The dilution ratio of chlorine is generally measured in ppm (parts per million) a more easily understood measure is a chlorine/water ratio. A swimming pool holding 15000 gallons would require appx 10 gallons of chlorine to maintain sterile conditions, this is equivalent to a 1.5% chlorine/water ratio. Roof cleaning companies are using chlorine in far more dangerous ratio of up to 90% chlorine/water mix, there are environmental consequences of using chlorine at these ratios, these are explained below. Our guidelines to consumers are as follows, if the contractor says they are using a 100% bio-degradeable roof cleaner then it is probably Sodium Hypochlorite which is Chlorine. Chlorine is highly corrosive and has the potential to damage not only plants but metal fittings including gutters and AC units. If the contractor says they will protect plants during the course of the chemical cleaning process then look at the photograph above, these well manicured plants were protected during cleaning, the residue that comes off the roof cannot be contained by tarps it will simply run off into the ground. Some contractors advocate plugging or bagging the gutter downspout all this will do is contain the caustic chemical mix in the gutter and downspout eventually it will have to be released into the ground. "Soft Wash" or "No Pressure" cleaning is chemical cleaning FACT... if you would prefer to hear about healthier and environmentally safer alternative then contact one of the clean4life green certified roof cleaners.

ARTICLE 2. WHAT IS THE RCIA (ROOF CLEANING INSTITUTE OF AMERICA) With such a grandiose title one would think that the RCIA would be the place to learn all about Green Roof Cleaning, unfortunately on the RCIA forum "Green" is a dirty word. To understand why this is you have to look at the history of the RCIA and look at who is behind it. The RCIA online forum was originally formed by Chris Tucker of Apple Roof Cleaning as a way of marketing his business. Chris is a staunch supporter of chemical roof cleaning in fact it is the only method he uses and recommends on the RCIA forum website. His chemical roof cleaning recipe aptly named "Apple Sauce" can be found all over the internet, the primary ingredient of "Apple Sauce" is Chlorine. Chlorine is extremely toxic for humans and the environment, you can read more about the effects of these chemicals by viewing the U.S Governments reports for these chemicals. Chris Tucker was aware of the damaging effects of chlorine way back in 1999 when he asked the question "Why does chlorine kill plant???" the question was answered by Karl J, Roberts Ph.D. Associate professor of Biology at Prince George's Community College. The full answer can be viewed at. http://www.madsci.org You would think that given the professor's negative response to Chlorine that Chris would think twice about using it or recommending it to others, or at the very least consider some alternatives to chlorine. Sadly this has not been the case and 12 years later Chris Tucker is still promoting Chlorine soft washing and the RCIA has gone from being a marketing tool to a fully fledged online "Institute" dedicated to Chlorine bleach washing. While some contractors on the forum recognise the damaging effects of Chlorine and try to limit the environmental impact there are many unregulated contractors that simply do not care, we term these "Chlorine Cowboys". The RCIA has been responsible for the explosion in chemical roof cleaning and this is one of the principal reasons why the roof cleaning industry has such a bad name. I am all for training and education but in this case it seems that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. This was Chris Tuckers' vision for the Industry of the future, a world dominated by Chlorine and the RCIA has proved to be an effective tool to spread the word and build a following. I have spoken with Chris on the RCIA forum and in defense of using chlorine he cites the shingle roof manufacturers association recommendations as a valid reason to continue using it. I will cover the ARMA guidelines in Octobers article but needless to say the ARMA recommendations are a million miles away from what is really happening in the Industry. The KC Group were one of the first companies in America to promote an environmentally safer alternative to Chlorine Bleach washing, the negative response from the RCIA was indicative of the mindset and culture of its members. So what is so good about Chlorine in 2011?, If you look at it from an environmental point of view, nothing at all is the answer. It is still the same highly toxic chemical and it is still harmful to all living organisms. The chemical composition of chlorine has not changed, it killed plants and small animals back in 1999 and it is still killing plants and small animals today more than 12 years later, that's not what I would call progress. The RCIA it would seem, is clearly not a customer focused organization but an Industry organization whose principal aim is to benefit its contractor members by promoting propaganda supporting Chlorine Bleach washing. The title of Institute does infer that there must be some credible science behind their ideas or philosophies but sadly there is no credible science to support chlorine roof cleaning as being environmentally safe. This is the RCIA vision for the future. Our vision for the Industry is radically different, we want a state license for roof cleaning and state regulation to control what chemicals contractors can use. Put simply we want a greener future for the industry and for the public.

