Beth n Rod

yes... Rod~

So.......they want the cadillac for the vw price?!?!?!? Tell em they will get it all back at the settlement table when the house is appraised looking alot better! btw, nice chunk o change for that property. Rod~

One thing I should mention is that percarbs make redwood turn dark and brightening doesnt always bring back the natural color. That said, are they wanting the stain to be a solid or semi-transparent? Doing any work around a recently coated deck is likely to have an effect on it. Devils advocate here... They did this kind of bassackwards didnt they? But I guess thats what you have to work with... You could get away with a SH based cleaner for the roof if you have someone who can rinse the deck keeping it wet while the roof is being cleaned. Same for the siding around the deck. Rod~

The jury is still out on that question. It depends on what you have set up for your business model... Do you want people to come back every year or do you want to do them every other year? This can best be answered by looking at what people in you area are willing to pay and what they can afford. I have heard from a number of companies who like to use something that is a 1 coat product so that they can get more business the next year and it is cheaper for them to use and they make more money...etc. This is an example of quanitity business. Then there are the other side of the coins who feel that 2 coats give a better product and will last longer. They give the most bang for the buck and develop their client base that way...this is an example of quality business. Nothing wrong with either of them. They are established by the accepted trade practices in their local region and are subject to the incomes and climate conditions that dictate the need for one service over the other. btw, thank you for your appreciation of what is going on here at TGS. Although it is not by Beth and I alone, but by the efforts of the many who come here and become a part of the community. Great to see you here. :) Rod~

One thing I noticed was that you are in knoxville and I have to wonder what the competition is like and what the price point will be before I could address whether you will make enough money or not. How many pw'ers are in the phone book? How many of them that you called are still in biz? Whats the going rate for the service in your area? Consider that the average response to an ad is .2-.3% out of every 100. If you get coverage like 10,000 than you can look forward to about 20-30 calls. Of those you estimate, depending on your personability, knowledge, presentation and price, you may close about 30-40% of those which equates to about 6-12 jobs. Most jobs get priced starting around 250 up to 750 (avg) for our area and given that as a baseline figure, you are looking at $3000-$9000 for that ad before expenses. Supplies, chemicals, tools, labor and fuel are the leading costs. Overhead expenses like phones, office supplies, printing, postage, office equipment, advertising (phone books, newspapers, booklets, coupon mailers, direct mail, paraphenalia like pens, magnets, business cards etc.), insurance (vehicles, business liability, workmans comp) licensing (vehicles, business, etc.) come out of that as well. Study your market, research your supplies for pricing, availability, develope a checklist for all the items you need in order to give the service you are offering and that will give you an idea of some of the start up costs. Head spinning yet? Dont worry, it will...welcome to being self employed! Rod~

Product specifics makes this a hard one. Some products like Sikkens SRD are a 1 coat product. Applying more than one actually shortens it life. (just wish the customer would listen and read the directions for themselves) We used to use Cuprinol and had to apply a second coat wet-on-wet in order to get a decent finish. Many other products feature the wet-on-wet application rule and the results are very rich. I would follow the mfr instructions as directed and provided its a quality product, you and your client should be happy with the results. Rod~

