​ Drive through any Knoxville neighborhood and you can see those black streaks on just about every roof, mainly on the North side of the roof slope. These black marks on a roof can make your home unsightly and cause your home to lose curb appeal and if your home is for sale, this could possibly cost you a sale.
 
What are those black stains? They are a form of algae that grows in the shady areas on your roof. The good news is they can be cleaned using the proper mixture as well as technique, restoring the look of your home’s shingles and giving you that extra WOW factor. We here at Innovative Glass have reached out to just about all shingle manufactures that cover our area as well as local roofing companies and have discussed how to remove them and maintain your roof.
 
First off, and I have seen this many times, do not use a normal pressure washer on your roof, recently many pressure washing services have begun to offer roof cleaning, but using a high pressure on your roof will damage the granules on the shingle and your 25yr warranty just went to zero as this voids it. Using very low pressure (or soft wash) which operates at around 40 psi, using a mixture of high concentrate bleach and surfactant, gently spray on the effected areas and let sit for 20 minutes, then begin rinsing again using no pressure, although this will clean the roofing surface, over time they will come back.
 
 For the home owner, if the roof is walkable a pump sprayer will suffice and rinse with a water hose. It is very important to spray with clean water all plants around your home, as well as use proper PPE, i.e. Safety glasses, mask, and clothes you don’t mind getting ruined.
 
 For us, learning the proper processes to clean your home was very vital. We teach our employees to inspect a roof for damage, and this is also a great time for the home owner to brush up on roof damage and inspect your own roof.
 
 The recommended Roof Cleaning mixture should be close to a 50/50 ratio of bleach to water, with a surfactant to help it ‘stick’ to the roof while it does its job. For tougher areas where lichen and full on algae growth has formed, you may have to come back and gently remove that dead algae being careful not to damage the granules.
 
After speaking with roofing manufactures and roofing companies, they do offer a algae resistant shingle, but this only covers certain types of algae and mold, not all. But it is recommended to get your roof cleaned occasionally to maintain the roof as well as appearance.
 
If you live in Knoxville or the surrounding areas, give Innovative Glass a call 865-455-9871 for a FREE estimate on all your roof cleaning or Pressure Washing needs. We are happy to assist you, even if it is to just answer questions.

   I’ve read many articles about pressure washing, from How to’s to the DIY power washing, so today were going to talk about want NOT to wash, when getting your home ready for spring. Last time we made some points on If you should Hire a Professional, and with temperatures warming up, its about time to think about getting your home ready for the year.
 
 
     As you’ve pulled your power washing machine out of the garage, hooked up your hoses, got your wand, which tip should you use? Well first off DO NOT use the little red tip, I have seen more damage caused by that guy then any other one, While the Yellow is great for concrete this too can cause significant damage, Now the green may ‘be good for brick, depending on if mortar is cracking the white tip will suffice, Now for siding and higher areas, Lowes sells what’s called a Second Story kit, a pink / light blue tips that are great for soaping and rinsing the high areas and its gentle enough to use on siding if you stand back away from your home at lower levels.
 
     When it comes to chemicals, most professionals all use the same basic soaps to wash your home, there is NO “secret mix”. The primary ingredient is Liquid Pool Shock, which is 12% Sodium-hydrochloride, diluted with water and add a surfactant to help it stick to the surface longer. IMPORTANT: Always make sure you use Sodium-Hydrochloride, some pool shock is Calcium-Hydrochloride, and this has a severe chemical reaction when mixed with water. ALWAYS insure you are using Sodium based. It is also important to rinse off plants around your home with water both before and after as these soaps can cause damage to plant life.
 
    Now that you are ready to wash your house, we look at some of the things you should avoid. Some may seem common sense but are often over looked. The first is electrical outlets, not only should you not directly spray but I have seen (even professionals) have runoff that gets behind the plug and start a fire. Another area to avoid is use of pressure on windows, you can blow out caulking, seals, glazing, and cause sever damage to your windows. Also, be mindful of doors, using a high pressure on the door causes it to ‘break’ the weather seal, allowing water to enter the home, before you know it 5 to 10 gallons of water is on your floor if your home is brick, be gentle around the mortar as you can cause the joints to be exposed. This also applies to EIFS. Roofs???
 
   So now you have all the proper power washing equipment, Soap the sides of your home starting with the bottom and working your way up. Leave the soap on and give it time to dwell, usually around 20 minutes, its important not to leave the soap on too long as this can cause damage as well, it’s okay if you must soap it twice, if needs be just do one side at a time, as this will be more manageable. Now that your ready to rinse, start from the top and work your way down, A good tip to remember is ‘Soap up, rinse down’.
 
