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jeffex11

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Posts posted by jeffex11

  1. Posted · Edited by jeffex11 · Report reply

    I believe you just stated I have no idea what I'm doing but thats ok with me , your not my customer!!I'm all for changing my methods and learning. thats part of the fun of a message board to me. I have downstreamed the chems many times. I switched to using bleach with my soap and wanted more control of the cleaner. the outdoor bleach I use cut the time off of a house cleaning for me frim using vinyl brite in the past. I appreciate the info about different methods of cleaning. I did a house thurs where you could basicaly let the cleaner do the work and rinse . Most of the houses I do take 3.5 to 5 man hours from start to finish. If you can cut that to 2 to 3.5 that is great. I never said myway was better! I just described my current methods. Always a work in progress. I even discovered HD-80 this year and what a difference from my old cleaner!!!

  3. Posted · Report reply

    I believe I could get $150 just to get it off as a individual service and an additional $100 added to a house that has it. ie... $450 for house wash and if it has A F I could explain the added cost by showing them it won't come off without the secret formula!!! price would then be $550 .I used to give a price for housewashing and charge extra for whitening gutters as an option. Now I just include it but my price is higher for all houses.

  4. Posted · Report reply

    the houses I do run $450 to $600 to clean the siding ,gutters & downspouts soffit and facia. All are two story homes . concrete ,patios and walkways are extra. I apply soap bleach mix and scrub window frames with butyl product then powerwash . I use a 24 ft extension wand . I realize some can spray on chems and rinse and go. I include the time it takes to get there unload and wash in my pricing . I did finally solve the problem on the house. It was some of the white coating on the facia boards that bled down the siding and adheared to the vinyl. It took a mild mix of S H to melt off the dried paint residue. Only happen on the sunny side of the house as it dried that fast on to the siding.

  6. Posted · Edited by jeffex11 · Report reply

    is the wood cedar? the soft woods have larger cells and the stain penetrates deeper. I would use a paint scraper on the thick spot near the post in the one picture. I'll bet they are amazed at what the deck looks like now that you have stripped most of the old layers!!! $$$$$$$$ nice work I would recommend a semi that will hide some of the discoloration like a cedar color

  10. Posted · Edited by jeffex11 · Report reply

    having the same problem on one I did last week. some uneven areas of oxidation still showing after it dried. the customer and I walked the house before I was paid and NO signs of oxidation were left. I hit every sq. onch when cleaning and that is reflected in my price.. she gave me a call later that night and said she notice some discoloration. I told her I would be over in 2 days and she agreed. I gave it a second go on sat eve. with purple stuff but thunderstorms prevented it drying out and checking for oxidation. I haven't seen oxidation this bad in many years on vinyl. Only on the eastern and southern side where sun exposure is bad. I will be cautious on bidding on any other homes with this brand of siding in this neighborhood. It could have been residue from the cleaner or even cleaner weeping out from the drip holes in the vinyl I explained but I haven't had this much problem with vinyl in my whole time of cleaning houses. Hell I may have to get a big jar of armor all and brush the 2 sides with it!

  11. Posted · Report reply

    I'm going to recomend Olympic 3yr toner or 5yr toner. It is water based and easily cleaned up. It is available at Lowes stores. I have switched to using this product exclusively in my business. I am NOT disputing the effectiveness or value of any other product mentioned on these boards. I am simply giving my personal endorcement for the Olympic product. This is only my second yr using it but the staying power looks good from decks I did last year so far. Good luck with your project.

  13. Posted · Report reply

    No, I just was wondering since I bid on the job myself and asked the homeowner to contact me at least if he went with another company . I was holding open a date for him . He was up front that he was getting other bids (several) and did call me back . The job was a solid stain that had to be stripped from the verticals with the floor mostly worn off. He like the job I did for the neighbor 2 houses away but I was hoping to get a clue if price was his deciding factor. I like to get 2-3 of 5 bids I place. This one got away !

