RyanH

I was under the impression that in order for you to charge sales tax, you had to be able (allowed) to be exempt from paying the sales tax at the store from where you bought the chemicals (or any other resellable item). I think that's the rationale behind charging commercial companies the sales tax. Otherwise, the chemicals would be getting taxed twice between the time *you* purchase it and the time your *customer* "purchases" it. It wouldn't surprise me if that's the way the government wants it, but I don't think that's the case. I just charge a fixed amount for my services and write the chemicals off as a business expense when tax time rolls around. Maybe things are different in GA.

Looks nice, but seems a little impractical with the big storage box (I'm thinking ease of accessibility over storage capacity).

The frame should consist of metal ribs every foot or so, so maybe you can drill into those and secure a ladder holder with metal screws (easiest method). If you wanted to take more time, you could remove the walls so that you can get to the side of the ribs (don't know if that's the proper term, but it conveys the meaning) and bolt the holder in. It would be much stronger and support more weight, but you would have to cut a notch out of the plywood to accomodate it when you put the wall back on. You could also attach holders to the ceiling of the trailer. My grandad had a similar setup in a van years ago and it was easier to get the ladder in/out than having to hang it on the wall.

Unfortunately, I haven't had enough time lately to read anything for enjoyment. I've spent the past 6 months trying to get past the third chapter of "Atlas Shrugged." I average about 2 pages per night (the time it takes for my wife to get ready for bed after me....the joys of sharing a single bathroom :) ). Most of the stuff I put here just comes as I think of it, so that would explain some of the "randomness" in some of the posts. I appreciate ya'lls thoughts. Everyone here has helped me so much, I feel a certain obligation to offer whatever I know (which isn't much, just a regurgitation of other stuff I have read).

Leave all doors open and the vent hood at the top to allow as much of a draft through as you can. You could run a muffler extension from your exhaust port to an outside area (either a door or through the hood), or you could make a permanent vent with an exhaust fan. I haven't done it in an enclosed trailer (oh how I would LOVE too, though), but I have read other posts on this board claiming that the heat can become a real problem in the summer. If you have a generator on your pressure washer, you might consider hooking a fan up and blowing some fresh air into (or creating a draft out of ) your trailer for good circulation.

For the best effect, and to make the customer feel at ease, I would try to fit your points somewhere in the conversation. Make it casual, not indemnifying, and the customer will appreciate your work even more. Glad I could help!

Ahem....just please don't mess with the Tetris score....I don't think I have the patience to go through that again!!! (just kidding.......play on Skywalker) :nerd:

When I started, I did something rather dumb and bought some equipment before I really knew what was involved in the business. It wasn't until after two or three jobs that I stumbled across http://wj.net/actionis/wwwboard/ , a posting board for pressure washing. I read the entire backlog of posts (very many!!) and found some decent information. The best piece of information, however, was the link to the fantastic site which you are now visiting. My suggestion would be to first read many of the older posts as they contain almost every question you could hope to have answered as a beginner. Make use of the search function. Beth and Rod have done an amazing job putting this forum together, and the members here are outstanding in the information they provide and the willingness they have to promote good business and standards among all pressure washing contractors (i.e., they'll actually help you, not say things like "get a part time job with a professional and learn from them"). Once you have read the posts and get a pretty good feeling of what's going on in the business, then any other questions you have can be answered by the many talents here. The forums are broken down by category, so you don't necessarily have to spend time sorting through irrelevant stuff (like how to clean vent hoods when your true passion is driveways or windows). So, that being said, here's what I learned from my experience with the business. Keep in mind that pressure washing was my fourth-in-line effort, meaning that my priorities were school first, my janitorial contracting job second, time with my wife third (she understood the importance of studying and finishing school above going to the movies on the weekend), and pressure washing fourth. From what I have found, before you start trying to get customers is to get experience. You can do this by washing your own house, your partners, your neighbors, co-workers, etc. This will allow you to correct any problems that you may have before you actually go to a real customers house and appear to be unprepared for something (like not having the right tips, or enough hose, or run out of fuel and have to leave mid-way, etc.). It will also allow you to find the right amount of chemicals you may need to complete a particular job (so you aren't wasting money on using too much chemical, or wasthing time by not using enough). Once you get experience and some necessary equipment, then you can work on customers. Drive around your area and find a neighborhood in which many of the houses look like they need to be pressure washed (vinyl houses are the best at first because they are generally very nasty and easy to clean). I don't know about the areas around Chicago, but I imagine that outside the busy city there are some suburban areas to be found. Drive around on a saturday and try to find neighborhoods where people are washing their cars or cutting their grass. This will tell you that people have some interest in how their property looks. Once you have found the customer source, then start your advertising. Pass out flyers. Perhaps have some gimmick to entice them to call you (special discounts for the week of blah-blah-blah in your area). Walk up to a few houses (maybe the people washing their cars) and offer them a discount if they will allow you to wash their house and put up a sign. Put up another sign at the entrance to the neighborhood if covenance allows. The purpose is to inundate them with your name and service. With customers comes the word of mouth. If you like fast food, strike up a conversation with the drive-through folks and ask them how often (if ever) they have their property cleaned. Look questioningly at the gum on the sidewalk as you ask this. It helps to be a little bit of a flirt and get a smile out of them (though for me, flirting with the guys wouldn't get me anywhere). Alot of selling is in the psychology and ability to mirror your customers' personality. There is a huge BS factor here, too. Just be confident. Once your experience and word of mouth and customer base and equipment inventory has grown, then throw some money into a yellow pages ad. it doesn't have to take long before you take this step, it just depends upon how hard you work up front to get the essentials. I say to wait because you don't want to get too many calls and be unprepared for the flux of customers. A customer turned away will likely never call on you again, and if you are taking a full day (or longer) to complete a job, you may have to turn away business, which isn't good. You could also try to put ads in newsletters of neighborhoods that have newsletters. Cheaper than yellow pages with directed target base. Sorry if this seems like a lot, I was just playing Annie Oakley (shooting from the hip). Good luck in your search and business venture! Ryan H.