   Now when it comes to your roof, I HIGHLY recommend hiring a professional, this is one of the most dangerous area to work. Also this requires specific equipment that we use called ‘soft washing’ machine, that operates at roughly 60psi. Never ever use, or let a company use pressure on your roof.
 
This article was written by James, owner of Innovative Glass Window Cleaning & Pressure Washing, located in Knoxville, Tn.

 If you have a glass shower you’ve probably seen the build up of hard water and soap scum. Maybe your beautiful window gets hit with the sprinkler and now its not so beautiful. These things happen and over time layer upon layer gets built up until your glass reaches what we call the restoration side of Window Cleaning. With an extra step in your normal cleaning habits you can save money by curbing the damage caused by these elements.
 
 Many times, on estimates one of the things that I pay attention to is the contamination on the glass, when it comes to hard water, we begin to leave the normal window washing, yes, we can remove it but at an additional cost. One of the steps we use is 0000 steel wool. Now this isn’t used for scrubbing pots as it is VERY fine, it also wont last more than one use, due to the fine fibers they are prone to rust at a high rate, using one after it rusts will not go well, odds are it will dissolve in your hand. Another important tip is to keep it wet, using dry can cause scratches on the glass. One recipe I find is simple is a little dish soap in water, this will provide proper lubrication as you go in a tight circular motion applying slight pressure over the area. Then clean as normal. Depending on the level of staining, you may have to repeat. For the exterior window use the exact same method, but we do recommend adjusting the sprinkler to where it no longer hits the window.
 
For extreme hard water, they have tools (much like a wax buffer for your car) that can be used with cerium oxide to remove the heavier levels. Regular maintenance will keep your glass looking great all year long. For service in the Knoxville area call Innovative Glass for all your window cleaning and pressure washing needs.
 For a Free quote call or text 865-455-9871

As Spring approaches, we all begin to look forward to those back-yard BBQ’s, outdoor parties, gardening and just hang around outside. Then you look at your home and see green and black! It’s time to Pressure Wash!! Three ways this task can be tackled, A) buy a pressure washer and go the DIY method, B) Hire the guy down the street, C) hire a professional.  
 
If you go the DIY method, you will find out VERY quickly that there are LOTS of choices in pressure washers, with price ranges from $300 - $1,500. Obviously, you don’t need the higher end of the spectrum, but is the lower end a good choice? Often, they do not put out enough GPM (gallons per minute) to do the job efficiently, you could spend ALL weekend cleaning your home. Then we get into chemicals, although you don’t need a degree in chemistry, using the wrong mixture can damage your home as well as the plants around. Then comes the ladder, this is VERY dangerous. Using a high-pressure wand on top of a ladder is a recipe for disaster. It won’t be a matter of if you will fall but when. The kick back can easily knock you off. Now we look at the machine, once your home is clean, there is a high probability that the next time you pull out the pressure washer, the pump will be corroded and unusable.
 
Hire the guy down the street may seem like a good idea, but what if he falls off the ladder? What if he uses too much pressure and damages my home? If something happens, does he have insurance, or will I be left holding the bill for damage or worst-case scenario medical bills…
 
Choosing a professional can be the best choice for many reasons. They have the right tools, when we pressure wash houses, we invest a lot of money to make sure your home is cleaned safely and efficiently. WE are covered under insurance if anything does go wrong. Often our machines can reach 3-4 stories from the ground.  Not to mention You get to relax while We do the hard work. Every home we wash comes with a 1-year warranty from mold and algae. This route may seem expensive, but in the long run, it amounts to a few cents a day when you compare to how long a house wash will last. To learn more visit our Pressure Washing page
 For a FREE quote, Call or Text Innovative Glass 865-455-9871

We here at Innovative Glass Window Cleaning would like to remind you of some helpful tips to get YOUR home ready for the changing temperatures.

1. Be sure to trim those trees and bushes away from the house. Sure they look pretty and provide shade,but not only do they provide a path for insects, they cause damage to your roof and siding.
2. Get ready to clean those gutters! Full gutters can cause overflow and if we get snow, ice dams, All resulting in damage to the eaves, roof and foundation
3. No One like drafts and heat loss, be sure to inspect the caulking around windows and doors and replace if needed.
4. Change that Air Filter! As we switch from A/C to heat, its always a good idea to install a new filter and vaccuum out the area in the return.
5. Go ahead a install new exterior bulbs. After all, who wants to pull out the ladder when ice and snow is on the ground.
6. Be sure to dis-connect all hoses and install faucet covers, as temps drop at night, this is easy to overlook, but frozen pipes count for thousands of dollars in damage every year.

