Mike Williamson

Monday I was washing a house for a lady. Everything was going great, until I begain rinsing the garage door. This garage door is the syle with several windows along the top section. I was using pretty low pressure to rinse, but when I hit one of the panes, the entire window came out and fell into the garage. The glass shattered, and as it fell, also scratched the trunk of her car. I'm freaking out, thinking GREAT, here's a $400.00 job that's going to wind up costing me more than I made to fix the damage. However, when I picked up the parts of the window, I found one of the trim pieces from the inside was missing. There is a frame that is inserted from the outside, and the glass is held in from the inside by plastic trim pieces, one on each side of the frame. The top piece was missing, which would be a safe bet as to why the window gave way. It is obvious from the frame that the piece had been missing for quite some time (3 sides were clean, 1 side was dirty where it was exposed). I didn't use any more pressure than is typical to rinse, and I kept the wand at least a couple feet away. The ONLY way to have avoided this would have been to either NOT wash that part of the garage door, or visibly inspect every window frame in the house to assure that there were no defective or missing parts. I explained all this to her at the time, and she was fine with it, and gave me my check. Now she's calling after speaking with her husband, and he's saying I'm responsible to check the windows first and wants me to pay to fix the damage. If you were in my shoes, would you think it was your responsibility to take care of this?

I have a problem..... Was doing sidewalks at an office park today and my surface cleaner (24" Steel Eagle) got hung up in a garden hose...stupid mistake, but two out of three of my spinner bars are bent. Tried straightening them, but can't get them straight enough to prevent some pretty severe vibration. I figured that's not real good on the swivel spinner, so I cleaned up and stopped. Came home to order some new bars, and three backups...until I saw the price. The cheapest I've been able to find is $43.95 EACH. My first question is does anyone know where I can get these cheaper? Second question is, what would prevent me from making my own? An 8" or so piece of stainless tubing, a 90 degree elbow, and a flare nut.....Any reason this wouldn't work? I can make something like that for a hell of a lot less than $46.00.

Dan, if you don't want the jobs where owners don't feel they need to meet you face to face, then don't take those jobs. I agree with Lance, many customers are busy, and they just don't want to be bothered with meeting one or multiple contractors face to face. On most jobs I bid, I'm not competing against anyone, and if they like the price, I'm hired. I don't need to sell them, they're sold already. It's much easier on my schedule to go look at the job when it is convenient for me, not when it is convenient for the owner. I'm talking about house washes and driveways and such, not deck jobs or roof cleaning. In those cases, it IS sometimes beneficial to meet them face to face and show them what I'm going to do, why, and why it is worth what I'm charging. Many of the jobs I've done over the years I've never even seen the customer. The money spends just as well as the money I got from jobs where I met the customer face to face!

Because there really isn't a point to that, is there?

I remember when you first showed up, and sounded like you had no realy experience with pressurewashing. Most of us have been in that position.

LOL, was wondering if anyone caught that! I agree...I might be ABLE to push myself that hard, but it isn't good for my health, and my wife and son need me to be healthy. I don't have anything to prove to anyone other than them. I was in the hospital for 5 days with a severe case of pneumonia four years ago after I spent 2 hours on a hot roof spraying chlorine. Took me weeks before I could work, and about a year to get over all the symptoms..

When my what?

We're talking about the same Chris? Chris Detter?

Back at Sunbrite?

Cool! My first roundtable was at Sunbrite back when Chris was still there. That's been a while!

I hated the bar configuration on the Steel Eagle...too easy to get one bar out of alignment, the bars are expensive, and they bend too easily. That, and the rotary union is expensive too. I LOVE my Big Guy!

Steve's board and business didn't die out because of the free-for-all atmosphere that was once a part of the Cleaner Network...it died because of neglect. Steve had a great thing going, and a great opportunity to keep it going and grow it...but he got sidetracked with life and it died off to the point where there was virtually no activity on the board for the last year or more.

