Beth n Rod

As far as people are willing to wait! We have been known to be booked out as far as 3 months. Most have told us that our reputation and company concept is what they are excited about and want our services. Most have seen our website, referrals have also played a part in it as well besides seeing our work out of their windows performed on a neighbors property. If you are uncomfortable being booked out that far, than either add a crew or start a reservations list. Either way, you are in a good position to benefit. Rod!~

Roger, Understood, my initial post was for Tim's consideration and not a commentary on your methods or procedures. Every one needs to see both sides of a coin in order to understand this trade. No slight intended for washing w/o chems, just pointing out the pro's and con's which can play into the process. Our customers have been educated to understand the benefits of protecting their investment and our business is based upon an environmental standpoint that we are doing our part to help slow deforestation by making wood structures last longer than they otherwise would if not protected. I don't know how environmentally conscious your clientèle are in the UK but I cannot understand the shortsightedness in their decision to just clean it and not follow up with the protective part. I guess each has a different perspective on how to protect an investment. Thanks for the insight. Rod!~

One other thing...if all you want is the pump and pluming and do not want the cart, there is also the Decker 5'er Topper. This unit sits on top of your 5 gallon pail. We have known guys who took those plastic cartons like you see eggs and milk hauled around in by grocery stores, and they use those to carry the battery and plumbing. It's a less expensive option to the one that is cart mounted. Just thought someone might like to know.... Beth p.s. Tom carries those as well...

Yes he can! Tom rocks! We took our Sprinter Van up to Tom's a couple years back and he and Rod had a blast installing the two gun Hydrotek and all the plumbing. You can't go wrong working with Tom Vogel! We tried the Hurricane brush a few years ago and were not impressed with it. Rod eventually took it apart and rebuilt it into another piece of equipment. Beth

Prices will vary as I see according to region. our minimum is more in line with Ken's as time on the road, set up and break down time and actual job time, chems, gas, insurances, and overhead are part of the price to be considered. Take into consideration that you will be making 2 trips to this property, the distance and time you will be traveling, the rate you want to be paid for all this time, The rate of which you can accomplish the job will give you the job time (ex:150sqft/hr/person), the rate for your worker(s), the costs of fuels, chems, supplies, and other overhead costs you have and determine what you will need to remain profitable. Remember, there will be times you go out to do the job and a circumstance pops up and you cannot do the work. You will have used up labor hours and fuel just to get there. Situations like: No water available, customer is not ready for you (too much stuff on the deck [string lights, heavy planters, large wooden picnic tables etc]), gate is locked-no access, dogs in the yard...etc. You get the point. Somewhere along the line you need to recoup these lost costs and by having a minimum, you create a buffer in which to help absorb the costs and keep in the black. Rod!~

Taking that this seems to be addressing me, I will respond. Obviously. In addition, it needs to be made aware for those reading that the distance you are using the wand to your surface can be a variable factor in the type of "chisel effect" you are using to clean with. We generally use the wand at distances of about 6-8 inches away from the surface with a 25* tip to remove the loosened fibers and material from the surface. This gives us the least amount of impact to the surface yet still completes the cleaning to our needs. Sometimes you can bring the wand in a little closer for targeted cleaning like on knots where sealer tends to be more difficult to remove.There are many techniques involved in wood restoration and attention to many details in the process helps to obtain the results like you see on our company websites photo gallery. Understanding the capabilities of the machine are good to know but its what you do at the end of the wand that makes the difference. Rod!~

We also use the Decker 5'er. Great machine. Tom Vogel is in PA. Save on shipping, drive over and pick it up and let him show you how the unit works face to face. www.acrproducts.com I know he has them. He also services what he sells, and is very knowledgeable. It is important that a vendor be able to service equipment. Beth

If you are using just water and no chems, the only factor for cleaning is the water, and the tool making the water work is the PSI. Anything over 1000 PSI can cause damage. As stated above, you are not killing and mildew or algae spores this way either. Beth

We use the PumpTec version. Sunbrite sells them in yellow I believe and they are great units. We use them for both applying chems and sealers. Rod!~

Just a note here, I have been known to apply the neutralizer with a pump up and rinse with the garden hose to save fuel. You don't need the pw'er just to neutralize the deck really. Since the most of the stripper has been washed off you are neutralizing the residue and it is easily accomplished like I mentioned above. I do this for ground level decks where I don't need to rinse underneath, otherwise I may use the pw'er to move the wash water and remnant crud from patios and places where drainage isn't as accomodating. Just a thought for those of us who are trying to control costs as fuel prices rise to rediculous rates. Rod!~

Any sealer you apply after applying a caustic and not neutralizing will fail prematurely, have seen it happen as early as one year. A few years ago we had a deck that the employees neutralized the rails on, but for some reason they missed the floor. Some of the Citralic hit part of the floor by the rails but as you can imagine, the middle of the floor failed. We redid that area. The HD-80 will be reactivated when the deck gets wet, and if you have already sealed it, well... Go back and neutralize. Do the right thing, neutralize before you seal. It makes a difference. Beth :cup: :groovy:

I'll send this link to a couple folks I know who do this type of thing and see if I can get them to respond. Beth