Bfenne, Of all the things you can do to a house, the most important one to remember is rinsing. Applying your chems from the bottom up helps to avoid streaking. Rinsing is from the top-down...several times, as in 3-4 times...and...once more just for good measure. :) Dwell time is a factor to consider and avoiding letting the chems dry on the siding and windows is a major note. As for technique, we do ours under low pressure. The reason for this is because of the following: The weep holes on the underside of the siding is designed for allowing condensation to escape. They are too small to allow large amounts of water the may be introduced by high pressure application to drain. Therefore, the resulting problem is water cascading down the backside of the siding inside where it can soak into the insulation, particle board, etc. later. This leads to mold and mildew problems for the homeowner. Low pressure minimizes the amount of water introduced behind the siding and gives you the ability to avoid the next scenario. Loose siding. The siding over the years of hot and cold can pop its channels and become an easy fly away when high pressure water and high air flow generated by the spray causes it to loosen and fly away causing a bent, buckle or gap in the siding. When using low pressure, you can effectively clean using the weight of the water to knock it off the surface which is easy if you are using a cleaner with a good surfactant. Windows get cleaner in this method. Although still requiring a squeegee avoid spotting, the screens, frames and sills benefit from the process. Low pressure washing does not force anywhere near as much water under the windows and SGD (sliding glass doors)in this method and in the event the homeowner is not home during the process, they do not come home to a house with wet carpets, walls and drapes. While gutters are an alacarte service for us, they can be cleaned the same way without forcing water up under the many types of shingles and soffits or facia. Much more can be discussed on this and added to by others...so I will step aside and let others contribute here as well. Rod~

Agreed! Be safe all!

We began on our own property, and family and friends. We had paying customers those first few months as well, but we were very up front about our newness and did alot of research before washing... Also, get insurance...it helps. Beth

Same function as the decker 5'er only lighter and space convenient. Will spray sealer and chems equally well and the pressue adjustment valve can help when you need to drop the psi for thinner fluids. The battery you buy will still weigh a ton :hmmm: Rod~

Big Guy by whisper wash: 4000psi max 10 gpm max 212*f max. 2500 rpm max Anything else John? Rod~

John, Non of my sources gives a max gpm. But I have in the past seen that the max through these is 10gpm as a standard. Lets ask Larry H. Rod~

Celeste, :lol: We can relate to that. Our old deck was in attrocious shape due to the previous homeowner and the company they chose to care for it. It was dry, split, cracked, splintered, falling apart. We used it for testing, training, and feel a commonality with your post. But, you have seen the deck that has replaced it and we enjoy it so much more. No more testing on this baby! For those who are considering taking Celeste up on her offer, go for it. Here is a great opportunity to learn and to be honest, there are a large portion of decks out there that are not new and will need some expertise and technique to get a decent result. Take advantage of this...its great practice. Rod~

Ala-Carte! Thats the way. Hw=$ Gut=$ Flatwork=$ etc... Rod~

John, You will have to match the engines horsepower and the pumps psi in order to prevent unloader trauma. You will need 1 unloader with 1 inlet, 1 outlet, 1 by-pass. (psssst...get the one with the big green spring, they are tough) You will need a Y connector to the inlet where you will be feeding the high pressure lines to combine into 1. Set the psi to the pumps psi rating and use a psi guage as you do. Let me know if anything blows...:whoops: Rod~

Here's a shot of both HD-80 and F-18 in action, side by side, stripping an IPE deck.

Doesn't it? But it's not. Those are two different strippers working side by side. Beth

jnoden, Try this... http://www.thegrimescene.com/Store/product_info.php?cPath=22_44&products_id=137 Maybe this will fit into your budget? If not, pick up a shurflo pump 100psi, 1.2-1.8gpm, some 1/4 braided hose, screw clamps, hose barbs MPT (sized to match pump inlet and outlet), spray wand with hose barb to fit wand and hose, 12v deep cylce marine battery, 4x4 piece of plywood (for mounting), 4 U-bolts (sized to fit around handles of the cart), battery connectors (either clamp or collar type), teflon tape (prevents leaks around the hose connections to pump and spray wand), hand cart. By the time all is said and done, you will spend around 250-300 for all the items above and then need to configure it to work for you in your set up. Lets hear it from some of the other diy'ers of spray set ups! :) Rod~

