RyanH

A common sense retort?

For the black streaks, I use Purple Power applied through a ShurFlo or pump up (butyl based automotive degreaser, like Pam's mentioned). There are other brands available through various distributors....Zep makes a purple cleaner (at home depot), various janitorial places servicing kitchen supplies will sell it as a degreaser. PP costs about $8 for a 2.5 gallon container from Auto Zone. If you want to avoid pressure washing them, brush it on (I use full strength) and rinse off. Don't allow it to dwell longer than about 30 seconds as it could degrade the integrity of the paint. It will usually make windows ugly when it gets on them, however, and they will have to be cleaned.

I had one customer that threw the "Is that your best price?" line....only one. I guess I'm lucky since I usually charge a premium price (although, from the looks of my trailer setup, you might wonder how I get it :) ). I retort with "For you or for me? In the interest of you, the consumer, then yes. In the interest of me, the contractor, then probably not. I would be more than happy to charge you more, but seeing as how I'm probably the highest bidder you've asked about for your property, I shouldn't push it. But man, wait until you see the results. You won't be disappointed." He laughed and said some things about other people that have popped in and out of the neighborhood and have advertised the discount specials and that he had confidence in my abilities. PressurePros, I have played the cash game many times, sometimes with success, sometimes not. I rented some motorcycles in the mountains a few weeks back for my wife and myself and offered the guy cash if we could get some off (around 5% I think it was). He laughed and said "I use the money to pay my bills...I don't know what you use it for. Cash or otherwise, it spends the same to me." His polite way of saying "No." But, being the miser I am, I did get him to come off the price by 20% by pointing out the fact that he can have a guaranteed daily rental for two scooters or can have them sitting there doing nothing for him if we only got them for an hour. He felt good, I felt good.

Atlanta, GA (more specifically, Hampton, about 30 mi south of Atlanta)

cool. Any idea what the mix was? (not cool about the danger and hazard, but as a chemist, I have to say "cool" to any explosion...they're such fun!)

okey dokey hokey pokey :)

I'm about 80 or 90 miles from there. It might be a long shot, but if the guy is willing to meet in Atlanta, I'll gladly have a hot dog with him at The Varsity and check it over. That's about the half-way point between us (very convenient). Just let me know what specifically you are looking for in the rig. I can take the digital camera and snap additional pictures for you as well. RyanH borgwiser@hotmail.com (will be easier to reach me by email for the next few days).

Wet the area. Scrub with diluted greased lightning for the trim/frame, perhaps a few squirts of bleach from a squirt bottle on the mold and mildew areas. Rinse. Wash with glass cleaner. I buy the 1 gallon window cleaner from Home Depot (made by Zep) for TINTED WINDOWS. I use this type because it is alcohol based, not ammonia. Ammonia and bleach = bad situation on your sinuses, and it rinses very well. If you don't have hard water, or have a source for deionized water (examples in the search of how to make/obtain this), you can rinse if you aren't in an area where blowing dust is a problem. Good idea to clean with a squeegee and then wipe with a towel to remove drips. Glass will sparkle and I *guarantee* you will get positive thoughts by the customer when they look out (assuming they clean the inside of the windows).

Scott, The baskets are a great idea for some businesses, especially if they are relatively small and intimate and you personally know some of the people there (as opposed to responding to a whimsical call from the yellow pages). Larger businesses tend to expect the gifts this time of year as an a** kissing guesture and don't *really* pay attention to the sender. Now, that's just the experience from what I've seen and learned from talking with the people at my contract accounts. I'm constantly in their faces regarding my quality and their needs, so they are open to talk about the perceptions. They get cookies, baskets, coupons, etc. from almost every vendor (shipping, office supplies, copy machine technicians, coffee services, etc.) and almost every gift goes to the commons area for all to share...the purchasing people rarely are concerned with anything but the bottom line price. If you want to make a HUGE impact, show up personally with some stuff and stay a short while to shoot the bull and maybe feel them up for future needs and suggest additional services. That kind of personal attention goes a LONG way towards making a positive impression, atleast it has worked for me.

Absolutely it is a good idea if you believe that the need exists for annual cleaning, which in the south it almost always does. The card itself acts as a reminder of your service and says "Hey, I appreciate the opportunity you gave me to make your home more beautiful and enjoyable." It shows caring and respect on your part for your customers and that you aren't the typical one-night-stand contractor. The offer for a reduced follow-up cleaning price gives them incentive to call on you again and puts into their mind that perhaps a fresh wash is a good idea. Sorry about the rant...I've just been getting buggered out about all the Happy Holidays floating around in ads and television lately. Dammit, if you are going to have traditional icons of Christmas like Santa and reindeer, then call it what it is (and yes, I know about the origin of such things, but humor me). Advertisers have hijaaked the "holiday" for financial gain and have whored out the meaning of giving. And this isn't in direct response to your question, just a rant explaining my first rant :topic: :soapbox: . I have a habit of ranting sometimes. Perhaps I should establish a New Year's resolution...... Happy Chrismuhanukwanzakah to you....

http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2400&highlight=roof+bleach Doesn't depict the Shurflo itself, but shows the action end of the wand.