The Clean4life petition to implement a state license for roof cleaning has received over 4800 visits since it was raised in September 2010. The QA Green Certification program for roof cleaning is encouraging contractors to look at greener alternative cleaning methods. Clean4life is a customer focused service designed to link green certified contractors to like minded consumers. If you think our vision of the future has merit then consider becoming green certified and we will show you how you can build and grow a green roof cleaning business.

 

ARTICLE 4.
IS SOFT WASH ROOF CLEANING A GOOD IDEA?, LET'S ASK THE CUSTOMER..

Understanding the challenges in changing public perception

The evidence speaks for itself, at the time of writing this article over 4,500 members of the public have visited the petition page on the clean4life.net website since it's launch in September 2010.

The clean4life campaign is a unique research tool which provides valuable feedback about what real customers think about important issues in the context of roof cleaning. The feedback can be viewed in either a positive or negative way, the negative view is that the public clearly does not like toxic chemicals like chlorine used to clean their roof, the positive view is that it indicates that the public is ready for change.

How did we get here?
Have you heard the saying that good news travels fast but bad news travels faster ? The negative public perception of chemical roof cleaning has not come out of thin air, it is there because thousands of customers have had the same bad experience. Doesn't that tell you something? does it not beg the question why?

Something clearly has gone wrong to cause such a high percentage of the general public to have a negative view of chemical roof cleaning.

Why has the chemical roof cleaning industry allowed so much bad publicity to be heaped on itself ? and is this negative perception justified?

Did those people leading the industry honestly not care what the public thought? Is what they thought more important than what the customer thought?.

These questions demand answers, as long as the Industry refuses to see a problem they will never find a solution, public relations will not improve and the negative view will prevail.

The industry needs to have a clear and focused public relations campaign that is informative and addresses the real problems that customers have experienced. The clean4life campaign has made us all aware that what the customer thinks is the most important aspect of this debate.

A very successful businessman warned me when he said that humility is a currency which brings massive rewards and arrogance eventually puts people out of business. In my book the customer is king and the customer knows best, my job is to give the customer what they want.

What conclusions can we draw.

The cross section consumer survey that clean4life have undertaken provides valuable intelligence for anyone in the roof cleaning industry. This information has never been available before so take some time to consider how it may affect your business. What do customers want? If you work out what the customer does not want you will eventually get to what the customer does want. They do not want their plants killed, their health affected or their environment damaged by roof cleaning. They want their roof clean, not necessarily cleaned but clean, there is an important distinction between clean and cleaned. (clean) means in a clean condition (cleaned) means having toxic chemicals sprayed onto it so it becomes clean.

If it is possible to maintain a roof in a clean condition without killing customers plants and without adversely affecting their health or the quality of their environment then that is the ideal target for us to be aiming for.

As far as changing the perception of the general public is concerned only time will tell, but I know what I am doing with the information from clean4life, the question is do you?

ARTICLE 5.
SHAPING THE ROOF CLEANING INDUSTRY OF THE FUTURE

We can all agree that we need to raise standards across the board, the biggest impediment to that is a lack of regulation. If the only qualification for joining the industry is whether or not you can afford to buy a plastic tank, a length of hose and know where the nearest pool supply company is then the past will always equal the future. The Industry's reputation has been so badly damaged by the careless actions of Chlorine Cowboys that it will take a long time and a substantial P.R campaign to make any difference to the consumers perception of us as a trade. There is no easy fix to this situation, the Industry needs to put the message out to the public that we are changing and cleaning up our act.

