs completly restoredhttp://mrcleanpressurewashing.com/roofing.html | ||
| Anonymous |
I have an 80 year old asbestos tile roof. The normally multi-colored roof has become blackened with mold of some kind. I'm reluctant to power-wash because although the majority of tiles are in good shape, there are many tiles in a fragile condition - I'm afraid power-washing could damage them. Scraping effectively cleans them, but I can't reach everywhere easily. I've tried a variety of cleaners and find that household bleach is as good as any of the more expensive items. Questions: 1 - Does bleach on these tiles have any bad long-term effects? 2 - I've read of installing copper strips (zinc strips are pushed by roofers in my area: Cleveland Ohio) to prevent future mold formation. Do these strips really work? If so, are there any copper or zinc based cleaners (didn't find any here), and are they effective? | ||
| admin |
You can buy a copper spray at garden supply centers. It's used for spraying orchards to prevent fungal growth. It may kill the molds on your roof. I don't know anyone who has tried it yet, but if you do, try it on a small area in the back first, then wait a few weeks to see what happens before proceeding. |
