Why Algae grows on Roofs in North Florida

Why do so many roofs in the South East get dirty so fast? the answer is because the climate, temperatures and rain make for ideal conditions for algae to grow and thrive on roofs, and Jacksonville and surrounding areas are no exception. With regular type asphalt shingle roofs, it can take as little as two years before the algae on the roof can begin to become visually noticeable. Before long, it will spread to all parts of the roof.
Usually it will start on the North side of the roof, and begin as just a subtle streaking. After a short while the streaking will turn into an overall coverage of almost the entire roof. Sometimes, if you didn't know any better, you would assume that roof is actually a dark color because it is so infested it may show no signs of the original color. Many times though the algae on a roof will avoid certain areas which can leave a clue to what the roof should look like if it were clean, and free of algae.
These areas are usually in spots that rain doesn't touch and roof areas right underneath vents that are made of galvanized steel. The reason for this is because the galvanization has zinc in it and the algae the grows on roofs doesn't like to grow where the zinc washes off underneath the vent. For more information about Why roofs get algae, and what can be done to prevent it, contact an experienced Roof Cleaning Service in your area.

Why Cheap Pressure Washing Companies Should be Avoided

Have you seen Craigslist lately? It seems that every hack and low baller in Florida is posting ads for pressure washing or roof cleaning services. I've never seen such a disgusting list of sub par tradesman in my life. These guys that are offering $99 house washes are either unlicensed, uninsured and not paying taxes like a legit business, or they are out of business already, but just don't know it yet. The fact is that these pressure washing hacks in Florida either lack serious business skills, or intelligence and common since, or both.

To offer high quality pressure washing services in Florida, a professional business must insure that they are charging enough for their services to cover their expenses and payroll without having to sacrifice good workmanship and customer service, and simply put, it just can't be done at those kinds of prices. The old saying definitely hold true in this situation. 'If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is', or another classic line; 'you get what you pay for'. If you want low ball quality work, than by all means hire one of these uninsured, unlicensed, inexperienced, underfunded, pressure washing companies to come out destroy some of your property. After all, you pay cheap, you get cheap.

Red flags should definitely go up flying high when you see prices that are astronomically low. I did an estimate for our professional house pressure washing services last year that was kind of funny. It was a lady that called us out to take a look around. As we walked the perimeter of the property, she proceeded to point out all the things wrong that the last pressure washing company had done. damaged screens, broken ceiling fan, dead shrubbery, etc.

I gave the lady out price, and she said that she would have to think about it. She called my back a couple of hours later, and seemed a little mad. She then proceeded to tell me that she had called another local Florida pressure washing company, and they gave here a phone quote that was a lot less than the quote that I had given her. Basically without coming right out and saying it, she pretty much was accusing us of trying to overcharge her for my exterior cleaning services.

At that point I proceeded to tell her; "my price my seem higher than you expected, but I won't kill you plants, damage the screening on you porch, or destroy your ceiling fan". That seemed to get her thinking a bit. Needless to say, she still didn't hire us for the job, but that is of no surprise. Unfortunately, many people just can't seem to get their head around price. They should be looking for value when shopping for a Florida Pressure Washing Company, but instead they just keep focusing on who is offering the cheapest priced service.

Rainy Weather in North Florida - Pressure Washing & Roof Cleaning Companies

Why doesn't this rain ever stop! Up here in North Florida we've been getting hit hard for days with heavy amounts of rain. Florida pressure washing companies must be thrilled by this, as more rain brings more future work and job security. Although, it does have it's temporary draw backs, as there is many things that simply can't be soft pressure cleaned in these kinds of weather conditions.
Rainy days like this also help to rinse off dead algae, and chemical residue from roofs that Florida roof cleaning contractors have recently cleaned. Believe it or not, but when using low pressure methods to clean roofs, the sight of good rain just following the roof cleaning process is a welcomed event. roofs generally won't look their best right after they've been serviced, but rather after a few heavy rains. Mother nature does a much better job a finishing up the roof cleaning process than an exterior house washing company.
I think for most of us though we'd take the sunny days over the rainy days anytime. After all, that's why many of us have made our homes in Florida. It could also have something to do with the fact that this is the pressure washing capital of the United States. Pressure washing has become big business in these parts, and many have spent years perfecting their skills in the art of exterior cleaning, and weather conditions won't change that.

