Beth n Rod

In this business the cardinal rule is: Start a board, finish that board. Rod!~

Carry some degreaser (heavy duty butyl based) with you in a bucket with some rags just for this occasion. Rod!~

jonnyald, Welcome to TGS. Please go to your My Controls and add your signature. We look forward to reading more from you across the pond. :) Beth

Mildew grows wherever conditions are favorable. Beth

Will do! ;) Beth

Charlie, We're thinking of you. Call if we can help with any guidance. You should be able to back track and go to your customer's homes. Sit down and think of where you were yesterday, and before that, etc. If you have caller ID on your phone, begin there. You should be able to get some customers that way too. Beth

We went back to a deck....belongs to a VERY good customer of ours...washed it (read that as STRIPPED IT) for free and are putting on Armstrong Clark now. We did the back deck, side deck and front porch last year, the back deck was the worst it turned BLACK...BLACK...BLACK. It was Wood Tux. The customer said it had stayed tacky. (customers do not always tell us things they should) It went from tacky to black in a matter of a few months. Have been out working on decks recently (as weather has allowed) and have been working with Armstrong Clark and right now I love that it dries. Amazing what matters...!!! One thing I will say to those of you who have WT installed and are switching, you MUST get that barrier broken or the AC may stay wet on you. When we did our teak furniture we found that on pieces where we didn't strip the WT, but just lightly bathed it, the AC touch up stayed wet for a few days afterwards and needed wiping. Just an FYI.... Beth

Sometimes, we are the messenger. It could very well be an pre-existing condition that was only revealed after the wash process. This could have been caused by someone else's process and now you are finding it out for the first time. Since you brushed it, you ruled out oxidation but the other possibility is that it is aluminum oxidation from the window capping or some other reaction in the window area that is leaving this condition. Post pics if you can. Rod!~

It was a wet spring...please report so far! Beth

It really depends on the builder and the piping installed as well. Some houses we go to have such a low flow from 1/4" pipes that we need to tap both faucets to get enough to keep us going for a while. One machine is 8gpm 2guns with a 150 gallon tank, the other is 4.6 gpm 1gun with a 30 gallon tank. Rod!~

We put people on "stand by" and let them know that if weather allows, we will be there otherwise we will get to them on the next favorable day. Beth

Ding ding ding...looks like a winner to me. Knotty pine! knotty pine wood photos - Google Image Search Beth

Looks alot like cypress.....look around the knots. Exotic Wood cypress It could be pine, but there are more knots than you usually see with pine. Beth

Have you tried our FAQ section? Here is a link on house washing to get you started: Pressure Washing and Contractor Cleaning Forums - The Grime Scene - FAQ: FAQ's on House Washing Rod!~

That table is not teak. The chairs are, but the table is not. Beth

Have you ever washed aluminum siding before? Do you own an x-jet? Beth

The best information I can give on pricing is how to build your own price. -How long does it take you to wash each piece according to what it is? -How much to you charge per hour for labor? -What is the cost of your cleaner and how much will you be using on each piece? -What is the cost of your neutralizer and how much is needed for each piece? -Are your sanding any of it? -How much do you charge to for this service? -How long will it take you for each piece? -What is the cost of your sealer? What is the coverage rate? How much will be used on each piece? -How long will it take to apply the sealer? -What supplies and tools do you need? -What are the costs of each item you need? Here is a simple formula to figure your costs: Wage per hour X hours required = Labor cost Product cost / coverage rate (in sqft) X sqft required = actual product cost Supplies needed for project (brushes, rollers, pads, tarps, plastic, cleaners, rags and any depletable items you may use which are required to be replaced for each job) = supplies cost Travel time expenses; Wage per hour / travel time + fuel costs (mpg / miles X $ per gallon) and a % for insurances and vehicle maintenance (oil changes, tires, brakes, belts and fluids) Now let's sum it up: Labor cost + Actual product cost + Supplies + Travel = job cost If you want to put it into a simpler form you can take job cost / sqft and get a price. But it will need to vary as the sqft goes up because it will not adjust for set up and breakdown times which on larger jobs vs small jobs could be more. Travel expenses can be made a basic formula add in for a service area and only increase if you go out of it and be based upon the increased time and costs. If your state requires you to charge sales tax, you will need to account for that in the equation by charging a % based on what your states guidelines require. We use a sliding scale which is more complicated than the formula above but it is based upon OUR specific business costs (marketing, advertising, office costs, staff wages, insurances such as business, vehicular[drivers and equipment], medical and workers comp., then there are license communications and utilitiy fees.) Safety equipment for employees (gloves, respirators, pvc rain gear, ear plugs, safety glasses etc), Replacement parts for equipment (seals, 'o' rings, QC's, hoses, tips etc), vehicles and equipment leases/purchases, licenses and inspection fees. This represents the overhead of what goes into calculating business costs which ultimately end up in a spreadsheet which helps to maintain margins and in this economy some profit for re-investment in the business. The formula above only represents direct costs to the consumer but without adding in all the rest, most companies go out of business because they do not account for them and when it comes time to pay taxes...oops! There is another one. This is for your benefit and anyone who would read this thread. I would hope it will encourage others to sit down and seriously look at all business expenses and take them into account when making a bid for work and not just pulling a number out of their behinds. I only wish the best for anyone trying to make it on their own in business since taking that first step is a daring one. I hope this helps to get people interested in educating themselves on how to run the business and not just the operation. Rod!~

We have 17 pieces of teak on our deck, all of them have Armstrong Clark Super Cedar on them, and they look fabulous. Beth

+1 on the pricing. Beth

We do all teak on site. We never move it. No need. We charge per piece, depending on if it is a chair, lounger, end table, dining table, bench, swing, etc....the larger the piece, the more it costs. Charis can be a pain, the often have lots of slats that need full coverage. Beth

I can see your point in that one. But I guess the same could be said for a decent ad in the phone book or magazine for that matter. Rod!~

Our site was the very first marketing tool I created for our business, and it began attracting customers year one.....10 years ago. It brings us more business than any other advertising we use. Beth

SO DO WE!!!! :lol: Beth

(song) Immmmmmmm alllllllright! don't nobody worry bout me. :lol: That's some funny stuff there Adrian. Me, I would tell the customer to find a relocating business like Henry mentioned. If it were in my yard, I got a nice bb rifle to pop it with and get it to scat. Rod!~

In my opinion...all alkaline cleaners will affect a finish, or perhaps I should say CAN affect he finish. Beth