The ability of the RCIA to regulate their corner of the industry is clearly over stated, we are currently living in what was their vision for the future back in 1999.

I for one say NO THANKS, your past does not equal my future, I want something COMPLETELY different for my company's future.

GREEN CERTIFICATION will be the cornerstone for my industry of the future, at some point within the next 5 years I also want roof cleaning solutions to have a zero toxicity to plants and living organisms. That is my vision for the future.

If leadership is the ability to implement plans and strategy's to arrive at a specific destination then I am leading the Industry towards Green Certification, it may not be for everyone presently but it will be the way things will be in the future.

The industry is at a distinct crossroads, the changing economic climate and the increased environmental awareness of the public have culminated in a great opportunity. if we are able to identify the challenges and provide a vision of the future we can start shaping the Industry.

My strategy is to take the mistakes of the past and turn them into a valid reason for the state to investigate the benefits of a sate license category for roof cleaning. With regulation in place we can slowly start affecting change and improving standards.

This measure on it's own will not do anything for the Industry's reputation, changing the public perception will take a concerted PR campaign and a clear message that the Industry is cleaning up our act and going "Green" .

Owning up to the mistakes of the past is part of the process of changing direction, consumers know all to well what has been going on and they are clearly receptive to a better greener future. If this is what customer wants then why has the chemical cleaning fraternity not responded to it favorably?.

in my opinion it is a lack of vision. The leaders of the RCIA clearly want things to stay the same, they want the past to equal the future, unfortunately though the world has changed and they have been slow to respond to the challenges.

The writing is clearly on the wall, Chlorine is not a suitable chemical to use in the open environment and Chlorine roof cleaning will eventually be phased out in favour of more environmentally responsible alternatives.

If you wish to join the future then look at the QA™ green certification for roof cleaning program and understand that there are green consumers out there that want your product and service and work with them to build a greener and better future for you, your business and the environment.

Article 5.
THE UNREGULATED "TOXIC TIMEBOMB"
Florida is an area of outstanding natural beauty but we are in danger of destroying the delicate eco systems that sustain life by allowing the unregulated and uncontrolled use of toxic chemicals for the purposes of roof cleaning.

Pool maintenance contractors are required by law to have a State license because they use Chlorine and other caustic chemicals in controlled environments, so why is there no State license for roof cleaning contractors who are using even more dangerous toxic chemical mixes in the open environment?.

The chemical roof cleaning industry evolved out of the Pressure Cleaning industry, in Florida there is no State license category for Pressure Cleaning. The chemical mixes that contractors now use in place of Pressure Cleaning are highly toxic and extremely damaging to the environment

In the abscence of a State License there is nothing preventing anyone from starting a chlorine roof cleaning business in Florida, it is this lack of control that has led to the proliferation of "Chlorine Cowboys" (Contractors that have little or no formal training, knowledge or skill in the handling and application of Toxic Roof Cleaning Chemicals).

What Chemicals Are Being Used To Clean Roofs In Florida ?

The majority of chemical roof cleaning contractors use Chlorine & Sodium Hydroxide, Borax and Tri-Sodium Phosphate in "No Pressure" or "Soft Wash" roof cleaning and 30-50+ gallons are generally required for the average 2,500sq ft home.

In Florida this would equate to appx 3,500,000 Gallons of toxic chemicals being dumped into the ground every year. These homemade roof cleaning mixes will kill frogs and other small animals on contact, plants and lawns also die as a result of the unregulated use of these chemicals.

There has never been any open debate or discussion at state level about the impact these chemicals are having on the environment and there are no guidelines coming from the county legislators.

How The Industry "Sells" Chemical Cleaning

Terms like "Soft Washing" or "No Pressure" are used to describe the chemical cleaning process and it is sold as a "safer" alternative to pressure cleaning, safer for who? the contractors who have to wear full protective clothing and gas masks? safer for the customer who has to suffer from the the fact that these chemicals kill their plants? who are they kidding?.

