One Call Power Wash

Be carelful with MEK. Wear gloves and face shield. You dont want to get this stuff on hands or eyes, especially eys.

I live by the old rule of things. "ALWAYS LEAVE IT IN BETTER SHAPE THAN YA FOUND IT" I dont know about a 200' driveway but normally we do extra things like cleaning driveways with the exterior wash or deck restoration. The equipment is already out and they will remember you for it. Its that little extra that counts.

Great News!!!! Lets just hope he does not have to go back. I knew and know of three and yours just came home. Two more to go.

Ooch. We have never had a claim and we just reached our 8 year mark. We have damaged a few screens though. We just fix it or pay out of pocket. Other than that we pay for nothing or should I say, piece of mind.

All fuel for the most part is the same regardless of what name is on it. The fuel trucks run from down south in Southern Maryland to Baltimore at several different terminals. They all fill up based on price for their companies and haul it back to their stations. I use citgo all the time with my washers and just about anything else for the trucks. Right now I am using BJ's due to their at 1.61 if your a member. All the other stations are at 1.69 and up. Needless to say, the same tankers that deliver to BJ's, deliver to 3 other stations. Shell, Shell and Exxon/Mobile but it still says Exxon. So there ya go. Just take a look around you will see the same thing. Another example would be Burch Oil. They own 5 stations. 3 of the five are shells and the other two are Mobile. They have their own fleet of trucks that make that trip to baltimore daily then deliver to all five. So are ya buyin shell or mobile. All the same. Period

How many of you figured in the rising cost of fuel this year in your G/L ? Are you still on target or has this blown ya away already ? Not to mention, they say by summer it will be up to $2.00 per gallon here in Maryland.

Man, I am glad you all have time to play. Busy, Busy, Busy.......except for today, RAIN, RAIN, RAIN.

Just readin this thread I came upon. Most do not know this and I thought I would share it. Artillery Fungus is a terrible thing. #1, It cannot be removed once it has hit the surface and allowed to dry. #2, Artillery Fungus will stay on siding for up to 10 years before actual chems/pw will have a chance to remove it. #3, Artillery fungus is derived from non-organic mulch. When we come upon a home with this we explain this to the customer that this fungus cannot be removed. We explain where it originates from and recommend replacing mulch to an organic variety. It is a fungus in the mulch that acts much like a flower. What happens is this fungus (smaller than you can see) opens up its bud and shoots this fungus out. Once this hits a surface it is there for up to 10 years. This is why it is called artillery fungus. Needless to say, explain this to your customers and stop wasting your valuable time trying to remove it. You can remove it with a knife and sometimes with your finger nail but this will result in a tiny brown spot still to be recokend with. This brown spot will be there for a very long time. Hope this helps in the understanding of this unpleasurable fungus. But remember, the only thing you can do is educate your customer and of course change your mulch at home. Correction: Switch to non-organic mulch from the organic. Losin my mind Sorry for the spellin Oh and if anybody wondered how a came across this thread. Well, I did a search for (brick) and this is what I got. Come on Beth, your slacken. The specific thread I am looking for is one that Paul B. allowed us the pleasure of viewing mortar tags etc.. (Photos) can someone help me find this thing. Losin my mind.

Samples ? What's that. I can only say that going with "Cabot on their siding stains and deck stains has been the best thing to happen when it comes to samples. Samples to them is just that "Free" They sent me 62 4 oz cans of different stains for siding and decks, not to mention nice stickers for the trailer/truck, wood pallet, all the brochures I could ask for etc.... "All of this for free for me to use their product" Sorry for the ramble, but when I find a good distributor or manufacturer, I talk them up. And of course Cabot has out did themselves. I am will Paul B. on this one. Samples once did mean free of charge to sample. Not anymore. Everyone is tryin to make a buck.

We seperate gutters at lets say $1.00 per linear foot. Like Paul B. we do clean the outside of the gutters and downspouts in the housewash. But actually cleaning (out) the gutters, charge by linear foot.

We use standard pricing for house washes. Example without giving away the real deal: 1 Story Home - No garage - $150 2 Story Home - No garage - $235 3 Story Home - No garage - $310 with garage add say $50.00 per house.