90%? Wow.;)

Two things I've noticed with Dan's posts...First, he's typically a negative person. Second, he's convinced that anyone who charges less than he thinks is fair is a lowball hack who is ruining this industry. I don't get it either. If a guy can make money charging $100.00/house, great for him! If I'm losing out of business because my prices aren't that low, then maybe I better learn how to sell better or become more efficient or whatever it takes.

Then just close the stupid window if possible and clean the house...or take the day and work on equipment maint or marketing... Just part of doing business...sometimes jobs get cancelled or put off for all sorts of reasons.

So get an adjustable downstreamer, or cut your wash mix with water. I'd play around with the orifice sizes in your downstreamer, or try a slightly smaller tip. Even a size 15 or 20 tip will give you low enough pressure for rinsing but should close the downstreamer. The last reason is, I purchased a new titan reel at the begiining of the year (which I hate ) and the bleach running through the house reel rusted out the center bar creating a pin hole leak.My supply house replaced the bar for free.My last reel lasted 5 years using the xjet but it also wasnt a titan. So long story short.. Xjet uses less chemicals for me , Quality of rinse is better due to no soap in the hose,Less wear on the equipment with bleach being a corrisive. Place your downstreamer on the downstream side of the hose reel, maybe even use a small (2-3') section of hose between the two. That should keep the chlorine out of the hose reel.

Oh you're such a liar. You said "I use chlorine"....not "I suggest using chlorine" or "some old guy I know uses chlorine". You were clearly trying to pass yourself off as an experienced washer... Yeah, move on to other things.

My opinion, as stated on the other site, is that you don't know what you're doing...Spend some time reading the threads on this site and you may be able to change that!! That "person" you've been have a debate with is a veteran member of this board, and certainly knows what he's doing.

Depends on how it is stored, and how fresh it was when you bought it. I've used 10.5% that was at least a month old with good results. Also depends on how hot it has been, etc. There's a thread around here somewhere in which Rod posted a link to a study done showing how sodium hypochlorite breaks down over time. It doesn't degrade nearly as quickly as some would have you believe. Think about it...that bleach they sell in the store, do you think it was bottled yesterday? Most of use keep the same bottle of bleach well over a month, and it still does its job well...and that doesn't count the time it took to get from the place it was made to the store shelf where we bought it.

Definitely not a bear...there would be 5 toes, and most likely nail marks. Almost looks like a rabbit...that'd be a BIG rabbit!

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Interesting read....I'm sure some or many of you have read this already. Why I Can't Vote For Obama By Huntley Brown Dear Friends, A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama, I sent out an email with a few points. With the election just around the corner I decided to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of this before but it's worth repeating.. First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support. Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him. Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness. I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christ follower) means He leads I follow. I can't dictate the terms He does because He is the leader. I can't vote black because I am black, I have to vote Christian because that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior. In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-*** marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning to name a few, wrong economic concerns will soon not matter. We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, don't judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don't know Obama so all I can go off is his voting record. His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007. NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (01/31/2008) To beat Ted Kennedy and Hilary Clinton as the most liberal, takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with. There is a reason planned gives him a 100 % rating. There is a reason the homosexual community supports him. There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas etc. love him. There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court. There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill. There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban of same-*** marriage. There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion. There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito. These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue. Lets take a look at the practice he wanted to continue. The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedure A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg with forceps. (Remember this is a live baby) B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal. C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head. D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole. E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed. God help him. There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law. Think about this: you can't give a kid an aspirin without parental notification but that same kid can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane. There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years. Obama tells us he has good judgment but he sat under Jeremiah Wright teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright's sermons. I wonder why now? Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 'Go and make disciples of all nations.' This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to think like you, walk like you, talk like you believe what you believe etc. The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him? Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets that said they have a [/color]1. Commitment to the White Community 2. Commitment to the White Family 3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic 4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community . 5. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions 6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the White Value System 7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System. Would you support a President who went to a church like that? Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets of Obama's former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al would have been marching outside. This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20 years and just discovered he went to a racist church. The church can't be about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the whole world. A church can't have a value system based on race. The churches value system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if its a white church or a black church it's still wrong. Anyone from either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote. Obama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian James Cone, author of the 1970 book A Black Theology of Liberation. Cone once wrote: 'Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. Cone is the man Obama's mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this? So what does all this mean for the nation? In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing - judgment. Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king. First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 'Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.' Then God says 1 Samuel 1:18 ' When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.' 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.' 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, 'Listen to them and give them a king.' Here is what we know for sure. God is not schizophrenic He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain. As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God. Maybe I am the one not hearing but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it. For all my friends who are voting for Obama can you really look God in the face and say; Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four supreme court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy. I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama's positions. Finally I have two questions for all my liberal friends. Since we know someone's value system has to be placed on the nation, 1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation. 2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation? Blessings, Huntley Brown

