Beth n Rod

Here are the shots of the rest of the job. The first batch is after sanding. Beth

Here's a tip for you...get acquainted with healthy foods that are easy to prepare. You won't be cooking 5 course meals... If your wife is breastfeeding, it is very important for her to eat well and drinks LOTS of healthy fluids. Not soda, coffee or tea, but juices, milk, and water. ( the good kind) Get used to cooking things you can keep in the fridge and eat as you need to, like a bowl of pasta salad for example. Your time and sleep will be precious. Make meals easy. Now then...laundry detergent - get Dreft. It is hypoallergenic and you don't want to use a strong detergent on the baby's clothes or blankets. Baby proofing - no need to do it when the baby can't motor around, but by the time he or she can, get plugs for the sockets, a baby gate for entrances or exits, and any safety latches you feel necessary for lower level cupboards. Hope this helps.... Beth

We started with a used, refurbished, cold water unit. We kept putting money back in to the biz until we could afford better. It is important to set yourself up smart - hose reels, ladder rack, extension poles, x-jet, and surface cleaner. It is important because you will suffer the operator fatigue Celeste mentions. It is very important to be insured, and to set up your business properly. Talk to an accountant to determine the structure that is best for you. Beth

Hope you feel better soon! Take care of yourself. Beth

Very cool Russ! Thanks for starting this. Beth

Russ is right. If you do, they throw up on you. Babies learn to roll over at 3 months. Never leave a baby unattended on a bed, sofa or anything else...look at it this way, they can't fall off the floor. Better to set a baby on the floor, than up high if you are not where the crib, high chair or other restrained seat is. Learn to nap when the baby does. Beth

For the diaper bag: diapers wipes diaper rash ointment onsies (you can never own too many) a "onesie" is basically an undershirt that snaps in the crotch. receiving blanket spare bottle unless breastfeeding Make sure you have in the nursery: baby monitor thermometer Vaseline children's Tylenol ( infant strength) next to the pediatricians telephone number diaper pail night light crib rocking chair or other chair More later..... Beth

And they let them write thieir names in the fresh work? That's just wrong... No donut for two days! Beth

Nice work! I'll bet they were happy. Beth

What's your favorite football snack? If you have a dip you love, share it here. If you have a colossal creation, let us know. Beth

Ahhh...home made chili rocks. Beth

Cheese dip, home made salsa, chips, and maybe some of those little smokies.... Beth

Very interesting stuff! Tells me what can look like over application, may in fact not be over application at all if I read you correctly. Beth

Thats good to know Everett, we will keep an eye on our area and see if anything emerges. I can understand why the new voc formulation products have a problem. I used to like C.A.T.O. for use on pine, now I dont. It still looks great on cedar and on hardwoods. Curious though, about the flash drying, temps lately havent been high enough to create this effect during application so I will be watching for this next season. Thanks for the heads up! Rod~

I made it sticky so it will be easily seen. Stop in here and say hi folks! Beth

Please do not link the large animated PWNA header (new one with logo on the BBS) directly to your signature. It slows things down (load time) here with the animation, and also throws the size of the screen off in the thread. We request that PWNA members use the standard non-animated PWNA logo to show support and affiliation with the organization. Thank you for your cooperation. Beth

