Beth n Rod

I see.... Hey Ron, none of the roof guys on here have said they apply bleach to a roof at full strength. If you do a search in the roofing forum you will see that they have specific methods and ratios they use.... Straight out of the bottle just about anything can cause harm...that's kinda...obvious. Beth

How long ago was it applied? My suggestion, let it age.... 1. easier to strip 2. products have a shorter life on ipe anyway 3. ipe will respond better to being sealed if allowed to age a little first, unlike other species Beth

Phooey! I didn't see it either. I'm bummed out. Beth :(

In regards to what ever is being taught vs what is being sold is purely speculative unless anyone here has actually taken a class and can verify this first hand. I think we should stick to the initial post of this thread which is the main topic. Rod!~

Ethan, No bashing! Read our forum rules, and fix your post. Beth

hmmmm....zip code? Beth

Sitting on the sidelines is sometimes a good thing. Ron, you stuck your head into a hornets nest and now your trying to get them to calm down after insulting each and everyone of them. I got the same read that everyone else did. You told everyone posting and inadvertently the readers that they don't know what they are talking about and that you have been in doing this for 25 years. My take on this was, that all that should shut them up and they should listen to you because of that boast. Well, quite clearly many disagreed. Be aware that a common common sense approach members use here is: It doesn't matter how long someone has been doing something because they could have been doing it wrong all along. And when you make statements in the manner as you did, look out! There are too many people here who have some exceptional backgrounds and I for one would not think for one moment that I know more than any one person here. Racechaser happens to work with chems on a daily basis in a manufacturing environment. We met him last December in Louisiana and had lunch with him. I think that his work required knowledge and background in NIOSH, OSHA, EPA and DOT regulations could probably be way above the norm seen here and considering his main trade could teach us something should he decide to share anything relevant. Most of us know that when two or more chemicals are mixed together you get something else. Chemistry is not all that surprising and I would understand that in our business we need to know what happens under circumstances when chems are mixed together and what happens to them on the surface they come into contact with. Many changes take place in chemicals especially when they come into contact with metals. Metals are used as catalysts to obtain reactions and produce heat. Then in turn other chemicals are added in measured amounts in order to obtain another compound or reactive. Yes, gasses can be formed and gasses are present in most of what we use. Sodium Hydroxide is water reactive and creates heat in the exchange of molecules. Add another chemical that causes destabilization of the reaction and a gas is released. Add bleach to an acid and oxygen is released, heat is generated, and a toxic gas is released in the process. Bleach was a gas (Chlorine) before it was turned into a liquid that we use in cleaning processes. Yes, it turns back into a gas as it evaporates and that is the harmful part that the EPA is trying to control. Sodium Hydroxide aside from being used as a caustic is also used as a pH adjuster in many manufacturing processes. ex: Go check your toothpaste box label. The fact of how much is used is not as important as to how long it is allowed to be reactive. In putting a shingle into a bucket of NAOH, even at minimum concentration the chemical will destroy the molecular structure over time. Increasing the concentration speeds up the process only to the extent of the chemicals caustic range (liken it to either a spectrum or bandwidth) Increase that range by adding another caustic whose range encompasses those outside of NAOH and you have increased not only it's causticity but the number of other materials it can work on. Bleach in itself does not react in that range to affect the molecular structure of asphalt shingles or tile. Tile contains clay which is naturally colored and cannot be affected either in color or structure by the oxidizing effects of bleach. This makes it a suitable chemical for use on roofs. In respect to our members: On TGS, there are many people including those who do not speak up here and read regularly who have college backgrounds and work experiences that surpasses the multi-faceted field of what we know as power washing. But what they could possibly bring to the table is invaluable and I respect each and everyone of them and would never belittle anyone no matter how big my head may sometimes get. Someone always knows something more! Rod!~

I got a "404" error. Rod!~

Welcome to the old farts club! :lol: I just turned 45 this month and feel pretty much the same way. My solution was to start counting backwards and see what that does for my self esteem. What comes before 45??? Dang! Thats starting to go too! Rod!~

Scott, We are glad to have you here as a part of TGS. We hope you will continue to be a part of this community. You are a professional among the many professionals here, and Rod and I are personally glad we had the opportunity to meet you last year. Beth :cup: must have coffee... :cup:

Two things are happening here. 1- The minerals are getting lodged into the surface through leaching and precipitation as weather and new water exposure allows. This is decomposition. 2- Most paints used on stucco or in this case E.I.F.S. is based in the range of acidity to be able to adhere to this type of surface. Therefore, cementatious paints can be damaged by acids as a result. But it requires a strong concentration or lengthy dwell time to do so. A possible 3rd is that someone else before you has treated this area and you are the messenger of that previous cleanings effect, and in combination with additional mineral decomposition and UV degradation in between times, the result is what you have shown in the pics above. Rod!~ Ps, is it me or does it appear that the area has been repaired some time in the past? The continuity of the E.F.I.S. does not look the same as the area above it.

