Mike Williamson

I wasn't referring to you. If you notice in my post, I quoted someone, and that someone wasn't you! :) Sorry for the misunderstanding. What I see as misleading is telling a homeowner that if they don't hire you (not referring to Jim Carroll), then they risk getting a contractor who will sue them for everything they own. This, despite the fact that the "tool" you're using to con them is totally useless to you, as the business owner (assuming you have no employees). I just have a problem with someone who says "Every legitimate contractor has WC insurance" and then goes on to describe how they use this totally useless (to them as the owner and only worker) insurance to convince a customer to hire them, since they are protecting the customer by having insurance they couldn't use even if they WERE hurt on the job. Please note: Any usage of the words "you", "your", "your'n", "you'se", or "y'all" is in no way referring to Jim Carroll.;)

Roof cleaning job in Brunswick, GA for anyone interested. Approx 4400sf, ranch style.

Excellent point! I would say that it depends on what you're looking to learn. KEC, wood, yes. Housewashing, not necessarily. I think Sunbrite has a housewashing class coming up that would be good, if you were within reasonable driving distance, since it is only $39.00 I believe.

In the middle of the night? Hell, I've done it in the middle of the day (only on the backside if there aren't any houses visible!).

Or more, for the big jobs...problem is, most guys aren't doing the big jobs, and are doing residential roofs at $200.00 on up.

I figured as much...Just messing with you. You've been too quiet around here lately.

Hey, Don! Why is your exemption certificate listed as non-construction? Pressure washing is a construction related industry, per the folks who determine such! That's why so many of us had to incorporate 2 1/2 years ago! Do you have a policy listed under a different name, or is it just the exemption cert?

So what you're saying is that in order to be legitimate, you must buy insurance that won't benefit you or the customer one bit? Not only that, you are saying that since you must buy this insurance that you aren't required to have, don't need, and can't benefit from, simply to be legitimate, then you'll mislead the customer into thinking that as the business owner, you will be barred from suing them for an injury that occured on their property, simply because you purchased insurance that you can't benefit from? Very strange.

Yep, I saw a pressure washing contractor pulling his trailer with a car once....

Just be careful hiring friends, even very very good friends that you trust completely. This type of situation has ruined more than one friendship (I know from personal experience!) If you do go this route, just make sure EVERYTHING is spelled out very very clearly in extreme detail as far as what's expected of each of you, etc.

Yep, you just need your chems in a portable container.

I don't think I've ever had a residential customer complain about using their water. As you say, it is just expected. I have had condo owners complain when I've used their water to clean for the association. I'll usually just switch to another unit, or offer them a couple dollars. Usually when they realize that the hour or two that I was hooked up to their water cost them less than 20 cents, they stop complaining. Here, we pay about .30 per 1000 gallons (water and sewer charge).

Check your air filter, and your oil level. I had a similar problem, other than the smoke, and it turned out to be an oil saturated air filter, from overfilling the oil earlier that day.

That's why they don't put those stickers on the car. LOL. You'd be surprised how much of your Ford comes from elsewhere!

I really don't think it matters anymore what brand of car you buy. They're all made in part here and in part elsewhere. Do you really think that some of my Dodge truck didn't come from other countries, manufactured and assembled there? American automakers have outsourced stuff to other countries, and automakers from other countries manufacture some cars here. If you want American made, buy a Honda. LOL

You must do some serious washing from the tank! I rarely have to depend on my tank at all. 600 gallons would be nice on a couple jobs I've done, but all the rest of the time that hugs tank (or tanks) would just take up trailer space!

If you fill the tank at home the night before, how does it cost more to haul your own water, other than a little more gas? It actually saves the time of running your hose to the spigot and rolling it back up. Of course, that's if you can wash a house on one tank.

Actually, you use a truck and/or trailer to haul the water, so there's really no reason to get weary hauling water! :)

Was this back when you were working as a salesman for a pressurewashing company? If I remember correctly, you were just debating getting into the business and going full time a little over three years ago, about the same time I did.

I'll betcha Ron ********** has a bit of a different experience with commercial property management. I believe that's where most of his works is generated, and he keeps several crews running day in and day out. Didn't you know before you started the contract that they were paying $95.00/store, and that you'd have to bill each store individually? And everyone knows that commercial work pays slower, for the most part. So, knowing all this going in, did you just think you would be able to finish each store in 30 minutes or something? How can it take hours to bill 40-60 stores? Once you have the billing set up, it should be a simple matter of changing dates, printing, folding, and stuffing 40-60 invoices, certainly not more than an hour's work. Did you clean them for 3, or 6 months? Not sure how you clean something for 3-6 months.

He means a mix that varies between 50% pool chlorine and 50% water, to full strength pool chlorine. Yes, downstreaming is injecting the mix into the hose, which will dilute it even more, usually at a ratio between 5:1 and 20:1, depending on the injector and machine.

Me too. The only places I have to use the wand to cut in are areas where there is a border to the concrete, or around the garage door, etc. If it's just a flower bed, I just overlap the surfacer 1/4" or so into the flower bad. Never had a problem yet!

The Whirl-away was the first surfacer I ever used. It worked well for a floater, and if that's all a guy can afford, then it sure beats wanding. I wanded the first concrete job I ever got, and that was the last concrete job I ever wanded! Thank God someone loaned me a surfacer for the next concrete job I had! Even if you have to settle for a cheaper model, it will pay for itself the first few jobs.

Get some lower pressure tips. I never use the full pressure tips. 1000psi should do just fine for cutting in on concrete or brick, and will make less mess!

No info on that unit, but I do know that you get what you pay for!