Dale, Where is a good place to buy TSP? It may be from a lack of looking, but I don't recall ever seeing a bottle or can of the stuff. Many people have said it's good stuff. Ryan H.

Shouldn't be a problem, just make sure that you rinse it VERY well. If you leave any bleach residue (or any other residue) on the house, it could cause problems with the paint's ability to properly adhere to the surface.

The purpose of a contract is to make clear anything that you think will be misunderstood by the customer (that's why contracts are so long and boring to read). They have to be made idiot-proof (I think I've used that term several times in the past few days....what's wrong with me??). If you are going to say that you "restore" wood, you need to put a qualifier in the contract to say what restoration is. Something like "For the purposes of this contract, wood restoration is considered to mean stripping and staining the wood to give it the appearance of a newly finished product. Any damaged wood, from water rot, termites, fire, or other unnatural factors that cannot be corrected by cleaning may need to be replaced. Replacement of defective material is not covered under the restoration contract." "Wood restoration should be considered an aesthetic improvement only and does not imply a restoration of the integrity of the stucture. The methods taken by *THE COMPANY* are done to ensure a quality appearance and visual enhancement of your property. *THE COMPANY* makes no warranty against future damage that may be caused after *THE COMPANY* has completed the project." You can save some of the explanations for your description of the process, such as the part about sanding "only for the purpose of visual enhancement" so that, should any questions ever come up, the reasoning is that sanding is done so that the stain and sealer better adheres to the surface. You should always have the customer inspect everything before you leave and have them sign a waiver saying that they are satisfied with the work. Don't pressure them into hurrying their own inspection...you want to give them ample time to find any splinters or raised nails so that there can be no complaint in the future about the status of the job when you left. Just do a good and thorough job, and you should have nothing to worry about. Ryan H.

In high school chemistry we only used 10% - 20% acid in our labs, however our teacher always ordered it at around 95%. We asked her why she didn't just order it in the amount she needed so she wouldn't have to dilute it everytime. The short answer was that water is free and shipping is expensive. The stuff you buy in stores has been diluted (mostly for liability, as has been said) and you are paying for alot of water (even bleach is usually 93% water). Buying more concentrated stuff gives you much more flexibility and is cheaper in the long run. Plus, you have to consider that the stores try to make stuff "idiot proof" because most people don't read directions. As such, they generally are not good for high quality work.

This premise killed my initial thought of a crossbow and light-weight cord (not *too* serious on that). A baseball (or similar method) could work, but you would have to make sure the cord (or thread) is long enough to allow the ball to hit the ground in the back so as not to allow it to swing back (pendulum) and hit the side of the house. Good idea, though. A tennis ball (or a heavy ball of duct tape) might be a better alternative.

