Soft wash, moss and algae removal
A soft wash system is used to safely remove ugly black, red and green stains from roof tiles, render and slabs. Those black stains are actually Gloecaspsa Magma, a type of algae that feeds on the aggregate of shingled and tiled roofs by attaching themselves and forming a colonisation of various biofilms and growth , damaging the material and potentially decreasing its life.
Its not always appropriate to pressure wash roof, render and patios with a high power washer which can ultimately cause damage similar to a hail storm, knocking off the aggregate that is designed to protect the walls or shingles from weathering and UV degradation.
Instead, the algae needs to be killed by using a chemical compound designed to kill organic matter. The product of choice: Biocides DDAC 50% as approved by health and safety executives. Soft washing, then, is using a mix of water and Biocide to kill organic matter on surfaces, siding, and other surfaces. Unlike pressure washing, soft washing uses a gentle, low-pressure spray and lets the chemical do the job. In fact, roof manufacturers have listed the use of soft washing as the proper way to clean a roof. Some insurance companies even require roofs to be cleaned in order to maintain coverage.
While soft washing began primarily as a safe and effective way to clean roofs, it has since become the method of choice for cleaning and removing organic-based stains from a variety of surfaces such as siding, wood fences and any delicate surface that high pressure may damage.
Soft washing not only kills Gloescapsa Magma (algae), it can be used to remove mould, mildew, lichen, moss, fungi and germs.