Professional Florida Pressure Washing Companies

These days it seems many companies in Florida are trying to wear to many hats in the way of how many services they offer, and usually the overall quality of the different services they offer will began to suffer to say the least. It's very hard to really get good at one thing, and unfortunately it's even harder to get really good at many things. Pressure washing may not seem as though there would be much of a learning curve, but many who try to join its ranks, realize that there is much more to operating a professional Florida pressure washing company than they would have ever imagined.

I feel that it is always best for businesses to focus in on one trade or line of work to insure that they will be their very best at it. Offering pressure washing services to Florida residents can require a lot of dedication to learning the proper cleaning methods, as well as require a sizable investment to have the right tools and equipment to be efficient. Sometimes I'll see handyman vans cruising around and I'll notice on the side of their van that they offer pressure washing services. There's a few issues I have with this. For one, to offer a professional pressure washing services it is critical that you have the right equipment to do the job right, and when I see a handyman driving a van full of handyman tools my first thought is; “Where is their pressure washing rig with all of their equipment?”. You can easily fill up a 14' trailer with all of the equipment you will NEED if you plan to offer a premium Florida pressure cleaning service.

Lawn companies are another industry that seems to think that all they need to do to offer exterior cleaning services is to go down to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a cheap pressure washer, and slap a sign on the old trailer. Unfortunately it's these “jack of all trade” types that can really hurt an industry with poor workmanship. It takes dedication to prefect the arts of a given trade and pressure washing and roof cleaning are no different. In Florida, exterior cleaning companies do not require any state licensing, and it's a darn shame they don't, as the damage that can be caused by an inexperienced Florida exterior cleaning company can be quite hefty.

State and Local Requirements for Pressure Washing Companies in Florida

I wanted to shed some light on the documentation and insurance requirements for pressure washing and roof cleaning companies in the state of Florida. First of all, as many of you who are reading this know, Florida is probably the most saturated market in the U.S. for exterior cleaning companies. There are many that run up standing operations using proper techniques, and carrying all the appropriate state and local requirements, but there are also many that operate illegally by not following the state mandated laws and regulation that all pressure washing, and roof cleaning companies in Florida must follow.

If you are operating a Florida pressure washing business, you must carry workers compensation insurance on every employee. Pressure washing and roof cleaning services are coded as construction trades by the state of Florida, and all construction companies must carry this insurance on every employees. This is something that changed just a few years back, as before that pressure washing was not considered a construction trade, and did not have the same very strict insurance requirements.

The only legal exception to not have to carry worker comp is if a Florida pressure washing or roof cleaning company is set up as an LLC or a corporation, up to three owners may file for workers Comp exemptions. This basically means that they, as owners, are waving their rights to compensation in the event that they were to hurt themselves on the job. This is quite common for smaller Florida construction companies as the price of worker comp insurance is insanely high.

It is also required that all pressure washing and roof cleaning companies in the state of Florida carry liability insurance, so in the even that they damage property, or person, they have suitable insurance to cover the damages of the incident.

Local laws on occupation licensing different from county to county, many require it, and many do not. The state Florida, however, does not require any state licensing for pressure washing or roof cleaning companies at this time.

Introduction - Pressure Washing Services in Florida

Hi! and welcome to my blog. This blog will be dedicated to information concerning the Florida pressure washing industry and related services such as roof cleaning, and soft washing. I will go into detail about different aspects of the exterior cleaning trades in Florida, and I hope to shed some light on many of the positives that surround Florida pressure washing, as well as dispel some myths, and miss information about the industry.