There was some discussion on this the same time last year. http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1009&highlight=christmas+cards As for what to put (christmas, "happy holidays" or whatever), go with what you feel. I know as a customer I *HATE* to receive those safe cards with trite messages like "happy holidays." It tells me that the sender thinks I will get offended if my beliefs to not align with theirs, and I know that I am not that weak as to be offended by such a thing. If someone sent me a card titled "Happy Jazmakwan," it wouldn't bother me one bit, even though I personally celebrate Christmas. It says to me that they celebrate it, and they are wishing positive spirit to me in the name of it. And if you are indifferent and don't celebrate anything, then what "holiday" can be happy??? Probably not a very smart marketing idea, but personally I would appreciate a sender with some balls (or nerve to be more PC) over someone looking for the safe answer. Oh, and I don't send anything, although I do send "thank you" cards the next year for customers I think will have repeat business.

If I were going to use a real tree, I'd buy the lights the day after christmas for the next year, put them on and throw them away with the tree. They can be had for about $1 at dollar stores.

If you plan on collecting water to redistribute, you will need some method of directing it, like sand or water filled firehoses (many other solutions listed in other threads). Throw an Xjet in there somewhere...believe me it is worth it. A bigger trailer is definitely a good suggestion. I'm working with a 4'x8' right now and things are packed in like eggs in a crate. I have to put my ladder and surface cleaner in the truck bed.

Giving the customer the option of using a credit card will almost always guarantee they will want additional "upsells." The fast food industry has seen this and it has been very profitable for them.

Celeste, That's a scam that's been around for quite awhile. Ignore it and don't send them anything. Lawrence, I used to use Paypal to pay for things online and a friend used them to receive payments. I've hinted at one of my clients to check them out for their business as an alternative to credit cards depending upon the situations involved. I know that people who accept Paypal attach an additional 3% fee to the cost of the purchase, so I assume they charge that as a fee like credit cards do. Yes, you do have to give them bank account information and personal info same as you would if you opened a new card or bank account, but I've never had any problem with them. They work it as a direct deposit to your account when someone pays.

So, how do you guys remove the ice dams? Is it just hot water to melt them, or do they have to be broken up? I wonder if you spray some teflon in a clean gutter if you will be able to just lift the ice dam out after that?

Oh, okay. No, these weren't the same things I saw. The piece of equipment I saw resembled an adjustable wedge that could be used to level an incline up to I think around 60 degrees. Also worked for steps, hill inclines, roof slopes, etc. It extended the contact area of the ladder for a slope to make it more stable. also available at sherwin williams.

Cool point. I had never thought of that. That could be an addition to one of those Lateral Thinking puzzle books.

Rats. Oh well, back to the drawring board.

Nick, Funny you should post that because that's the reason I came back to the board tonight. I thought about these things after I put the post up while I was laying down some new tile sealant at one of my contract places. Yeah, I saw these awhile back. They looked very cool and could be used in a variety of places. They also put a rubber cusion on one edge so it can be used on a roof for excellent traction (for split roofs and only one ladder). They were about $80 from what I remember and look like a wedge, if that's what you're talking about. Hey, has anyone seen a device to stabilize a ladder when leaning against a pole or tree? If not, I have a working idea and can smell *patent* over the faint remains of turkey aroma!

I always like to make sure that my ladder is balanced on the ground...usually this involves using a prop under one of the legs to ensure that the ladder does not lean. I test the sturdiness by standing on the bottom rung and hopping up and down and trying to torque the ladder from side to side. If I see and sliding motion at the top of the ladder, I don't go up. I work as a one-man operation, so I do everything I can to make sure that I'm not going to end up on the ground in a helpless condition; I was a crazy cat in my teen years and I don't have too many lives left :) . If I have to go up on a roof that's greater than a 4/12 pitch, I make sure I have my harness on a rope connected before I ever start up the ladder and maintain tension then entire way up; if the ladder falls from some reason, the worst that will happen is I'll be left hanging there and will have to release tension to lower myself back down. I *always* use a ladder stabilizer (if you don't have one, by all means get one...they will increase ladder confidence 100 fold, whatever a fold is). I have only encountered one situation where they were a hindrance due to a very wide and high window span, but I countered this with a make-shift extension wand for window cleaning. I generally try to refrain from using the high-pressure lance while on the ladder unless I'm blasting straight up or no more than a 30 - 45 degree angle in either direction, depending upon the security of the ladder. If I need to use the extension pressure pole (12 - 24'), like I've had to do on a few really high chimneys, I make sure the ladder is absolutely secure (braced against the outside of a window trim or brick work) and that I am attached to the ladder and that the ladder base is somehow reinforced (I use 24" stakes to keep the base from slipping in these situations). Should the extension pole become cumbersome and dangerous to handle, I'll toss it away and get my center of mass back as close to the ladder as possible (grip it for dear life!). Using the Xjet and shurflo combination have almost eliminated the need to do this, by the way. And if you just don't feel right doing it, don't. Sometimes your intuition is there for a reason. If climbing high just feels wrong, find another way, or someone who is more crazy than you if you are working with others.

Dale, Yeah, that's pretty much the whole point behind the "ultimate sacrifice." It's the prevailing idea behind Christianity and anyone who was a follower at the time knew it.

I have a small machine I use on floors that would be ideal for this. It has three small rotating brushes (about 4-6" diameter each) arranged in a triangular pattern. I'll check on the name of the manufacturer when I go back to clean the place this week. I got it at at a janitorial supply store.

When I started out I used a 2 gallon backpack sprayer from Northern Tool (Home Depot, Lowes sell them as well). They come with the wands and such, but were a pain to have to refill 15 times on every roof, and every time up/down the ladder increases the risk of falling. ShurFlos are very nice because the amount of moving parts exposed to the chemicals is limited, so replacement of worn parts is easy. As for the attachments, those have to be purchased separately but can be bought from hardware stores or garden centers.