Doug Dahlke

I have had a few people tell me they were getting other bids. Some of those I lost but several people have called me back to do the work and I know in this area there are many who work for much less than I do. I think people are getting a little tighter with their money but most people know the difference between price and value. Customers look at price but for some out there that doesn't necessarily mean they use the cheapest service.

I was asked to quote a house the other day that had these black spots on three sides. If you pick at a spot it flicks off but leaves a stain behind. I had my rig with me so I hit a spot with my ususal house wash and then brushed it but it didn't remove any of it. Is this artillery fungus? I've done a lot of vinyl and have never seen this.

I still belong to Power Core and attend regularly. We have a great group. The newest member is a builder/remodeler. This one contact has given me over $1,000 worth of business in the last few months. One referral in a residential area led to two other jobs from neighbors who saw me working. If you belong to a good group with the right kind of businesses it can be a great investment of your time. Another benefit is that since I work alone this group has become my business peer group. I get great marketing ideas from them and as business owners you can always learn from these people and use their knowledge as an additional resource for running your business.

Don't know about HD but our local Lowe's is all stocked up on pressure washers. I wonder if they tell customers it is illegal for them to use them here.

I did a house today that had a strange fade pattern in the vinyl on one side of the house. I saw the same thing on one house last year. The house today had blocks about six feet high and three to four feet wide where it has faded differently. Several blocks running along the side of the house with straight lines between the blocks. What would cause this and is there any way to remove it?

I wish I had some pics of this but they may not show up well in a photo. It almost looks like someone laid 4 x 8 sheets of plywood on end and left them up against the house for a few years. Can you still buy Restora? I thought when Flood was bought out they discontinued the product. Thanks for all the replies. The worst thing about this is I quoted this house a few weeks ago when it was dark out. I didn't see these spots until I was washing the house and that was the last side I did. If I had known they were there I would have told the homeowner they would probably not go away with a house wash.

Sounds like good advice to me. Sorry things went wrong for you on that one.

I use a 16' extension pole with a brush to get the gutters. I tell my customers that I only brush gutters that I can reach from the ground with the extension. I x-jet higher levels. They don't come as clean but they are not as visible either. If they want the higher levels brushed I might use a 10' step ladder and the x-pole. Sometimes you just have to break out a ladder and climb up there or if there is a porch, get on the roof.

What are others thoughts on the proper way the job should have been done? I use just hot water on the few centers I cuurently have contracts on. If a job needed something extra to get it clean what should be used?

You know how some tunes take you back to a specific time and place? Everytime I hear "Band on the Run" I am in high school riding with my friends in one of their parents gold 69 Biscayne station wagon with the search light deal on the passenger side. Don't know why I just go there. Was a huge Zep fan back in the day. Robin Trower too. Got to love Santana. He can burn it up but still say more with one note than most can say with 100.

You can also call the manufaturer. I use some of thier products and they have always been very helpful with questions.

Good stuff. Thanks for posting it.

Chances are they would not have issued you a business license without proof of a contractor's license if one was required but best to check anyway.

Well Daniel we will have to agree to disagree. US corps are taxed out the wahzoo. We are also the only nation in the western world that double taxes corporate profits because after these companies pay their taxes and send out dividends to their investors, the investors have to pay taxes on the dividend. No other western nation does that. When I talk about taxes I also mean all the other benefits that have to be provided, regulations complied with, etc. I do beleive there are greedy companies out there but by and large most companies just want to be profitable and survive. Isn't that what you want for your company? I place the blame on government for our insane trade policies and punitive domestic business rules and regs. I also blame consumers for continuing to put idiots in office that perpetuate those policies and patronizing the stores that get most of thier product from China.

I try to avoid Wal-Mart at all costs. My wife cuts coupons and shops Kroger or Publix. We buy other products at other stores even if it does cost more. What amazes me is that the public in general doesn't realize that by shopping Wal-Mart and other huge chains that buy offshore, they are contributing to the situations that most of them complain about, lost jobs, inflation, bad economy, etc. I worked in manufacturing for 30 years. American companies can't compete on price because the US government makes it very difficult to turn a profit and then taxes the heck out of them when they do. China and other foreign nations subsidize their industry and close their markets to us.

Always watch your pressure on a painted surface. Like Jeff said a regular house wash is fine. I use a chem tip wherever possible to apply and rinse. I also use a variable pressure wand when washing painted deck railings, steps, etc.

My son has a lawn service biz and we have done some things together. We just completed a fence job because he heard a customer mention she was getting quotes so we put one together and landed the job. We were the highest bid but I think she trusted us to do a good job because we have both done work for her before. My son has also hauled off junk from foreclosed properties and other homes and it can bring good money. With the drought here I continue to look for add ons like like Beth and Rod have suggested to keep things going. Gotta do what you gotta do.

I called a pool company that applies cool decking before I did my first pool deck. They told me that if the decking came off during pressure washing it was not applied correctly in the first place. It would still be a good idea to test a spot.

I say the answer is 2. The problem says half of the kids passed so all of the class was able to go to Calculus 2. I take that to mean all 1058 were passed. 1058 can only be divided evenly by 2. Just a SWAG on my part.

Went to the RV show here over the weekend. We had a camper and boat when the kids were little and would like to do that again someday. I was surprised by the number of people there and the sales activity. With all the bad economic news I thought this was an industry that would be hurting. They were still offering 15 to 20 year financing on these things too. I thought the banks would be tightening the reins on long term loans for purchases like this.

Didn't their CEO just get the boot?

I've lived in GA 22 years but am originally from North of Chicago. The first snow that fell when we were here was crazy. As soon as people saw the first flake they were shutting everything down. Every grocery store was out of milk and bread. After living here awhile you realize that most areas here don't have the equipment to deal with snow removal on the roads and driving in it here is different than up north. This last snow was not that big a deal. Schools were closed but I didn't see the run on the grocery stores and most businesses were open.

No problem. I should have just put Rush. Fell into the trap of assuming the singer wrote the lyrics.

"If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice." Geddy Lee

Congratulations. I wish mine were that little again.