Cleaning slates???

-Corkie-

Hi folks.

My slates have a fairly thick hard black scum on them. I will be powerwashing the house soon for painting so I want to clean the slates too...

Is there anything I can put on them so that stuff can be washed off???.

Cheers.

wayoutwest

Hi Corkie-I used brick cleaner[mild sulphuric acid solution],a churn brush and a bit of elbow grease and then just rinsed off with hose. Work your way along using a roofing ladder,top down,wearing old clothes,gloves and eye protection. Even though it took a bit of time and effort,it worked a treat on my roof.

-Corkie-

wayoutwest wrote: »

Hi Corkie-I used brick cleaner[mild sulphuric acid solution],a churn brush and a bit of elbow grease and then just rinsed off with hose. Work your way along using a roofing ladder,top down,wearing old clothes,gloves and eye protection. Even though it took a bit of time and effort,it worked a treat on my roof.

Cheers I dont want to use something very harsh because they are only a few years old.

slowburner

-Corkie- wrote: »

Hi folks.

My slates have a fairly thick hard black scum on them. I will be powerwashing the house soon for painting so I want to clean the slates too...

Is there anything I can put on them so that stuff can be washed off???.

Cheers.

The thick hard black scum is usually the baked residue of traffic fumes and/or fuel burning - a fact of urban pollution. It's an absolute nightmare to get off, because it is mostly oil and carbon based.
The combination of acid, and powerwashers, and height sounds risky. Probably best to get more opinions on a solvent, and plan your approach to the task very carefully.

There is a request for a cleaning & restoration sub-forum here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056493524

wayoutwest

The solution can be as strong or as mild as you want,depending on how much water you use. If the slates are'nt that old then why not try using wahing up liquid on a test patch and see if you are happy with the result.

wayoutwest

Slowburner - Working at hieghts is not a problem for people who are used to it. There are risks, and if the O.P is not expereanced, then there are loads of unemployed roofers around who are,and might be happy to do the job.

slowburner

wayoutwest wrote: »

Slowburner - Working at hieghts is not a problem for people who are used to it. There are risks, and if the O.P is not expereanced, then there are loads of unemployed roofers around who are,and might be happy to do the job.

Sure

-Corkie-

slowburner wrote: »

The thick hard black scum is usually the baked residue of traffic fumes and/or fuel burning - a fact of urban pollution. It's an absolute nightmare to get off, because it is mostly oil and carbon based.
The combination of acid, and powerwashers, and height sounds risky. Probably best to get more opinions on a solvent, and plan your approach to the task very carefully.

There is a request for a cleaning & restoration sub-forum here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056493524

I dont think its from fuel etc but from trees around the house. I will throw up a pic tomorrow.

Thanks for all the replys so far.

earpiece

If you can retro fit a copper strip along the roof, this should solve your problems longterm, even better if you can get a second in half way down the roof too. Works a treat.

-Corkie-

earpiece wrote: »

If you can retro fit a copper strip along the roof, this should solve your problems longterm, even better if you can get a second in half way down the roof too. Works a treat.

So put a copper strip on top of the ridge tiles???

-Corkie-

20120317_141847.jpg

This is the sunroom roof and the back of the house is the same..

wayoutwest

corkie - by the looks of the slates in your photo,using a churn brush [like a scrubbing brush,but with longer bristles snd a handle] and washing-up liquid,followed by rinse will do the job nicely

-Corkie-

wayoutwest wrote: »

corkie - by the looks of the slates in your photo,using a churn brush [like a scrubbing brush,but with longer bristles snd a handle] and washing-up liquid,followed by rinse will do the job nicely

I will try that so when I get time.. Cheers..

earpiece

-Corkie- wrote: »

So put a copper strip on top of the ridge tiles???

Hey Corkie,
Looking at your photo, you could probably slide one in under the ridge tiles. You should be able to get rolls of copper from most builders providers, doesn't take much, about 2" exposed. Will try and get a picture of my own roof up in the next few days.

-Corkie-

earpiece wrote: »

Hey Corkie,
Looking at your photo, you could probably slide one in under the ridge tiles. You should be able to get rolls of copper from most builders providers, doesn't take much, about 2" exposed. Will try and get a picture of my own roof up in the next few days.

Cheers does the copper prevent the crap accumulating..

earpiece

Yup, it does, works as a fungal / herbicide killer. In time that black muck will start to grow moss. You can see on your roof where the lower ties/tabs on the center of each slate, there is less of a build up of 'the gunk'.... see a pattern?
Thimk you can also use zinc strips also.
I'm not an authority on the subject, anyone else got any info or experience of using copper/zinc on roofs for growth prevention?

slowburner

Not really, but I know that copper is toxic to plants, algae and fungi. The attractive green oxide (Verdigris), is toxic to people.
I knew a building which had a copper roof. There was small leak in the gutter - nothing would live in the flower bed underneath.

wayoutwest

earpiece - copper idea sounds v. interesting.How long have you had it installed,and has it made a noticable difference? Would the green 'verdigris' not eventualy stain the slates over time?
slowburner - Just how toxic is copper? - Its just that I use lots of old,random lengths of copper pipe in my veg patch [total slug prevention]....-am I contaminating my crop and putting myself at risk by handling this oxidized metal? I've used them for many [slugfree]years and the plants dont seem to suffered by being surrounded by it.

slowburner

wayoutwest wrote: »

slowburner - Just how toxic is copper? - Its just that I use lots of old,random lengths of copper pipe in my veg patch [total slug prevention]....-am I contaminating my crop and putting myself at risk by handling this oxidized metal? I've used them for many [slugfree]years and the plants dont seem to suffered by being surrounded by it.

I am not expert enough to answer your question.
However, most of our drinking water comes through copper pipework, doesn't it? Or is that a no-no these days?
There's a little bit on the subject here.

wayoutwest

Thanks very much,slowburner, for the link on copper poisoning. Nasty aul symptoms alright...thank god I used mainly qualplex on my place. It does mention that 'leafy greens'have a high copper content.....which is exactly what I like to grow :eek:.........I think that I might be confining my copper slug fences to just the perimeter [away from the plants a bit] this year!