Any tips/experience from someone who has worked on really high houses with steep roofs on getting the rope over the roof to begin with? Fortunately, I have found ways to get the rope over the roof on the houses I've done thus far, but I have seen some neighboring houses with roofs too steep to climb and too high to toss the rope over (no decks either to help out).

No way on this planet, I don't care how professional I appear to be or knowledgeable I sound, would ANY of my customers allow me to put holes in their roof. The only way I can see this working is to remove the anchor, fill the holes with silicone, drive the nails back through the holes and cover the head with silicone. And even then you would need to try and have the nails under a shingle flap if possible. Otherwise, it's a long length of rope and a sturdy tree (or truck bumper).

Depends upon what you want to do with it. If it's just going to be a few times per year, there is no need to worry about buying a heavy duty unit (by heavy duty, I mean built to run for long periods of time everyday). I think one of the home depot type units would be fine for around the house use. You can look for them at other places (Northern, Sears, Sams, etc.), but they are all going to be equivalent when looking at the range you need. Everyone says that higher GPM is better than higher PSI, and from my experience I am inclined to agree. You will most likely find a 3 - 3.5 gpm machine with a 3000 PSI pump. As for the motor, the power is what gives you the combination of pressure and flowrate, so you will get whatever unit comes with these specs. My parents used a 2600 psi machine for around the house. It was fine for siding (vinyl) and the patio, but was useless on the driveway (unless you want to spend the entire day cleaning it). Also, be aware that if your house is two (or more) stories, you will not be able to clean from the ground with the equipment that comes with the unit (it will lack extension wands), so you will need a ladder. Using a pressure wand while on a ladder is generally a bad idea, but if you have someone supporting the bottom of the ladder and you are using this type of machine (low flowrate, low pressure), realistically you *should* be okay. I think you should look for a unit that comes with a wand that you can swap out the tips. Some have adjustable tips, but these have too many limitations. Long story short, it *is* possible to wash your property with a cheaper machine like I've described (home depot unit), it just takes time. Sorry if I seem scattered....just writing as things come. Hope this helps. Ryan H.

Can't go wrong with a honda engine.

I wear sandals and keep my toes away from the surface cleaner and spray. I can rinse my feet easily if I get any chemicals on them (which I very rarely do). If a stick or rock gets in a shoe it can be a pain....literally. Sandals don't have this problem. Some people caution about climbing on ladders with sandals, but I have never had a problem. If this doesn't work for you, you can usually pick up water shoes at Walmart for less than $10.

24" rips of 1/4" plywood about 6' - 8' long with spaced styrofoam (like from a cheap cooler would suffice) or some other means of flotation, like cheap life jackets, underneath placed along the edge on which you are working. Maybe lay a light weight cloth or towel on the board to absorb the stain that drips off or is oversprayed. You could do away with the strips of board and use a larger sheet to go under the entire dock if the gaps between the boards are sufficiently large to allow the stain go go through. But, on second thought, that would only be good if you are just applying the stain/sealer. I guess if you are going to be spraying the stripper on and pressure washing off, you might could make a lip along the edge of the board (could be made of styrofoam if you can find a cheap supply, thin strips of wood if not) to catch the runoff and have a vacuum with hose attachment to continuously suck it out. You may need a few cross runners every few feet to stabilize it. Might want some cheap plastic to act as a barrier between the stain/stripper and the makeshift container itself.

Ronnie, The device he was talking about is called a Grigri and is an indispensable tool if you are going to be doing roofs. It acts as a third hand to keep tension on the rope and is easy to use. I bought mine last year and it was definitely worth the $80 for it. I still am very hesitant about monkeying around on steep roofs and lose about 10 pounds in sweat everytime I do it, but deep down I know that should I slip and begin to slide uncontrollably, this device will catch me before I go very far. And, it can be used to rappel down the side of a house should you spill over the edge. Just make sure that you tie off onto something stable and that you use control of where the rope will cross the house (the rope does nothing for you if there is no tension between you and the tie-off point). I rinse my rope after each use and inspect it before each use. The biggest point you should mind is the wear the rope will get when it crosses the ridge of the roof. Since the roof is essentially a course grade of sandpaper, it can make have a negative effect on your rope. I like to put a towel or some cardboard between the rope and the roof to keep my rope from getting damaged. I also bought a 4-point harness to wear on my torso (as opposed to the one you wear around your waist), but it is pretty much useless if the rope breaks. Also, you might want to check out some water shoes if you are going to be working on roofs. They generally have a softer grade of rubber on the soles and will do a better job of gripping to the roof, not that galavanting around on a roof is a good thing for the shingles themselves. Check out http://www.rei.com for their rappeling stuff. I put together a decent kit for right at $300 (best quality rope they have available, one of the most inexpensive harnesses, and the grigri). All of the harnesses are comparable on safety, they primarily differ on comfort and application. The Singing Rock was fine for me. Ryan H.