  16. Posted · Report reply

    there is a difference in buying your self a job and building a business that generates a profit. Whatever your business model or market for pricing there are always better customers out there. Adapting to tough economic times in an area may simply targeting another area if possible . Pricing is as much an art as it is a science with prices per sq. ft and linear ft. sometimes you have to push the envelope. I try and not think like a customer but rather what is the added value I bring to a customer and I sell that. Just like posted before I will be here the next time they need work done rather than constantly shopping for the next cheap guy you hope doesn't ruin or damage your house or deck. I'm NOT competing for that customer

  17. Posted · Report reply

    oh that golden color of wet southern yellow pine comes shinning through! I still remember the first time I accidently hit pressure treated wood with a power washer while cleaning an AC condenser . I was helping a neighbor (HVAC tech) clean his outside AC unit so we could start playing horseshoes and he had a PT wood lattice screen around his unit. While cleaning the AC you couldn't help but hit the gray pt wood. whalla! we did every deck in the neighborhood after that and I was in business. Still looks good to restore an old deck. Nice work!!! thanks for the flashback

  18. Posted · Report reply

    well the notion thast this business is not taken seriously IS true. The fact is I compare it to my lawn business. Anyone can cut a lawn and powerwash and stain their deck. The difference is in the quality of the finished product. Nicely edged and trimmed lawns with proper fertilizing and mowing stand out in any neighborhood. The same goes for deck jobs. This is not rocket science but some knowledge is required for proper wood care. Inexperiened deck companies.?... 17 yrs a go so was I. I believe the frustration I would feel is that she didn't even call and that work I had taken pride in was ruined .. just as beth n rod posted. I'm NOT for gettin the government involved or anyone else in policing this industry. Let the market take care of it. I'll bet the duct cleaning company is not stealing our customers but they are doing work for people who can't afford to have it done properly. Thats not my target customer. Just like my lawn business , I don't want customers who want their lawn cut every 2 weeks and don't care about weeds or even trimming. There is a lawn guy for them but NOT ME!!

  19. Posted · Report reply

    some people have to learn a lesson . How many jobs have you done that the homeowner has all but ruined the deck ? I have a neighborhood where I did many decks and a guy moved in giving quotes at 1/2 my price. I simply told the customer to keep my number just in case that guy goes out of business . Sure enough I got some calls last year and that guy is gone! Hell I even have to be taught sometimes you get what you pay for! I have a lawn business as well and people think once you get their lawn looking good again they don't need you any more. They go cheaper and I just leave the door open for them to come back... at higher prices and they have to restore the lawn again at a cost. PAY ME NOW .. OR PAY ME LATER.... she'll be back when her finances improve

  22. Posted · Report reply

    NO -SHORT ANSWER TO THREAD.One fact I've learned from these message boards is that prices are differen't everywhere. Another thing I've seen is that house washing prices for me run roughly like this .... $400,000 house I start pricing at $400 give or take onsite complications. Pricing too high is better than too low IMO its easier to adjust down than up. On a $150 job you have at least $10-15 in gas and soap. 35% goes to taxes and self employment. Add in a cost of replacing your equipment ( I use $5 an hour to save for new stuff). Factor in your time to estimate the job and sell it. factor in your load and unload time. This is how a business stays afloat rather than some side money. TIME is what I sell. If all these things were taken care of in your business model including your target $ per hour the price is right for YOU. By posting here we all ask for other opinions on how we're doing in the p-wash world . I started somewhere too and took any work I could get . My goal was to swim upstream to good , high paying jobs with PROFIT built into them. Good luck with your business!!!

  23. Posted · Report reply

    People have been understanding. Repeat customers have been through this one year or another. That is the 4th time over 12 yrs for that deck. When we did it the first time they had just gotten a puppy and it chooed up the gate at the top of the steps. they just repaired it and replaced some wood this year. The poor dog is old now and limping around. Just like me!!!

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