Power Washing and Roof Cleaning Forum

Dave O · Retired Member

Dirty stains appearing after vinyl soft wash dries

waxman18324 · Founding Member Rest in Peace

How close to the substrate are they applying and rinsing?

Hank

Diamond Roof Cleaning · Approved Exterior Cleaner

It's getting into the weeping holes and when you rinse you cannot get it all out. It happens from time to time and the easiest solution is to spray a lite mix of f9. Then rinse and it's all gone. Try using a fan pattern around that area.

Bryan P · Approved Exterior Cleaner

I hit those with a damp brush. Plain water, but if that doesn't work, a tiny bit of degreaser in a bucket of water. don't spray more water up there or it'll just drip more. This happens a few times a year for us. The rain will usually rinse it off, but we usually go back if the customer asks.

Diamond Roof Cleaning · Approved Exterior Cleaner

You can use a brush but if it has been there for a day or two f9 is the best product to use. It cleans that brown spot and does no damage to the siding.
When I say rinse it I mean mist it. If it's the next day then it shouldn't be a problem to rinse a little heavier than a mist.

Here is another tip. If you ever have window casings turn orange on you just spray it with oxolic acid or f9 and they will turn back to white just make sure the windows are wet when you spray the acid on them.

-- Edited by Diamond Roof Cleaning on Thursday 26th of July 2018 09:55:59 PM

Admin · Head Quarters

This happens mostly with certainteed siding. Most of the other brands don't do it

Zach Maynard · Approved Exterior Cleaner

It happens (and its annoying) you are getting different approaches and now your gonna get another one. I hit it with 1% strength house wash mix, brush very lightly and then rinse. Making sure not to get water in the weep hole this time.

Dave O · Retired Member

waxman18324 wrote:
How close to the substrate are they applying and rinsing?

Hank

I'm not sure. I will ask. Are you thinking they are standing too close and thus blasting water into the weep holes?

Dave O · Retired Member

Thanks everyone for your advise. It's too bad the stuff waits to drain out of the weep holes and dry after you have already left the job. Having to send the guys back out the following day to touch up a job really hits the bottom line. Do you all use a booster pump to rinse. I wonder if that has too much pressure and pushing cleaner up into the weep holes.

waxman18324 · Founding Member Rest in Peace

Dave O wrote:
waxman18324 wrote:
How close to the substrate are they applying and rinsing?

Hank
I'm not sure. I will ask. Are you thinking they are standing too close and thus blasting water into the weep holes?

A former employee was known for that. Too many complaints and he is gone.

Hank

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Dave O wrote:
Thanks everyone for your advise. It's too bad the stuff waits to drain out of the weep holes and dry after you have already left the job. Having to send the guys back out the following day to touch up a job really hits the bottom line. Do you all use a booster pump to rinse. I wonder if that has too much pressure and pushing cleaner up into the weep holes.

Dave keep an eye on the wood grain of the siding. You will be able to identify the siding next time. This happens mostly with Certainteed Siding. Trust me on this one. I have been installing siding most of my life.

Dave O · Retired Member

Art O wrote:
Dave O wrote:
Thanks everyone for your advise. It's too bad the stuff waits to drain out of the weep holes and dry after you have already left the job. Having to send the guys back out the following day to touch up a job really hits the bottom line. Do you all use a booster pump to rinse. I wonder if that has too much pressure and pushing cleaner up into the weep holes.
Dave keep an eye on the wood grain of the siding. You will be able to identify the siding next time. This happens mostly with Certainteed Siding. Trust me on this one. I have been installing siding most of my life.

Very interesting. As you can see in the photos I attached, the vinyl siding does have a wood grain texture. I don't believe the other siding, that did not have the stains, had the grain.

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Dave O wrote:
Art O wrote:
Dave O wrote:
Thanks everyone for your advise. It's too bad the stuff waits to drain out of the weep holes and dry after you have already left the job. Having to send the guys back out the following day to touch up a job really hits the bottom line. Do you all use a booster pump to rinse. I wonder if that has too much pressure and pushing cleaner up into the weep holes.
Dave keep an eye on the wood grain of the siding. You will be able to identify the siding next time. This happens mostly with Certainteed Siding. Trust me on this one. I have been installing siding most of my life.

Very interesting. As you can see in the photos I attached, the vinyl siding does have a wood grain texture. I don't believe the other siding, that did not have the stains, had the grain.

Some sidings have a wood gran, others could be smooth. That doesn't mean anything.

Dave O · Retired Member

I was wondering do any of you mention the potential dirty stains in your disclaimers? I think I need to warn my customers ahead of time so they don't later jump to the conclusion that we did a crap job.

BlueRidge · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Dave O wrote:
I was wondering do any of you mention the potential dirty stains in your disclaimers? I think I need to warn my customers ahead of time so they don't later jump to the conclusion that we did a crap job.

I have everything else in our document. I tell my customers why it happened and ask if they mind misting it lightly. Only a few have had an attitude about doing that.

Dave O · Retired Member

BlueRidge wrote:
Dave O wrote:
I was wondering do any of you mention the potential dirty stains in your disclaimers? I think I need to warn my customers ahead of time so they don't later jump to the conclusion that we did a crap job.
I have everything else in our document. I tell my customers why it happened and ask if they mind misting it lightly. Only a few have had an attitude about doing that.

A few weeks ago we had this happen. At first the customer, emailed me to let me know how incredibly clean the siding looked. But then a day later he called me and proceeded to rip me on how we left stains all over, how we did such a terrible job and how he would never use us again! He did pay us though. I called him back and left a message telling him we will come back out to address it. He blew off my vm and emails. Oh well.

DirtyRoofcom · Approved Exterior Cleaner

perfect example for setting customers expectations. how many times have we all washed a house that is near a tree line or has never even been rinsed before and no matter what we do debris keeps coming out of the weep holes or the J channel. With a lot of siding you'd be surprised of the amount of dust dirt that gets behind the panel just waiting for some moisture to rinse it out and drip all over the new surface.

my solution is to wash the house then at the end do a final light rinse just to clear any debris or drip stains. i also let the customer know that they might continually get some specs of debris after we leave. if they like they can just hit with a hose.

Jeff Wible · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Old thread I know Ha, Ha,....but this brown streaks after drying are annoying,..and a basic acid like oxalic or whatever is on hand,..like an aluminum brightener is the way to go. And use a brush instead of misting. Even misting may result in to much and reactivate the issue. I know it can be done,...but using a brush with just enough acid on the tips of the bristles to make it wet,..and touch the brown staining and work it lightly will remove it and leave it dry in a few minutes at most,..it's the chemical reaction more than the brushing.

Jeff