An even more alarming recent development is that contractors are now able to mask the smell of chlorine with concentrated scents so that the consumer will never know that chlorine is being used on their property.

Consumers attitudes and opinions are slowly shifting, more consumers are thinking "Green" but there is little or no chemical free alternative being offered to them. The reason for this? cheap and accessible chemicals such as Chlorine and Sodium Hydroxide are a fast and easy way to make money.

The simple truth in the debate of Pressure Cleaning vs Chemical Cleaning is that pressure cleaning is a dirty job, it's physically demanding and time consuming and it's a hard way to earn a living, a far easier and more profitable alternative is to dump Chlorine or Sodium Hydroxide on the roof and then walk away...more money, less time, minimal effort.

The sad part about this whole mess is that most homeowners have been misled into believing that chemicals are the only solution to the roof algae problem. The people responsible for spreading this propaganda are the very roof cleaning companies that rely on chemicals for their business.

If you look at how a tiled roof is constructed you will find that pressure cleaning a tiled roof with water is a safe and effective method and one that is also completely harmless to surrounding vegetation and wildlife.

In my opinion the whole roof cleaning industry has been steered by lazy thinking and the lure of easy money, the side effects of unregulated large scale chemical dumping on the ecology and inhabitants of the local environment have never been considered.

The Winds Of Change

I do not believe that we can continue to ignore the accumulative effects of chemicals on our environment, I have spent considerable time researching a more effective, more environmentally responsible and more appropriate long term solution to the problem of roof algae control. BioFoam Barrier™ is our contribution to a better future and a healthier "Greener" environment.

The roof cleaning industry needs to be regulated and controlled, a State Licensing requirement should be the absolute minimum starting point. I firmly believe we can transform the roof cleaning industry if we are prepared to campaign for change.

Since the clean4life petition was launched in september 2010 it has attracted more than 4800 visitors, If you wish to help us take action to implement a state license for roof cleaning in Florida then add your name to the petition.

Contractors that want to become green should be encouraged to adopt environmentally responsible cleaning solutions.

Bio-Foam Barrier™ is a step towards a greener and safer future for Florida residents, its a step in the right direction and as they say "every journey starts with a single step".

ARTICLE 6.

"CANCER" THE HIDDEN COST OF LIVING IN FLORIDA

INTRODUCTION
"Eco-" means home, habitat or environment."-logy" means what is believed to be true about science.
Ecology is the scientific study of the complex inter-relationships between living organisms and their environments.

If we want a green lawn we spray it with fertilizers, if we don't want too many mosquitoes we spray the air with pesticides, if we don't want bugs in our grass we spray that with pesticides, if we want a clean roof we spray that with toxic chemicals, if we want a stain free driveway we spray that with Acid.

The environments that we are living in are constantly being bombarded with harmful and unnecessary chemicals. It is no wonder that there is a price to pay for living this way, Cancer rates are spiraling upwards, the World Health organization is predicting a rise of 50% by the year 2012.

Many homeowners associations are beginning to realize the tremendous difficulties of maintaining unnatural and superficial environments. Many upscale housing developments built over the last 10 years in Sarasota and Bradenton are struggling with issues relating to the environment one such issue is that of rust stains on concrete sidewalks and drives.
Rust stains on concrete sidewalks and drives are being caused by run off from high Iron content fertilizers which are being sprayed onto the grass to make the grass look green.

These rust stains are unsightly and spoil the "perfect" look of the neighborhood. In response to this problem the Architectural committees will send out violation notices to residents asking them to remove the offending stains or else face a fine.

Many homeowners in this predicament will automatically reach for Muriatic acid or other "off the shelf" products containing Oxalic Acid which are designed to remove rust stains. Unfortunately the run off from these chemicals will kill the grass that residents were trying to keep green, the residue will also be washed down into storm drains and straight into their holding ponds. The Surface Water Committees are understandably, extremely concerned about the effects chemicals and fertilizers are having on the eco system surrounding their developments.

