Steve Small

Just a quick note. Don't assume just because a trailer is attached to your commercial covered vehicle that your trailer is covered. I thought so too, until I was corrected by my agent.

Hey Tmrrptr: Man it sure sounds like that you guys were not protected properly. You guys should have had Air puriying respirators not surgical mask, Tyvex suits air scrubbers, and a clean up area as well as showers. Whenever you are doing that type of work generally these are high cost and paying jobs. You should have been given proper training as well. Mold is nothing to mess with unless properly protected and trained. If you are protected properly you should not have experienced the problems that you experienced, unless it was some other medical conditions. Good Luck and I hope you re feeling better.

With regard to Mold if you have a problem with mold, first find the source of the water, or moisture and FIX it NOW!!!! Sometimes with regard to a damp basement Dryloc or similiar product the walls. Invest in a dehumidifier NOW. I am surprised that a simple purchase of a dehumidifier can be the answer to preventing a mold problem. Another issue that was written is someone mentioned Mold claims, you had better check your insurance policy, NOT Covered (most of the time) now water damage generally is, check your policy. I have posted in all three sections under mold different responses for each because I feel there is alot of misinformation out there. The biggest thing I can say is go get educated. A good mold assessment/evaluation course is a minimum of 2 days. A good remediation course should be atleast 4-5 days. There are two different courses.Don't skimp on those single day course they are worthless. Get educated about mold and good luck.

Please Please Please get training before attempting mold remediation. Dry blasting is just one of many ways to remove mold. I could go on about mold remediation. I have yet to see any one talking about testing and clearance procedures. I will Just say this one more time this is NOT a Simple task nor is it a DIY task.

To all of you out there thinking about mold removal, you are crazy to do this without proper training. Many times people think oh how hard can it be to pw, we see the DIY people and they have no clue. The same thing goes for mold testing and remediation. I have taken a course and became certified in mold testing and assessment. It entails more than using bleach, tsp or some other product. Mold remediation is a complex issue. 1st your liability insurance probably DOES NOT cover mold remediation, generally those policies start at about 5k per year with 1 million dollars worth of coverage. Improper cleaning can actually cause further harm and worsen the problem. Many times Tyvex suits, respirators, air scrubbers, encapsulating the area to be cleaned must be done. Pre clean up testing of the air, or surface through air sampling, tape lifting or settled dust sampling MUST be done prior and after to verify a proper clean up. You will need Relative humidity readings, moisture meters, video/pictures prior and after as well as an assortment of other tools. If you fail to do these things how do you know its been cleaned up. Why do they have mold in the first place? Was there a flood, pipe burst, just plain old elevated levels of humidity, and no dehumidifiers present and working? How many of you know how many types of mold there are and what is molds food source.How many of you know what humidity levels mold begins to grow flourish ect and what levels does it not grow at? Do the owners have a drainage problem on the outside of the house? If the problem is not taken care of first I would WALK.Plain and simple folks this is not a DIY job. What is your liability if the job is NOT done right. So before you go and accept a mold remediation job ask yourself some of these questions. I am not trying to burst any ones bubble, I am just trying to prevent a big headache. If you don't know the answer to these questions you should not be doing mold remediation.

With regard to gutter covers/guards I install Waterfall gutterguards and have found them to be an excellent ad on to my business at $5.00-$6.00/ft installed. I would have to agree if anyone has the mesh gutteruards that you can purchase at your local home center, run and run fast. Those guards are the biggest pain in the butt and many times, with those type of guards they are installed improperly by the home owner. I find gutter guards atleast the Waterfall to be a good product with good results. The only problem I have had with this product is at the end of the gutter there is a opening, and I have had birds build a nest, other than that I have not had any problems.

Hey Beth: Doing well, I slowed the business down, my wife and I just had a baby on June 12, 2007, and I wanted to spend time with them. Actually I was cleaning a roof when my wife called to tell me she was in labor so we had to hurry up and Finish.(LOL). My family is more important than washing houses and decks. So its been a couple of weeks and I am now back in the full swing of things and all is well. I had customers call and I told them my situation and many of them were understanding and said they would wait.

I have done substanial warranty work for Trex, and I have found a STIFF Brush and 6% bleach and the composite deck cleaner from PSC-Solutions. Keep in mind you usually have to do 2 washes.I have actually on a few occassions taken the brush off of the handle and scrubbed it on my hands and knees. The deck should no longer have spots when its wet.If you still have spots when its wet, re-wash. When the Trex deck dries apply one of the PSC-Solutions after-care products.

For all of you using respirators keep in mind you and your employees must be fit test for wearing a mask, as required by 29CFR 1910.134. No exceptions. Also keep in mind per the regulation about facial hair.

John: I would walk, I wouldn't touch this siding at all. First and foremost be honest with the customer tell them you are are not interested in doing the job. Explain to the customer the reasons why you aren't willing to do the job. You can't gurantee results, and the end result will probably be less than desirable. An additional consideration why I wouldn't do this job is the home owner may understand the end result may be bad, but what about the people that drive by, see your truck, take note of your company and then drive by later and see a crappy result. You probably won't be getting any jobs from that neighborhood. Steven M. Small Liberty pressure Wash, LLC

Try using a soap nozzle, you won't have the problem with the high pressure, it seems to work for me.

Lou: You may want to look at Ebay. They usually have some hot water units listed. Steve Small Liberty Pressure Wash, LLC Frederick, MD

Celeste: I would have to seriously disagree with you about using used ambulances. I have ridden in ambulances for almost twenty years and Most are not maintained as well as one would think.There are other issues as well you should figure about 3:1 mileage meaning multiply X 3 the miles on a unit. Ambulances,Fire engines Idle ALOT, on the scene at many hospitals as well as just sitting on the street depending on the system. Now if you were talking a new unit I would say yes, but many many hidden problems with used ambulances.