Just be careful with goof off. We have been using for couple of years now. I will never forget when I put the ole rag in the back pocket after cleaning overspray off siding. WOW, talk about hot. My a** was burning. Learned my lesson that day. I actually had to stop the job, run back to the office, shower and change, then went back to finish the job. BE CAREFUL, GREAT STUFF THOUGH

Yes we do. I think it is very important when offering a service of Deck Restoration, it means just that. Allot of deck restorers will just clean and seal. This I do not believe services the wood fibers well although some stippers will damage wood fibers if not mixed properly. I think of wood as a living thing - It needs its vitamins also. I have read somewhere that Olympic does not require stripping between service restoration if applying the same stain as used before. But needless to say, we do. Wolman - we use the same process.

Congress to address toxic mold issue September 12, 2002 - Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) has introduced H.R. 5040: The United States Toxic Mold Safety and Protection Act ("The Melina Bill"). H.R. 5040 has the potential to put to rest the confusion over whether exposure to mold growth in residential, public and commercial buildings causes serious medical conditions such as bleeding lungs, digestive problems, hair loss, nausea, loss of memory, reduced cognitive skills, and death. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports a causal link between the presence of the toxic mold and rare and unique medical conditions has not been proven. Mold growth is also alleged to have destroyed millions of dollars in real estate and forced homeowners to the curb. The United States Toxic Mold Safety and Protection Act will mandate comprehensive research into mold growth, create programs to educate the public about the dangers of toxic mold, and provide assistance to victims. In addition, the Act will generate guidelines for preventing indoor mold growth, establish standards for removing mold when it does grow, provide grants for mold removal in public buildings, authorize tax credits for inspection and/or remediation of mold hazards, and create a national insurance program to protect homeowners from catastrophic losses. Taken as a whole, the Toxic Mold Safety and Protection Act will attack indoor mold growth with good science, public awareness, and tangible relief. The following is a summary of the major provisions of the bill: Title I - Research and Public Education The Bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to examine the effects of different molds on human health and develop accurate scientific information on the hazards presented by indoor mold. The Bill directs EPA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) respectively, to establish guidelines that identify conditions that facilitate indoor mold growth and measures that can be implemented to prevent such growth. The guidelines will also address mold inspection, testing, and remediation. The Bill asks EPA and HUD to establish guidelines for certifying mold inspectors and remediators. The guidelines will help identify hazards associated with inspection and remediation and the steps that should be taken to minimize the risk to human health. The Bill authorizes programs to educate the public about the dangers of indoor mold. An informed public with be in a better position to avoid mold hazards, prevent mold growth and respond appropriately when mold growth occurs. Title II - Housing and Real Property Provisions The Bill requires mold inspections for multi-unit residential property and mold inspections for all property that is purchased or leased using funds that are guaranteed by the federal government. The Bill also requires mold inspections in public housing. The Bill requires, to whatever extent possible, that local jurisdictions modify building codes to minimize mold hazards in new construction. Title IV - Indoor Mold Hazard Assistance The Bill authorizes grants for mold removal in public buildings. Title V - Tax Provisions The Bill authorizes tax credits for inspection and/or remediation of mold hazards. Title VI - National Toxic Mold Insurance Program The Bill creates a National Toxic Mold Insurance Program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to protect homeowners from catastrophic losses. Many homeowners are finding that insurance companies will not offer adequate coverage for mold. Title VII - Health Care Provisions The Bill enables States to provide medicaid coverage to mold victims who are unable to secure adequate health care

Just a note on Olympic. Today, did some work for a great customer that we have been servicing for 3 years now and WOW. I do not know what changes Olympic has made but the Cedar stained deck I did for this gentleman early April 2003 looked as if we did it yesterday. And yes this deck stays in the sun and faces the northern exposure. I checked on the ticket and we used Olympic Cedar Semi-Transparent. We have been using Olympic for years now and this is the first time they have looked like this (new) after a year. Usually there is a small difference but not on this one. I was amazed. It kinda sucks because I dumped all of the Olympic Brochures and went with Cabot and also have intentions of looking at Wood Tux. This is where I did not want to be. Using two/three different products. It gets to be too complicated. But oh well. So much for wishing.