This thread created because another thread was severely off topic. However we felt that the topic of caustic chemicals did deserve it's own thread. Enjoy! :) Beth

This is all very intersting, but we are sooooo far off topic that I think we will have to split this thread again. Beth

This thread was split after much discussion. The PWNA sent an announcement to be posted. That should be respected. At the same time there are valid questions being asked, and concerns being addressed. We feel this is also important. Thusly, after much thought we decided it best to split the announcement from the responses. A quote has been added to the initial response to keep this new thread in context. We believe this is the best way to address this thread. Thank you. Beth & Rod

This was sent to me to be posted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quakertown, PA., Sept. 9 – Power Washers of North America (PWNA) the recognized leader of the pressure washing industry, is excited to announce that Michael Beaudry has accepted the position of Executive Vice-President (EVP) of the association. Michael and his staff will oversee the operations of PWNA. Michael holds a similar position with the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA). 1. PWNA has experienced recent strong growth and success that now requires the leadership of a true dedicated professional like Mr. Beaudry to continue to be able to fill the needs of its members and maintain this momentum . With growth comes excitement and new opportunities, and the excitement these days comes from the addition of Michael and his staff to the PWNA family. Michael has a proven track record with the hugely successful NADRA organization. In 3 short years this association has journeyed from inception to distinction, boasting a mind boggling membership increase of very successful and loyal members. The PWNA is honored to be associated with a team that has the proven track record that Michael Beaudry and NADRA have achieved. The opportunities and synergy that currently exists between the two associations is also exciting as we approach future plans and developments. Michael wants to get to know the entire scope of the association and would like to get some “real world” experience in various disciplines of the pressure washing industry such as kitchen exhaust cleaning and flatwork. Michael asks that members feel free to call him and introduce themselves. If you call him, don’t be surprised if he asks to come out and work with you for a day! There will be a short transition period as Michael and his staff take over the reins. All of the projects we are currently working on and the amazing increase in the number of calls to our office over the last month or two really overwhelmed our one-person workforce. With Team Beaudry on board, we are confident that our office is ready to serve all the needs of members and prospective members. If you have experienced any problems getting through to us recently, we’d like to apologize and let you know that this change will address the situation almost immediately. Your cooperation and continued support of the PWNA during this transition is appreciated. For more information about PWNA contact the offices at (800)393-7962 or by e-mail at pwnahq@pwna.org. You may also visit PWNA on the Web at www.pwna.org

Responses to this post may be found here: http://forums.thegrimescene.com/showthread.php?t=8148 This thread is closed to preserve the announcement. Beth

Welcome to TGS Suresh! Glad to have you here. Beth :)

Things have certainly heated up since last evening. We want everyone to remember the forum rules. Please keep them in mind as you post. Avoid bashing, flaming, etc. Thank you. Beth :cup: no coffee was spilled during the creation of this post :cup:

Welcome to TGS Dale!!! Glad you decided to post. :) Beth

Mel, It might be an ingredient in the product but I doubt it is a chemical they teach you to use. Beth

I use powerhouse too and only use 1/3 gallon of bleach in 3-1/2 gal of water to begin with. This is quite strong enough and only needs a reapplication on healthy algae infested siding. I let dwell 10-15 minutes and keep it wet. A second application may take up to 10 minutes more. btw:I use industrial strength bleach from HD and it is only 7% and comes in gallon containers. Rod!~

That's just it, the client never gets to know. Their behavior is allowed to continue and the relationships and all the money and efforts put into it go to waste. We keep a list of clients who we will no longer serve due to their lack of professional decency or breach of contract. Fortunately it's an extremely small list but still, there are customers who could use the feedback to help them maybe understand and improve the relationship for both to benefit from. I got into this business so that I could be in charge of my future and that future never included for one moment the customers ability to treat me or this company in any way other than we have treated them. We practice the best mannerisms possible, being courteous, polite, respectful, and give ourselves in more ways than we could have thought possible. For example: The same things come to bare in that the customer thinks that they can call us and arbitrarily raise hell just to get something done faster or not pay in accordance with the agreement. And there are those who ask for extras and not offer to pay anything more yet we don't get to ask for them to pay us a little more and not do anything in return for them...do we? It is time to dis-spell some unwritten rules that customers seem to think gives them the right to treat us like second class people just because we chose to offer our skills in a service they either have not the time, talent, desire or physical ability to do. Maybe I am alone in this and perhaps not, but something needs to give because I really don't like the prospect of having to take **** from people who think we are beneath them. We work hard, get dirty and come home tired and try to feed our families and pay the bills just like they do in other ways. Just look at our avatar...do we look like trash? A week before that pic was taken I was one of a crew that came home covered in either sealant or dirt from a wash we had just completed. The playing field needs to be level. Rod!~

We ask that any personal items be moved prior to our arrival. The reason, is you don't always know the state of the item, or if the owner knows the condition of the item. If something comes apart in your hands, it may be seen as "you broke it" when it was already in that condition....falling apart, outdoors, and forgotten until that time. If the customer moves it, and it breaks, there is no liability on your part. We make exceptions on a case by case basis, for example they are elderly or handicapped... Beth

All of the methods that are used are in line with ARMA and the CS&SB. That I know from my research. Beth

And this, may just be why some people do not charge enough....mindset. Beth