Chems help us to get the best result out of the job and provides for a better surface to apply a product to. We do not use pressure only to clean with, not even on concrete. The chems help to do the work faster and easier than would otherwise be accomplished without them. And another point being that with the chems we are able to limit any type of damage that a pressure washer can do alone because we don't need to exert force to clean with. It is more like a speed rinse. With the products we use, it (the pw'er) has become more of a speed rinse tool instead of the primary cleaning tool. Let me give an example: Would you try to clean a dish with dried egg on it with just water and a scratch pad? Or would you use a dish soap and give it some time to soak so that when it's done, you can simply rinse off the plate and its as clean as it can be? What about the dishes with grease on them? Does it come clean with water and wiping or do you need something to cut the grease with? Does hot water help in the process? How about your laundry? Would you just leave it to the water and the agitation to clean your clothes? Will water alone remove the stains? Will water alone rid them of the smell? No. We all use a detergent and 'BLEECH' when needed. When you go to a car wash, do you just use the pw'er wand to clean you vehicle with or do you apply soap? The Philosophy is the same with pw'ing. The appropriate cleaner and dwell time gives you a better clean and minimal harm to the surface. The arguement is that chems can do harm. Yes they can if not used properly by someone who has been either educated or instructed on their proper uses and exposure limits. But where's the trade off using pressure alone to clean with? I don't see one. Pressure alone can do great damage to a surface that is not hard enough to withstand it. Even concrete can be damaged by a pw'er. Wood, especially furniture is especially susceptible to damage if not used with caution. Even pvc furniture can be damaged by using pressure alone. (trust me on this one, had to replace a table because of it in our 1st year) I hope this gives you the information you need to make a decision on which method you want to use in the future and the choice is yours...but remember, your business and reputation will be riding on it. Rod!~

Now that's a good shot of 'tipsey'! Looks like the one taking the shot maybe was a little... ;) Gimme a Heineken anyday. (Grolsch is to darned expensive but me lady likes the resealable tops for keeping homemade salad dressings in) Tim, Have you checked out our FAQ area? http://forums.thegrimescene.com/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item This should help. Rod!~

We do it all the time. Call Rod. He's glad to help. Beth :cup:

Read the rest of the paragraph. It's in the same context.Rod!~

Well explained Rick. Rod!~

Don't get caught up in the games people play to get a good deal out of you. they WILL PLAY YOU! The company may also be misleading you to make sure they have the lowest price to win the job. Especially so if they think you are a contractor. We give phone quotes for house washing (mildew and algae removal only) by type and its based upon OUR price scale. We also make sure the customer understands that this is a phone quote only and that the actual price may change upon actual inspection the day of our arrival. It's the only way to make sure we aren't getting conned by the customer. This has happened in the past where they would tell us one thing on the phone and the actual was something significantly more. They would even try to tell me that we agreed to do add-ons for the same price. There are some really crafty people out there. Rod!~ If it requires oxidation removal, then we need to inspect before a price quote will be given.

Also click this link http://forums.thegrimescene.com/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item and read the section on wood care. Beth

Ok...got my coffee... When we first go to do a deck, never having done it, we use the HD-80 on it. Why? Because, even under the grey and algae and dirt, you can and often will find some sealer of some sort. We always go back to clean bare wood ( not a strong strip necessarily but we have found the SH solution works better) and neutralize with Citralic. Now in a couple years, when the deck is due a maintenance wash and re-coat, we will use the EFC-38 on it at a low measure to clean, but not to remove the finish that is on there. Then neutralize and reapply the sealer installed. You will find you use less HD-80 this way, and really it does a great job. When we first started out in 1999 we used other things, and occasionally have tried new products, but we have always come back to HD-80 and Citralic. The results are consistent ( you do need to develop an eye for what is there and how much to use for how long) time and time again. We prefer to mix it per job and carry the powder. For one, we mix only what is needed at the strength we need it. Secondly, heaven forbid you spill, it is far easier to clean up a powder than a liquid. Abandon the chlorine and vinegar and dawn stuff and use something that is tested tried and true that works and is formulated specifically for what you are doing. You will be glad you did when you don't have to go back, redo it, monkey around with mixing ingredients, etc...all the while the customer starts to wonder if you know what you are doing. Hope this helps. Beth :cup: :sunshine: :groovy2:

We would use HD-80 at about 3 oz to the gallon of water. Neutralize with Citralic. Never fails, no multiple trips or guesswork. Beth

Rick, You're welcome to join us, but you might go through withdrawl...no bleach on the truck...unless we are washing a house ;) Sorry couldn't resist. Seriously, would love to have you join us. Give us a call to work out the details when we get closer to August. Beth

Spray shields and masking helps to limit the overlapping and spotting. Two man crews can do the job like in your pic above in about 1-1/2 hours. This includes sanding, nail pops, masking, tarps and cleanup. Rod!~

Thought I would pass on these Free Trade Show Passes. It's always fun to go through a trade show. The lineup for this event looks great. Enjoy! Beth :cup: :groovy3: Free Pass.pdf

Am hearing that the convention is going really well! And it looks like the trade show on Saturday (this Saturday the 6th folks) is going to be wonderful! Those of you who can attend, admission is free and this is a great chance to learn about equipment, chems, sealers, etc...and to talk shop with vendors and pick up some valuable tips to save you time and make you money! Can't wait to hear more about how this event is going. Beth :groovy3: