Boone Under Pressure & the DIY homeowner...
Boone Under Pressure is here to help...
Welcome to the 1st blog for Boone Under Pressure in 2011. We've hit the ground running&have already scheduled a few free estimates&consultations; for local homeowners. Spring is the time of year when the "honey do" list comes out of the shed & things get busy outside your home. Sometimes you wonder if things will ever get done or you pick & choose the projects you're looking forward to. Some seem to be more fun & exciting than others. I know my favorite time to mow my grass is, the first time & the last time. The rest of the time in the yard is, well, work. Look around, how many decks do you see that have turned a beautiful shade of dark gray or a gorgeous translucent moldy slippery green ? They are everywhere. These are the projects that homeowners have neglected (or put on the bottom of the list) wishing that overnight, somehow they would return to a lovely shade of natural yellow wood, or better yet, a warm honey gold luster that beads water when it rains.
For those of you that are considering cleaning or restoring your wood deck for the first time, this may help you determine whether it's going to be a blast, literally, or it's going to be work. For those that HAVE done this before, then you know IT IS going to be work. How much depends on your project. I have actually cleaned & restored decks for homeowners that OWN a working pressure washer. They just didn't want to do it again. Someone once told me that we have 2 kinds of fear: 1) a fear of the unknown, & 2) a fear of the known. It's true. And then you ask yourself, how hard can this pressure washing process be to get my deck clean? I'll rent a pressure washer, get a jug of some "deck wash" & hook up the hose. Done. Not so fast Happy Homeowner. There are about 5-6 other things (tools/materials) you're going to need to help make this a speedy process. Perhaps more, depending on the size what you're trying to accomplish with your little project.
You can rent a pressure washer for about $45 a half day & $60 for a full day, which doesn't include tax, gas surcharge or insurance. I checked. Now you gotta go get it, get your project done in a day & then haul it back. Sounds pretty easy huh? Should have been thinking about all the in between stuff that you needed or didn't have to finish the job (in 1 day or now add another half day charge). How much over priced, water based sodium hypochlorite & sodium hydroxide cleaner mixed with a dash of surfactant do I need? Why didn't that old failing stain come off? Back to the "big box" store for something else. What happened to my wood deck? Why did some of the wood splinter & how come it looks "furry"? Do you have a good orbital sander? Good knees & a strong back will help too. What kind of grit do I need for the sander to get the prep done right? Will this step be important so my stain or sealer soaks in? Stain or sealer? What's the difference? I have talked with numerous homeowners that didn't know & were told by others to use a nationally advertised product which, in my opinion as well as numerous other contractors, is about the worst thing you can put on a deck. You will probably not be happy with the results of all your hard work. Know what it is? OK, back to work.
I think I have the right tip (see picture below) but do I know the right technique to get this done, in 1 day? Oh, look at all those little pickets, dear. There must be 100's of them. Have fun, I'm going to go play golf! Maybe playing with a rather large water pistol all day sounds like fun to some, for others there can be many headaches along the way. Some can be irreversible without shelling out more money & spending the time to do it right the second time. You will probably get wet (3-4 hours of having wet feet is NOT fun or comfortable) & your back will probaly hurt like crazy the next day(s), but hey, you saved a few bucks doing this yourself.
Wrong tip, wrong technique, wrong cleaner, wrong contractor. This homeowner called me after another contractor had started on her deck. She said "something doesn't look right on my deck". OUCH!!
For those that have done your own decks & tried pressure washing, some of you will understand this. Pressure washing is NOT about pressure. You don't just blast the dirt off your deck. Others will have to experience it first hand. Some people know how or want to do this, others call me. Boone Under Pressure has cleaned some of the dirtiest decks in The High Country in the past 5 years. About 60% of my business has been from people I never personnally met, but were impressed with my daily updates & pictures sent as work progressed.
With a long list of Happy Homeowners (references) & an extensive collection of before/after pictures, Boone Under Pressure can help you. Part of the process is to explain the process & educate each homeowner as to what needs to be done for a particular job. Decks, cabins, fencing, vinyl siding & more. If Boone Under Pressure can clean or restore it, we'll be happy to give you a free estimate. If we can't do what you want, we'll tell you that too. Your deck, in most cases, can usually be cleaned or restored back to 90-95% of it's original condition. Maybe more, maybe less depending on how long it's been since you've given your deck some love.
If you have good water pressure, an outside electrical outlet & little or no desire to take on your deck, call Boone Under Pressure for your cleaning or property needs. If you have questions & still want to DIY, feel free to call. Boone Under Pressure has NEVER or will NEVER, ask for any money upfront. No payment until your work has been completed to your satisfaction & expectations.
Boone Under Pressure offers a professional, affordable & dependable service to homeowners, Realtors & those with either income or rental property. ASU Alumni too. Please feel free to call David & schedule a free estimate & consultation. Work done around your house, work done around your schedule.
Your business is appreciated & your home respected.
828-964-2563 ©
828-268-5052 (h)
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