***Before I start a reply, I wish to submit that the following response is based upon our actual experience and evaluation of the overall performance of the products named herein based upon application instructions as labeled on the containers. This is in no way to be construed as a post to defame, bash or diminish any of the products mentioned but to relate to the initial thread starter our determinations after use. Others may have had different experiences and we are in no manner discouraging them from sharing what they have learned by using the products they have come to believe in.*** We avoid the following: Behr (any) Too many problems with it contributing to excessive mildew growth and once applied (even after being stripped) we have found that the wood turns dark almost instantly. Many of their formulations contain silicone which is nearly impossible to remove and detracts from future restoration projects. Cuprinol (any) Lacks the duration capabilities and in a number of cases created rapid mildew growth. Flood-CWF/UV (any) does not hold up well in our region due to its formulation, maintenance is a nightmare involving stripping because the product darkens with age prohibiting the application of new product to match the original. Messmers (any) for Hardwoods because it did not hold up well and was very difficult to locate a dealer that would stock the quantities we needed or provide shipping that was affordable. Olympic (any) The clears and maximum line of 2 and 3 years protection products did not hold up as indicated and usually failed within 6 months to one year. Ready Seal because it does not have the coverage capabilities or the duration as I was told by the rep. and we have experienced numerous call backs by customers with the most common complaint being that the color did not hold up and looked faded within hours of application. Our avg coverage rate was barely 75sqft/gallon when minimum was 150sqft/gallon per the rep. We could have continued to use the product but the costs involved were too much for us to absorb on contracts that were already in place. If we were to decide to use this product for its moisturizing capabilities, it would probably fit the bill. Wolman F&P and Extreme because of 2 things. The F&P line did not hold up well and caused an odd look to the wood not to mention the problems with all the pails we purchased containing what can only be described as a skin that had to be filtered out before each use. The Extreme line was discontinued in our area because the formulation contains acrylic which cracks and peels in the colder climate we have here in Maryland. The reason being primarily that the above products did not fulfill the protection and durability they claim and since the reflection on our company by the customer is not always based upon the product we use necessarily but by how well the job holds up. Contractors are the focus of either fault or fame in more cases than not. Irregardless of the fact that the customer may have done nothing in the interim to maintain the deck such as sweeping off the leaves, rinsing the deck occasionally to remove contaminants or excess snow, their mindset ultimately focuses on how much money they had to spend and how long the job lasted which equates to the contractor being responsible for the success or failure in the duration of the product...not their neglect. As you may know we use and suggest: Cabot's line of products and have had much success and long term relations using them. We use their problem solver primer and any deck stains including Teflon formulations. We also use Australian Timber oil for hardwoods and especially like the color on cedar siding. We also use Sikkens line of products including Cetol DEK, SRD, Log Decor and TGL. We have tried TWP and did like the results but have not had enough time to evaluate its duration or ease of maintenance. And as all know we use Wood Tux Wet! which is our primary product for the reasons of ease of maintenance and durability. The Price of a product is not always a decisive factor for us but coverage rates, maintenance (no need to strip) and durability have been the pivotal factors that have brought us to the current line of products we put our reputation behind. They offer us the predictable results we need and that makes us look really good to our customers who feel when all is said and done that they were given the best information possible to make their decision and they feel good about having made it with us because we delivered what we said we could with these products. Thats whats important in a product to us. Rod~

Ron, Some residential jobs are quite large and are of course one time, so yes you need travel factored in. Beth

Some days it just seems like the moon is full and nothing can go right. Here's one incident as an example... Had a customer today who called our office and read the staff the riot act...several times! They were complaining about the fact that we were not there in the morning yet we arrived on site just around noon after contending with a deck strip that had 3 layers of paint and a primer coat that we were unaware of. This created an extended amount of time on the site and me and my crewman were so busy trying to get the job done that we were not aware of the time that had elapsed in the process. Needless to say, when I got the call from the office about what happened to them, I was not happy. The client was never told they had to be home for the process and it is even described in out literature for those who are not home when we give the estimate. To make a long story short...I called the customer and let them know we were on our way but I needed to discuss their conduct with our office personnel. I let them know that regardless of the problem they had, there was no cause to verbally abuse anyone including shouting into the phone and that before our relationship could continue it was to be understood that this type of conduct was not acceptable to us as it surely would not be tolerated by them if the opposite was the case. It turns out that the person had some personal issues to deal with and it boiled over into the conversations. Overall, by the time I arrived on site, the person had already called the office and .... apologized to those they spoken out of line with and informed me upon my arrival of this as well. I thanked them kindly for that gesture and asked them if they had any further questions or concerns I could address with them before we started the work...they posed their questions and the conversations took place in a courteous manner and all went well after that...but what a thing to have to deal with. We have a policy that we will not tolerate any verbal abuse of any kind from our customers. We expect to receive the same courtesy as they do from us in any communication. This is business and we believe there is no reason for either party to conduct themselves with any less respect than they expect to receive. Anyone else ever had to put the customer in their place for being out of line and throwing a temper tantrum on the phone? Rod~

I like that. Very well stated. Personally I would not touch a giveaway list. It's enough that someone else had a bad expereince. History can repeat itself. Beth

Talk with the guys at declo in your area. They can help you diagnose the problem. If you feel comfortable disassembling a burner then you can do the replacement of any parts that may need it. Temperature and/or flow switches are the biggest causes of burner malfunction which is not the burner itself but seperate components that are usually located on the side of your unloader. I would start with these first. Rod~

How is everyone doing up there in NJ and parts north? I have been seeing reports of flooding up there and it looks like more rain. Getting slosh boots on? Rod~

We have not been able to seal a thing all week here not because the wood is wet but because we cannot sand the wood as is part of our service. We are forecast for sunny weather next week though... Rod~

Really? Learned something new then. Thanks Mike! I thought it would be based on the total sale. Beth :cup:

Just a side note...Taxes are raised on every fuel sale. I know many places have their highest tax on fuel and tobacco and such. I don't think the states mind too much...they are making out quite well at the moment. Beth