RyanH

This essentially how I mix my solution. I buy calcium hypochlorite in 100lbs quantities for $100 and mix it to the concentration I want. Roughly, the amounts are 1/4 cup per gallon of water yields a 1% solution. So for a 12% solution, you would mix 3 cups per gallon of water. The available chlorine may be different in sodium vs. calcium (almost definitely so due to the composition of each). If I had a choice, I would go with the sodium over calcium as the sodium is more soluble in water and will be easier to wash off....I have a terrible problem with overspray unless I allow my solution to sit for quite awhile after mixing it. But it does the job. Ryan H.

Dale, Are you sure the $1.++ is not per *linear* foot?

Congratulations!!! (We'll probably be looking for our grandkids' father/mother to be born in the next few years, so a little ways to go for us). Ryan H.

Another good site for contributing. http://www.anysoldier.us/WhereToSend/

My avatar makes me look a little too serious. You can see me in a lighter mood at the site below (if you have nothing better to do). Two reasons for this: I'm testing out the features of my new site-hosting service, and it will make my wife happy (which, ultimately, means that I will be happy). Enjoy (or laugh, your choice). http://wedding.commercialserviceproviders.com Ryan H.

I have not tried nor witnessed this myself, so please don't take this as an absolute. My cousin said he used a diluted sodium hydroxide solution on aluminum siding to remove the patina and accumulated "stuff" that doesn't come off with a normal rinsing. He let it dwell for 10 - 15 minutes and scrubbed it with a brush and rinsed with a garden hose. He was surprised because it brought back the shine (my guess is he took the top layer of oxidation off and had fresh metal below it). You might could try this on a small layer after rinsing the initial dirt and mildew off. Just spray it on with a squirt bottle (or garden sprayer if you want to do a larger area) and use circular motion when scrubbing, rinsing regularly (don't allow the dislodged dirt and oxidation to remain on the surface for long at all). You may have to clean the roof in sections as opposed to applying the cleaner to the entire surface and then scrubbing from one side to the other. Just use caution with this stuff. Sodium hydroxide is caustic and can cause burns; cover your arms, legs, and hands. It is also EXTREMELY slippery, so take this into mind before monkeying around on a steep roof (tie yourself off). Hope this gives you some direction (and that it is correct). Ryan H.

A couple ways of doing this, both involving recovery of the chemical. You can either disconnect the hose from the valve and allow the chemical to drain (siphon action) into a 5 gallon bucket so that you may reuse the chemical later. If you know the volumetric flowrate at which your pump can move the chemical, and you know the total volume of the hose (you said 5 gallons), then you can approximate how long it will take to push the amount of chemical in the hose out. Flip the 2-way switch, start pumping your britener and push your stripper out. You will get some neutralization at the mixing point in the hose, but a majority of your stripper will be recoverable in this way. For example, if your pump is moving at 1 gal per minute, and the total volume of your hose is 5 gallons, switch your valve and pump the britener for around 4 minutes, 45 seconds and allow the stripper that is coming out of the hose to empty into a bucket. At 4 min, 45 seconds, take the hose out of the bucket and let it run into a 1 gallon jug for about 30 seconds (this will be junk to throw away). You should see a distinct change between stripper and britener exiting the hose (assuming they are different colors). Once the britener starts to come out, you are ready to begin applying the britener. To recover the usable britener in the hose, either do the first method I proposed above (which is not the best, but is doable), or run water through the hose via the same reasoning as method #2. You could do the flip just before you are finished wih the stripping so that the 5 gallons remaining in the hose is used as part of your job, and with the experience you have you will probably know exactly when you have only a few minutes of application left, but if you miscalculate or judge it will have you walking back to your valve once too many times. Ryan H.

Advertising in Atlanta, GA also. They mostly pop up on talk radio.

I'm not out yet, Alan. Right now I'm trying to beat that blasted Tetris game, then I'm back to blasting space rocks. It sucks when you wear contacts and try to play video games. There should be a handicap associated with that like in golf. Ryan H.

A dilute solution of bleach (can be accomplished with downstreaming) should be sufficient. Perhaps some greased lightning. You may still have to do some hand-washing (probably with a brush) on some of the tight areas, but the overall job will look great. I have done a few of these and they turn out great. Just make sure you rinse VERY well after the job so as not to leave any residue on the plasticand you'll be okay. Remember that chlorine + sunlight + plastic = BAD NEWS over time. Ryan H.

Be aware that the droppings will most likely contain ammonia and can create toxic gasses when mixed with bleach. I would think warm water would be sufficient to remove the bulk of it followed by a mild degreasing agent to remove the residual film. I wouldn't guarantee that there will be no stains once it is cleaned; the berries birds eat contain pigments that can stain the siding if left long enough. Should make for some fantasic before/after pics, though!! Ryan H.

There is a slightly used Aaladin machine for sale for a very reasonable price. Anybody have any opinions or experience on this manufacturer and the quality of their equipment? It is a 3000 psi, 5gpm hot water unit. I have a 3600psi, 4gpm cold water unit now, but i would like a decent hot water unit for my new kick a** steel eagle surface cleaner (vielen danken, Beth und Rod!!). I would appreciate any help on this......might need to move quickly. Thanks. Ryan H.

I apply degreaser at 100% strength and allow a dwell time of about 15 - 20 seconds, then rinse off with. I have only had problems on two houses. One had painted over the streaks at one point, so they weren't coming clean. On the other, the paint flaked off on the bottom of the gutters, but, judging from the pattern of the flakes and comparing to the rest of the house, I think it was because the gutters were painted just before it rained (whenever they were painted years ago) and the paint was weak on the bottom area.

Hmmm......Thanks for pointing that out Alan. Perhaps I should have added "Sie" in there somewhere, changing the meaning to "many thank you" as in "there are many people who give thanks to you." It's been awhile since those classes. And thanks to both of you for the advice.

http://www.xterior.com/html/_chemicals_1.html

This looks like a company that started out with the inability to afford pressure washing equipment. It is entirely possible to wash a vinyl house with a bleach/water solution without a bleach solution......I tell my customers that the primary reason for using a pressure washer on vinyl siding is to get the water and chemical onto the house in the first place (high volume in a short time and no ladders). It is interesting to note that they will not even touch upon the issue of washing tough surfaces (like brick, stucco, masonite, etc.). Looks to me like they used many applications of bleach on the concrete surfaces.....pressure washing on a pool deck surface should make the surface uniform in appearance; this looks splotchy. They do use a particularly effective, albeit fallacious, form of advertisement. The customers' perceptions will be that they will receive a safe and effective washing because it is hand-washed (like people associate hand-built with being better than mass-produced). The idea is put into their minds that "powerwashing" is dangerous and evil (similar to the way the democraps scare the elderly, ignorant, and uninformed with their tripe pertaining to taxes and social issues). A good pressure (power) washing contractor should be able to point out the misleading points in their advertising to potential customers and reclaim the business.

jon c, the product i use is sold as a general algaecide used to maintain the pool chlorine level at a desired point. i suppose you can make a solution of it at the necessary concentration to shock a pool, but i don't think that is the intention. the name is 'powered power pro' and has 90 percent chlorine available. i can give you more info on it if you'd like. sorry for the lower cased letters and any incorrect punctuation; i spilled coke all over my keyboard and the shift/caps/directional keys are now dead. ryan h.

Roofraider sounds remarkably similar to the method I use. They say that it's strength is strongest when first mixed, which indicates that it diminshes over time. Chlorine-containing products do the same thing as the chlorine gas will leave the liquid solution. This product is most likely an agent that will release free chlorine when mixed with water (such as sodium trichloro - acetate or isocyanurate) and the mixing ratios sound about right. They are correct in saying that some roof cleaners contain lye and bleach. General purpose bleach you purchase in a store contains some amounts of sodium hydroxide (lye); that's why I use the method I use and mix my own. It comes to about $0.60 per gallon at 6% solution. Ryan H.

I have started making my own solution from pool supply chemicals. Sodium hydroxide has been said to be bad for roofs (acting as a degreaser to degrade the integrity of the shingles). I bought a 100lb bucket of powder-form calcium hypochlorite from a local supplier and mix it such that I can downstream it from an X-Jet and get a final concentration of about 4 - 5%. It usually takes two applications to do this, which is not a problem for me. I apply it first then do parts of the rest of the house, then apply it again, then finish up the house. Just make sure you do a final rinse of the roof to remove any residue. Unfortunately, this stuff (and most other cleaners) will leave white powdery residue on windows. I just add window cleaning into my cost of cleaning a house and take care of the windows. This is not a problem since most of my customers love the fact that when I'm done, their entire house is clean, not just the siding and roofs (they say that pressure washers in the past have not done anything beyond rinsing their windows.......I use glass cleaner and sponges/squeeges). In case you are wondering about the ratios, the stuff I use (and this is pretty much standard) calls for 1/4 cup of powder per gallon to make a 1% solution. I usually make my initial solution around 9% so that I can downstream it in a strong concentration, so this is 9/4 (2 1/4) cup per gallon. I will make around 20 gallons for each house, so this comes to 180/4 cups, or 45 cups of powder. I just take care to not spill the solution on myself, my clothes, and the grass (it WILL kill grass). ****and ONLY apply it at low pressure; never apply direct pressure to the roof, just spray it on and let it do all the work and then rinse with clean water**** Ryan H.

Average prices in the Atlanta, GA area (GA supposedly has the lowest state tax imposed on fuel) are $1.599, $1.699, and $1.799 for 87,89, and 92 octane fuels. Sams club has the cheapest around at $1.449 and $1.629 for 87 and 92 octane; they don't sell 89 here. A few years back, Rush made a pretty good statement. Milk generally costs around $3 per gallon; alcohol, depending upon the quality and concentration, is generally $20 per gallon and up (WAY up for the good stuff I like!!!!). Coca Cola's Dasani brand runs several dollars a gallon for WATER!!!!!! So $1.80 just isn't too bad, considering all of the refinement processes required to get it. It does hurt when we have to use it in such demand, though. I guess that's why everyone complains. Unfortunately, it will affect almost everything else. Shipping companies must incur the cost and they will pass it on to their customers (food, toy, clothing, etc. manufacturers). Airlines are going to have to increase their fares to accomodate. Fortunately, the cold season is subsiding for much of the nation, so heating costs won't be too bad. Instead of whining about the rising costs, I plan to support the companies working on alternative fuel sources. Ryan H.

Please please please please...... Be VERY careful with this stuff. It is a light organic and is EXTREMELY volatile. Take care to not let it contact your skin nor enter through respiratory tracts. Also, it would be better to use this type of a product early in the morning or on a cool day, as it will evaporate very quickly at moderate temperatures.

Are there logs or transcripts of the chats previous chats? I would like to go back and read some of the past ones. Usually, I'm nowhere to be found when the chats happen live. Danke schoen!!! Ryan H.

Thanks Beth, Now my wife gets to see me even LESS now. Ryan H.

I am very quick to point out the differences between the competition and myself. I tell my customers many of the things that are done in a conventional pressure washing routine, and then end with something like "And that is where many other washers will generally stop." Then I tell them the extra things I do to ensure their total satisfaction. It is not enough for me to have my customers get what they expected.....I want them to be completely surprised at the results. When I have worked in this manner, 100% of my customers have told me that they had no idea it could look that good. Of course, they have to agree to me doing the job before they can see results, and getting past that cost issue is the major hurdle. But, once I explain everything to them and hear their concerns, they seem eager to use me. I just make it my goal to never be unfair, and things tend to work out. But I agree with never changing the price. Once I quote a price, I never waver from it. I will, however, add a few more services at a discounted rate to make them feel better. --In case anyone is wondering about the extra things, it's usually the little stuff. For example, when washing the side of a house and windows, many people (atleast around here) will completely ignore the window sills, simply because more work is involved in getting on a ladder and cleaning them. When they do clean them, they usually do it with a pressure washer and some cleaner and that's it. I like to use a brush/sponge and make sure that everything is off. I got ideas like this from this group and have found them to be EXTREMELY useful. Other little things include giving the downspout routers (the things below the downspout that directs the water in a certain direction instead of allowing it to pool directly below the spout) a good cleaning. Also any large cement planters on the patios, any patio furniture that may have some mold, etc. These things may add another 20-30 minutes total to a job, but make a HUGE difference and definitely help the word-of-mouth advertising, especially in large neighborhoods. Ryan H.

Donald Trump made a good point on his show the other night. He said something to the effect of "If you don't make the sale, don't resort to begging...it makes you look weak. Simply cut your losses and walk away."