 As always, please feel free to Call us anytime if you need help with any of these projects around Your home! 865-455-9871

 Fall is here, which means Winter is quickly on the way. As tempatures drop,a few basic maintenance items on YOUR home can save YOU big Money through the Winter months and possibly disaster.

• Re-Caulking the Windows and Doors, An often overlooked item, removing the old caulking and adding new, can not only reduce the winter draft, it also helps keep insects out of your home.
• Pest Control, As the weather turns colder, un-wanted guests need a place to live. Do you like cuddling with Spiders?
• Weather Striping, Replacing worn out weather stripping from around the doors has the same effect as re-caulking the windows, plus this will help cut down on energy costs.
• Chimney Cleaning, Having a professional Chimney sweep can remove years of soot and tar, one of the #1 causes of home fires!!
• Wrap those exposed pipes! Frozen pipes thaw, and when they do, they flood.
• Faucet Covers, A $3.00 spicket cover can keep you from thousands of dollars in repairs.
• Gutter Cleaning, As the leaves fall and fill those gutters, the water and moisture will freeze, causing an ice dam, this causes MAJOR damage to your roof and facia.

We here at Innovative Glass (865-455-9871), recommend doing this few simple chores every year to make sure YOU and YOUR Family stay warm amd Safe through the Winter months. If your having trouble finding a trusted proffessional in the Knoxville area,Please feel free to Contact us Anytime. Over the years we have built a huge network for just about anything you could have!

Importance of Gutter cleaning

One aspect of exterior home maintenance can be more important than most of homeowners 
realize; gutter cleaning. Generally, gutters play a very important role in the structural 
integrity of a house, and keeping them clean is a better way of avoiding the potential 
cost expenses associated with gutter repairs. The main function of gutters is to
 guide the rain water off the roof and straight down the drain. However, despite their
 importance, though, it may be very easy to forget about their maintenance until something
 goes wrong. For instance, if your gutters become clogged, the ultimate results
 may be serious to an extent of causing structural damage and the resulting damp can
 cause health issues for you and your family.

Knoxville Tn has always been a subject to damaging weather patterns including storms and winds. 
This is a city where gutter blockages may pose serious risks to a home and business premises. Even
 if you have plastic, pressed steel, or iron gutters, it is important to clean them
 annually in order to keep them performing properly. Besides that, here are some of the
 reasons for keeping your gutters clean, they include:

To avoid cracked foundations and leaking basements Basically, when your gutters 
become clogged, they become the major source of problems associated with leaking 
basements. The roof water can overflow and accumulate around the foundation. 
In case that happens, beyond no doubt, basement leaks can be a moment away 
and the intemperance water against the foundation can consequently cause the
 footings to weaken and thus leading to cracks.

To avoid internal damages

Basically, Clogged and overflowing gutters may let water run into the internal roof area,
 past your fascia boards. This can lead to swollen ceilings and damage to the integrity of 
your roof structure. Overflowing of water into the ceiling can cause a direct damage 
causing your ceiling to show stains, damage insulation, light fittings and electrical wiring. 

Reduce the possibility of wood-destroying insects from breeding

The lack of cleaning of gutters may be the source of water pooling in areas blocked by
 debris. The condition is perfect for breeding mosquitoes. Insects normally love moisture 
and will probably make a permanent home in the gutter wreckage.

Avoiding rotted wood

When your gutters have debris stack above the single or flashing line, this debris is likely
 to hold enough moisture on the fascia board. The moisture may also have adverse effects 
on the roof covering and framing past the fascia. Debris usually works as a wick and drains
 water to the bottom side of the gutter up to the fascia. So many people have spent a lot 
of dollars in replacement of rotted wood which an inexpensive gutter cleaning expert could 
have simply prevented.

To keep away from driveways

Generally, blocked gutters can typically cause driveways and walkways resulting in sagging and cracking. 

Conclusively, it is good not to ignore the role which clean gutters have on ensuring that the 
drainage system of your home runs smoothly. Damage caused by water may be costly and therefore
 gutter cleaning is a preventative maintenance on your most valuable assets.