Okay, here is little more comprehensive method. The chlorine I buy says that 6.25 lbs (100 oz) per 50 gallons will make a 1% solution. 1 oz. is roughly 2 tbsp (as given by the container) of this product. So, 200 tbsp is 12.5 cups per 50 gallons for 1%. To put it in better terms, 1/4 cup per gallon per % point (like I said in an earlier post, this is just validation from the literature). Paul makes a good point about testing pH with titrations, and I might do that in the next week or so, I just need to find a standardized acid solution. CCPC...Since the concentration is dependent upon how much water is mixed with the solution. I just spray down the vegetation with water first, apply my chemical, then spray the vegetation down again. I have gone back to the property several days after cleaning it to check on chemical burns and have found no evidence of it (except for the rare occasion when I'm too slow to turn the valve on the Xjet off and the solution is siphoned out before I can get to it, but that's neither more nor often). If there are many bushes or flowers that are too fragile to spray down directly with water, I'll cover it with light-weight plastic and wet the ground around it. Ryan H.

Good point, Morgan. I guess I should have mentioned that I rarely use anything that is very caustic. I always wear a long sleeve rain jacket and gloves with the backpack sprayer. I never climb on a ladder or roof (or any other situation where I could end up inverted with the spray liquid getting on me). I wash the tank off with water before putting it on. I just go with the backpack because it is much more convenient and I can work faster with it, and it holds more. Ryan H.

I use a 3 -4 gal backpack model and added a brass extension wand (I think it goes from 36" to somewhere around 72"). I can spray solution up to the gutters on a 2+ story house in a relatively controlled stream (if the wind is low). I think I paid around $80 for it and got it at Northern (it was an emergency buy...I probably could hav found it cheaper elsewhere). It has had chlorine, degreaser, soap, and some other stuff put through it in the past 8 months and still works great. Never used stain nor sealer. Just rinse and put some clean water through it after each use. Ryan H.

I mix the solution to be around 8% (I like cooking, which means I *hate* measuring stuff, so I put in an amount that looks appropriate) and then apply with an X-Jet so that my final solution actually going onto the roof is somewhere between 3 and 4%. If it is really bad I'll bump it up to around 6%, but that's rare (and rather dangerous and requires better clothing coverage). I don't like to let it dry completely because there is the problem of getting the dried calcium to completely rinse off. Just apply it often enough to keep it wet, and try to do one side at a time so you can control your timing. If I had the time and motivation, I would like to make a batch of filtered cleaning solution at my house so I can put it in my truck and take it with me, as opposed to mixing it on location, which puts too much free calcium in my solution. But that's for another day. You could definitely apply it with the shurflo pump, but 25 gal may not be enough to do an entire roof (on larger houses or commercial buildings, like churches or doctors' offices). If you want go this route, I would suggest prewetting the roof and then applying the chlorine, and you may want to make the solution a little stronger so that you only have to rinse it twice (or thrice, depending upon the severity). I like to rinse four or five times to make sure everything is removed. A heavy rain can be your best friend with roof washing if you apply lots of cleaner a few hours before the storm. Sorry if my answers seem a little erratic....I'm working on some projects and my brain is a little mixed up right now!!!! If you still have any questions, I'll give another try and hopefully by tonight I can be a little more coherent. :sonic: Ryan H.

I think it's around 97% available chlorine (somewhere in the 90's, but I'm pretty sure on that number). I have used it on asphalt shingles and it has worked rather well. The key is to spray it on liberally and rinse it off VERY well. I mix in a little dish or car wash detergent to give it some consistency so that the chemical will not run off the roof immediately upon application. It does require patience, however, and several applications to completely clean the roof.....resist the temptation to apply "just a little more pressure" and stick with the low pressure, high volume approach. I use the X-Jet when doing this. I attached a 50' hose to the X-jet and run both lines to the roof. If the roof is too high (over 1 story or you are parked low on a driveway, etc.), you may have to pump the chlorine into the hose to overcome the difference in height. A 12-volt sump pump or shurflo pump should be sufficient. Ryan H.