CompletelyClean

Same rain problems here in the Detroit region. I was able to seal 6 decks and a fence on Saturday...finally! I have a lot of decks lined up but didn't want to strip them until I got caught up with the bare decks first. I also wash houses, flatwork, etc. Problem is, with allthe rain, my phone hasn' been ringing too much for house washes. People are NOT out in their yards, noticing the filth and whatnot because it has been RAINING!!!!!! I'm thinking of getting into the other side of the woodcare business...Arc Building!

The keyword in MHPoole's comment regarding Penofin being a superior product must be "Northwest". I watch Penofin go from beautiful cedar color to dark brown to almost-black in just one season here in the Midwest. I watched my neighbor put it on a new cedar fence (after washing AND neutralizing) just last June. I'll have to take a picture sometime soon and show you how dark the bottom 3 feet are already with thetop half catching up real quick. Weird how geography plays in the lifespan of sealers!

How many of you replace boards on decks that have rotted? What kind of formula do you use for your rates? I have been getting a few of these requests on recent estimates and I'm thinking of just charging an hourly rate? Maybe $80/hr plus material cost with a one hour minimum for traveling time. Thoughts...comments?

Doug, read the first two replies to your initial inquiry again. It CANNOT be cleaned "properly". I get several calls for aluminum siding, as well. I have a garage (not for long) with 15+ year old white aluminum siding on it. PERFECT for testing different pressures/chemicals to get a nice, clean sided garage. Guess what...the back of my garage looked like Baghdad after I got done with it. Mind you, I tried EVERY method I have ever heard of from EVERY contractor on EVERY pressure washing BBS and all I got was CRAP. Aluminum siding was promoted as "maintenance free". Well, the aluminum is pretty much maintenance free, but the PAINT isn't. Now, if you come across aluminum that has been repainted (properly) and there is little to zero oxidation...THAT is washable with cold water and your favorite house wash mix.

Hnery, I'm REALLY glad I posted this thread...that's not a bad idea, at all. In fact, I think I may use that formula! I like it! 8 feet of board = $40 and may only take 10 minutes to replace and 20 minutes to swing by HD or Lowes to pick up. FYI...I had already told the homeowners that they need to tell me which boards they wanted replaced.

Had to measure one today (200 linear feet x 6' high). How much are you guys charging for these type of fences? Also, is it usually a harder sell since the homeowner must have BOTH sides sealed on this type of fence?

Thanks, Tony. I really didn't care whether I got this job or not. I don't feel there is much money to be made from this type of project, s i bid it at $1 PER s.f. I mentionedthe cost factors, etc. Of course, they declined. I will be washing their pool patio, though because of my photos in my portfolio (if you don't have a portfolio, get one!). I also told them they would be better off doing it themselves, and I gave them the proper instructions for doing so. They appreciated my honesty and still gave me some work, so everyone is happy. Thanks again.

How long should my burner keep heating my water? I have been doing a lot of flatwork inside auto repair shops. After about 3 hours of continuous cleaning with my Steel Eagle surface cleaner, my water gets cold for a looong time. I know there is an internal thermostat to cool down the burner but how long should it take before it heats up again? Would it help if I shut off the burner or the whole unit for a few minutes? You can REALLY notice the streaks in the concrete when the water suddenly turns cold, i.e. it isn't cleaning as well. Also, what are you guys using for fuel for your burners...diesel, kerosene, fuel oil? A PW'er mechanic told me that #1 fuel oil keeps the coils cleaner longer.

I haven't hadto use my surface cleaner longer than 1-2 hours since that post. I have a 3+ hour job tonight, though. I'll let you know if I have the problem and if loosening the gas cap helps. Stay tuned...

Tony, I have stained just one side of a stockade fence before and didn't have any problems with the sealer "wrapping" around the boards. Would that be the case ith shadowbox? It sure seems like when I spray at an angle to get the board behind the two in front of you, the sealer will be landing on the opposite side of the fence or wrapping around the boards as it soaks in. Have you (or anyone else) ever sealed just one side of a shadowbox? I would be happy to just do one side if that's what they wanted, but I don't feel it would be possible to do this and keep the stain off the other side. Maybe I'm wrong.

By the way...the fene is a 1 year old cedar with no previous treatment. I would be looking at cleaning, brightening, and sealing. Forgive me for not mentioning this in the first post...I'm dog-a$$ed tired!

I stripped (Thompsons) from this deck on Tuesday and neutralized it. We had rain Tuesday night (a lot). Stopped by to check moisture on Wednesday and the highest perentage I got was 9% in a few areas. My question is this...if the battery needs to be replaced in the moisture meter, will it give a lower reading than what is actually true? I will be replacing the battery anyway, but I'm curious if that's what it REALLY is. The grey areas were not damp to the touch, yet looked like they were damp and they measured at 9%. I wonder if I'll need to bleach these areas if it's not the meter?

I changed the battery and went back to the job. The readings were around 9% before battery change and 10-12% after. So, I put a little water on some of the grey...soaked right in, no beading whatsoever. So...I used a SS brush and scrubbed those areas to see if there was some deadwood there. Voila, off it came and I was able to stain the deck today 12 hours before the thundershowers arrived. I would show you the pics, but in the course of changing batteries, etc. I forgot my memory card for the digital. I'll be taking some pics next week. This neighborhood has been keeping me busy with people asking for estimates and landing a few of them, too. Gotta love when that happens!

Just curious...anyone know WHY the cleaners (percarbs) have sucha short life span once mixed? Once mixed isn't it only good for a few hours at most?

Positive they are not fuzzies. I felt the areas with my hand tosee if it was damp. I'll be replacing batteries and re-checking.

I think I'll lower my rate by $5/hr to be in line with The Reedster Schmeedster. Ther eyou have it folks, $75/hr + material. Anyone need some boards replaced??? Dave O??? lOL

Looks like the economy IS turning around what with all the deposits being made on my truck and Tony's decks! I of course, have employed Tony's method of poop removal, but I will try D.J.'s suggestion today (if there's poop on the decks).

James, I do not use a contract, either. I have some verbage on the back of my estimates that basically says, "Blah Blah Blah". I am a little more modern than you however, in that I put my estimates on a form. I'm liking the pizza box idea, though. One more excuse to order a pizza!

Another question regardng high pressure hose...if the hole is near an end of the hose, can it be fixed,i.e. cut off and taken to a ipe supply shop and have nw fittings put on the end? Is this cost effective or is it cheaper to just buy a new one?

Sure would make it easier to wash the sphynx. You wouldn't need it for the pyramids since they have built-in stairs.

OK, the REAL question...has anyone actually tried or witnessed any of this stuff after it's been applied? Does it hold up?

What is the active ingrediant in F-13? Why did the mixture with bleach explode?

Interesting! D.J. (Diamond Jim), would this method, using 1 coat of RS clear adthen a 2nd coat of RS Natural Cedar be recommended for a 6 year old cedar deck that has never been treated?

I have an epoxy paint on my floor and 12" up the side of the walls for added protection.

Take a look at the newer brick patches on these repair jobs. What chem(s) would you say would be the best to wash the older brick to get them CLOSER to a match. Notice the key word in CAPS, please. If you suggest a Prosoco product, please tell me which product you have had experience with that will really clean up this blonde brick. The house was built in 1965 and I'm certain it has NEVER been washed properly, if ever at all.