Spare Parts & Tools: MPT & FPT QC's-6@ 3/8 and 1/4 MPT & FPT Plugs-6@ 3/8 and 1/4 O'rings 50pack of @ 3/8 and 1/4 O'ring pick Teflon tape-3 rolls Nozzles-0*,15*, 25*, 40* and soap- 3@ Fan Nozzles for sprayers - 2@ 2 Crecent wrench's 1 Channel lock plyers 1 Vise Grips plyers Straight and Phillips head screw drivers-1@ Socket tools set Cordless Drill with attachments High pressure hose swivels - 2@ 7000psi ball valve-1 2 ceramic ball injectors (adjustable) 2 stainless steel ball injectors (adjustable) Flex wand attachment - 2@ Lithium Grease WD-40 Grease gun and cartrige (for hose reel swivels) 1st aid kit Fire Extinguisher, class ABC - 1 Assorted sized bungees Flashlight Allen wrench set Garden hose washers w/screens-5 Garden hose washers w/o screens-5 Garden hose repair kit with screw clamps-1 male, 1 female and 1 splice union Garden hose shut off valve-1 Various sized screw clamps- approx. 20 Spark plugs-2, oil filter-1 Hand soap-1 Public water meter- 1 4000psi, 10gpm spare spray gun-2 lances (various sizes)-4 wand grip (high heat) -1 (mind turns to mush trying to remember everything thats in my tool box or just in the back of the vehicle) I like mikes idea, spare socks. I take sandals for driving in and change when I get to a site...helps to minimize swampfoot. Rod~

Depends entirely on the dwell time and the strength of your mix. HD-80 happens to have a very high causticity because of the caustic builders incorporated into the formulation. F-18 is not quite as high on the pH level as HD-80. The most common fuzzies occur where the sealer being removed is thinner in some areas than others especially around the middle of the deck and the pickets. Decking around the rails is usually the thickest due to overspray and drips from previous application. Here is a good rule of thumb: Too strong for too long makes fuzzies. In all fairness to either product, if the reaction is allowed to go on unchecked, this will result in a greater chance of fuzzies. F-18's formulation utilizes other chemicals to bring on the reaction and so therefore is easier to control. HD-80 is like its name sake acronym HEAVY DUTY! This product was developed to go through numerous layers of some of the most rediculous stuff on the market. Its action is quick and relentless. (note pic above in post #1) The right side is HD-80 taking no prisoners. At 4oz./gal, it was overkill on this test. The left is F-18, doing its job in a different way, more like finessing the sealer off the wood. At 6oz./gal, it was doing a great job. In order to avoid fuzzies, attention to the color change should be monitored and watered down if the reaction proves to be quick in some areas by just applying a light spray of water to them. Conduct your test spots around the rail system and right under the rail cap and top of the spindles. These are the areas that will give you the most challenge, the sun exposed areas will be easier, modify your dillution to suit these areas or dont apply as heavily. Practicing this will develop the proper technique to get a great strip without making more work for you afterwards. Regarding the last question of F-18 on cedar...our tests have not been completed. Stay tuned for more this spring.

Lower in alkalinity is what he meant by lower pH balance. Many strippers are around 12-14pH 14 being the highest in alkalinity or causticity. Causticity alone is not what does the stripping. The ability to interact with the coating and break its bond by changing the pH is the primary function. Causticity is part of it, reactivity is the other component. Not all caustics will react with a surface the same way. This is decided molecularly. Rod~

Sounds like a nickle and dime ya type of state. Personally, I dont like to fill the beauracratic pockets for nothing, and we have not had any problems around here to be heard of that involved enforcement. Most of the time it has been said that they just want you to be compliant. Thats in our state. As for yours, couldnt say. Ask yourself how many jobs you could get in your area doing pressure washing? This would be much more lucrative than your current business. Just a thought. Rod~

The darker the wood turns the more alkaline it is. When you brighten with an acid, the surface turns lighter in color. Beth Read this: http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50

I am more than happy to give anyone who wants a site a quote. :) Beth

Right. The F-18 was not as alkaline, and still did the job. I'll have to look for the brightened shot. The deck did not turn out uneven in the end, but the initiall application of brightener does show one side brightened more than the other.