This is typical of what happens when we do not understand and work with natural systems, when we create artificial environments we will always lose control of them eventually. Natural systems are finely balanced and have evolved over millions of years, our lack of understanding about how to create naturally sustainable living environments is causing a big problem.

We have to stop pretending that we can control of our environments with chemicals, the eco systems that surround us are all on the verge of collapse, we live in sterile, dead and artificial housing developments, the longer we allow them to stay this way the more dependent we will become on chemicals and the worse things will become.
Let us all start working with nature instead of fighting it and together we can move forward and help to protect the blue planet that we all inhabit.

The KC Group of Florida are the 1st contractor in Florida to achieve Green Certification for roof cleaning.

ARTICLE 7.
WHERE DOES THE WASTE WATER GO?

Many residents are unaware of what happens to rainwater when it goes into the storm drains at the roadside. This article is designed to raise awareness and explain the thinking behind retention ponds.

Engineers are aware of the fact that when it rains that the waste water needs to be managed to avoid local flooding, they have devised a simple system in Florida and that is retention ponds. Low lying areas are excavated and the rainwater from the nearest street gulleys are directed straight into these ponds.

This is all well and good if all that is going into the ponds is rainwater, we know from experience however that this is far from the case, the waste water will consist of pesticide residue, fertiliser residue, chemicals used by the roof cleaning industry and local cleaning agents used by the local residents.

Nutrients from fertilizers used to maintain lawns and golf course will cause blooms of harmful algae in retention ponds and other water courses. Other pollutants also include compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's; commonly in the form of oil or fuel products), pesticides, herbicides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs; fire retardant chemicals found in practically every consumer product), pharmaceuticals , Sodium Chloride (Chlorine) and Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) to name just a few.

Many of these chemicals can have devastating effects on the environment and have been found to accumulate in benthic sediments and in the tissues of birds, fish and humans where they may have a range of toxicological effects from sickness to death.

HOW DO WE MANAGE THIS SITUATION?

The simple answer is to manage the applications of chemicals by either making the contractor responsible or by making residents aware that the choices that they make can have dramatic consequences to their local environment.

ARTICLE 8.
WHY DOES FLORIDA NOT HAVE A STATE LICENSE FOR PRESSURE CLEANING?

In the past it was generally considered that pressure cleaning posed no threat to the environment as the majority of contractors used little or no chemicals when they pressure cleaned.

Nobody at county or state level is aware that for the last 20 years the industry has shifted to "No Pressure" chemical cleaning and the majority of roof cleaning companies that advertise as Pressure cleaning contractors do not use pressure cleaning they use chemicals to clean.

Many roof cleaning contractors no longer carry equipment for pressure cleaning and yet they still refer to themselves as Pressure Cleaners, the equipment they use is set up to apply chemicals only.

These changes have happened gradually and have gone unnoticed up until now. The KC Group were the first to bring attention to the fact that the roof cleaning industry is now dominated by chemicals.

The roof cleaning industry openly acknowledges that Chlorine or SH (sodium Hypochlorite) is the main ingredient in the mix of chemicals that goes on roofs and exteriors and this is why so many customers have had there plants killed.

The KC Group are supporting the Clean4life campaign to make changes to legislation which will require roof cleaning contractors to be licensed in order to oibtain toxic chemicals for the purposes of roof cleaning.

To most rational people this makes perfect sense but the majority of the industry fear change, they do not understand that a license would protect the public from rogue contractors, it would make the contractors that are licensed more professional and it would encourage good practices when it comes to environmental issues.

It is a shame that many roof cleaning contractors who have made millions of dollars over the years have such little regard for the environment that they do not want to support the campaign to regulate and license their industry.

The political lobbying and campaigning will continue until we have made the changes that we feel are necessary to protect Florida's residents and their environment.

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