Bryan C

Beautiful. What stain is that?

Same here - about $800 per year. Even cheaper if you add WC to it. Try American Family...

There are some things that I think are borderline unethical. "Washing" a fence that will grey again in 6 months is one of them.

Who paid you to just "wash" a fence? That will be grey by the end of summer. Fence work is a tough sell here and no one I know would pay to have it washed without being stained. So the darker photos are the wood still wet?

Ken - I will drive to PA for that job. $1000 for a two hour job? And I have the WTW...

Does that 300 feet include both sides? Methods? Reason I ask is it looks like you cleaned and stained only a part of it and then went back and did the rest? What stain is that?

I give a 10% discount for those that schedule work prior to April 1st. Easy one to close. Don't turn it away - get it scheduled...

I was in the same situation about a year ago. Landed several wood jobs and hand rolled them all. I decided that I would no longer take on any other wood work until I could find a good airless sprayer. Someone suggested a Titan 440i and I saw one in action at a RT. Purchased one at SW shortly thereafter and have never looked back. The thing is awesome. It will take one job for you to get the settings right and to learn how to become comfortable with it. A four hour job now takes an hour, including setup and cleaning of equipment, all with much better results. The best $600 I have ever spent...

Vegas in June (when it is 120 degrees) every year. Nothing like losing a bunch of money to get you back to working hard when you return...

Got a call today from a woman who is selling her house and needs a complete house makeover - wood deck, vinyl house wash, as well as concrete. I told her that I would be unable to seal the deck due to the tempatures but she wants the wood thoroughly cleaned to remove the mold. Approximately 950 square feet of deck, over 200 spindles, 19 steps, large amount of lattice - large amounts of mold. What is the best approach for just cleaning? Just a precarb or is a diluted stripper needed for this kind of mold? I was looking at approximately $1.25/square foot - is this reasonable? If anyone wants the rest - 4000 square foot house, heavy mildew, gutters are black. Detached garage - another 1400 square feet. Concrete - 500 square feet. She needs it done ASAP as she wants to list it in the next two weeks. I don't want to lose this one by a lowball hack but want to price it accordingly. Pictures attached...

I agree on the sealer, don't get me wrong. I don't like clear sealers either, but this customer is more concerned about the appearance of the house when she is showing it rather than any long term benefits by using a semi-transparent sealer. I hate selling half a deck job, especially this big. But the customer wants to be practical I guess. She has already relocated and the house is empty - I am just waiting for the go ahead to clean. So I am clear - strip with F-18 and then a good ox bath? How much stripper per 5 to get this stuff off, especially in cold temps? Sorry, the ratio stuff makes my head spin... A few more pics (basically the place is filthy)...

Thanks for the help everyone. Will this be a difficult strip, especially due to the colder temperatures? What ratio of F-18 per 5? Mid 40's hopefully next week. I agree on the clear sealer and have told the customer that the deck will gray quickly, possibly before its even sold. She is considering it. Any advice on application in mid-December in central Indiana?

Can't seal it currently as it is too cold. I get .15 per s/f for housewashes and .10 per s/f for concrete. Just don't want to lose my ass on this deck...

Ken - Give me the run-down of "just cleaning" the wood. This deck has a stain on it. How do you remove mold from a stained deck without stripping it? I haven't run into a job like this yet and am unsure what to use to get it done. I prefer to strip it but the customer doesn't want it sealed. Is there a way to just clean it up - removing the mold but not the crap stain on it? I am right there with you on the others - housewash etc.

Where is Winchester, Ohio? Feel free to give me a call in the spring. You can come and ride with us for a few days if you want. Learning hands on will go a long way. And of course, some Excel help, like you mentioned. In the meantime, learn to market your company. Start with your business name, business plan, who you will market to and the services you will provide. Being confident is only half the battle. Everyone starts out that way. Learn to survive the first couple of years while you learn everything you can and you will be successful and profitable.

You coming up pretty well in California searches?

With two kids, I haven't read anything lately except stuff related to Dora and Diego...

If you have the initial money, spend the money with a good graphic design person to create your flyers, postcards, and logo. It is money well spent. Keith from KBK Graphics has designed a ton for the PW industry - you will love his prices as well. PM me if you would like to see mine...

Awesome job Jon. I wish I could work all year long like that. How long did this job take you? How much product?

I agree on the muratic. Nice job BTW. What did you use?

What are you exactly referring to? You want a program that prepares estimates? What is the system that you currently use?

Hey Guys - I got a call recently from a GC who is need of post construction pressure washing. I haven't really looked into as of yet due to a steady supply of residential and commercial work. Can someone give me the rundown of what is expected? Just a rinse of the concrete (garage, patios, driveways, and sidewalks)? The good and the bad? What is an acceptable rate for this work - do you price each job accordingly and then bill or do you bill at a flat rate per job? Obviously some homes are bigger than others... What has your experience been working for builders? Are PW the low-man on the board, right above temp help? How much work - steady supply of homes? How did you land the work - show up at job sites and ask for the super? Thanks for all replies. Feel free to PM or call me if you prefer... Bryan

I would really like to target this work before spring. There are some pretty big building companies here so I don't really know where to go or who to talk to. Is it easier to show up at the work location and talk to the superintendent than trying to track someone down through their website or office numbers? Just want to make sure I am doing things correctly as I don't want to appear shady. Thanks for the help.

So 1 inch of muratic added to a fiver with water - XJet on and hit with a SC? Seems pretty simple. BTW - any concerns with storing muratic? Shelf life? Average cost?

Anyone have before/afters of the red clay?