If it were McCain who had associations with a domestic terrorist and cop-killer, Dems would be screaming bloody murder. Even if McCain downplayed the associations in order to get elected. If it were McCain who sat under a radical hater of blacks and this nation, Dems and blacks would be screaming bloody murder. Even if McCain had stopped his association with this minister in order to get elected. Everyone's mind is on the economy, and they're buying the BS that Republicans, namely Bush, are at fault. Even though Republicans haven't been in control of the House and Senate for quite some time. National Security isn't an issue. Iraq isn't an issue, for most. If we were to have some sort of terrorist attach right now, I believe McCain would win in a landslide. Which is the more important, long term issue? The economy, or national security? The economy will come back, regardless of who is in office. It may come back slower, and maybe not as much, under Obama, but it will come back. The President doesn't control the economy...he can affect it with his actions, but doesn't control it. I wonder what Biden meant when he said that if Obama is elected, he will be tested. Was he admitting that Obama doesn't seem to be a strong national security candidate? His quote is below... "Mark my words. Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy. And he's gonna have to make some really tough - I don't know what the decision's gonna be, but I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it's gonna happen. I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate. And he's gonna need help. And the kind of help he's gonna need is, he's gonna need you, not financially to help him, we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right. Because all these decisions, all these decisions, once they're made if they work, then they weren't viewed as a crisis. If they don't work, it's viewed as you didn't make the right decision, a little bit like how we hesitated so long dealing with Bosnia and dealing with Kosovo, and consequently 200,000 people lost their lives that maybe didn't have to lose lives. It's how we made a mistake in Iraq. We made a mistake in Somalia. So there's gonna be some tough decisions. They may emanate from the Middle East. They may emanate from the sub-continent. They may emanate from Russia's newly-emboldened position because they're floating in a sea of oil." Why? Because Obama isn't strong on national security. McCain is. The world isn't going to test McCain. They know what they're getting with him. They don't with Obama (nor do we). God help us all.

Personally, I can't imagine any business-minded entrepreneur favoring a ticket whose head thinks it is important to "spread the wealth around" and whose VP nominee thinks it is patriotic to want to pay more taxes. I can't imagine any sensible person voting for someone who could sit under the likes of Jeremiah Wright for 20 years and not have a problem with the hatred he spews. I can't imagine any freedom-minded person voting for someone who thinks clinging to God and guns is a problem. I have no problem with his being black, I don't think he's a terrorist, though his associations show either very poor judgement or a very self-serving dishonesty. I don't think he's muslim, though I don't know that. I really don't think he thinks much of God, and his position on abortion shows that he doesn't know much about God. I simply think he's got a socialistic agenda for this county, and I think he's not qualified nor experienced enough to be President. If He wins this November, God help us all.

Well let's hope this poll is a good sampling of what the real vote will be.... I doubt it, however. Too many people wanting to vote themselves a check from all those evil rich people...they want free health care...free this and free that. Interesting to see how small (and a few not so small) business owners vote. 2 to 1 for McCain.