PressurePros

Because OxyClean is made for laundry. EFC-38 is made to clean wood and strip failing stain.

I was gonna leave this alone. Jim, I don't neccessarily agree with everything you say or do but I respect you as a person and I hope you can make things work. I know you have been facing some health issues. I'll shoot up a few prayers in your name. I have to address the "businessman" comment because I take that personally. A businesman strides to get away from being a technician in his business. A businessman understands that a business makes him money and provides for his family. Yes it helps to like what you do but keeping that mentality that you, as the owner, can be the only one that can give quality is where Jim finds himself today. It would be a real shame to see someone that has lasted this long have to throw in the towel. This business is not real profitable. As one man show with summer help its a meager living at best. A guy that treats every deck like a one-off masterpiece is likely to end a paid hobbyist. To each his own destiny.

OxyClean is for laundry, Tambasco! Whats on there? looks water borne?

My long term goals are always being modified but I really got into this to turn it into a franchise operation. There have been some bumps but I still have my eye on that target.

The roving wood man. Good morning Rick, and you to Michael and Paul (I see ya down there listed in this thread)

Krud Kutter (available at paint stores and some Home Depots) works like a champ. If you can get the "graffitti" version that works even better.

Hey Kevin, so you can get down a semi trans without it looking too blotchy? I don't want to tell people their deck is hopeless. I don't see Seal RX or SealMaxx in my market but I'm sure if certain distributors have their way, one or the other will be ;-)

Try some oxalic acid. If that doesn't budge them, its in the paint and won't come out.

Tony.. Its permanent. You cannot remove it. The customers have to knock it down and start agin.

Nah, I don't have an office there, I just don't know who this jhutch is.

Cody, it was a bucket filled with 3 gallons of HD-80. I had running water right next to me so it wasn't any great feat. I have scars on my rear end when I thought one day that it would be faster using a backpakpack sprayer to apply so I feel your pain.

I have an office there and we do 200 decks per year in Kansas City.

Hey Jeff, Those are the ones that I inspected in November and are due. Most just need a quick cleaning. Wood Tux holds up really well. Only about five of those stainings are two year old Wood Tux and just a light coat on the horizontals should make them look new again. I live pretty modestly Jeff. Not rich by any stretch.. definitely not what I would consider rich (which would be about five million in liquid and assets and passive earnings of 750K per year) Got a long ways to go to reach that plateau.

LOL.. My long lost deviant brother. I agre with Douglas. This guy is a long winded and self righteous. Who the hell cares that his ancestors came over on th Mayflower except maybe an Ivy League frat or the KKK? When I first got into business I contacted him and too was excited to get a response. He made a whole bunch of promises and kept up with not one of them. Steer Clear.

Long story Larry.

Collected on 6 jobs this past week, sold 11 more residential to bring the total to 17 for the next two weeks. Also have 38 wooden landings at 600 s/f each to finish for HOA. We started those last year and have to finish by May. Also have about 40 or so maintenance stainings. Calls are coming in about 2 per day with nothing but phone book, referrals and the website out there right now. April will see a post card mailing and all of my support advertising restarted I am also gonna blitz with door hangers to see what type of results I get. The famine is finally over, let the feast begin.

Kevin the X-Jet operates on a good amount of pressure. By the time it hits a wall it is not a beam per se, but at the very center is a pressure stream that can "sign" oxidized soding easily if you aren't careful. The M-5 dials out to a nicer, circular fan. When you downstream you just change tips. No on/off on downstreamer. (This post is a year old and I have switched from doing that) To shoot chems at distance you need to start with a 0 degree spread. Its leaving the nozzle at low pressure. By the time it runs 15 feet the stream spreads a bit and does not bounce off siding like you would think it might. If it is bouncing, you're too close. There are some very informative posts on here about which downstreamer is better, with how much hose DSing will work, undersizing for your machine to achieve better draw, etc. The search function should uncover some good info for you.

Larry, get out from behind that wand. Did 5 estimates, closed two houses and a deck and was home again by noon. To borrow from the liberal heathen King.. Life is GOOD.

Here is the pic of a QC on a threaded nozle. I don't have any 0 degree nozsles here, this one was in a box of my retired nozzles. Whch reminds me, I have to get around to pulling these things apart and clean them up. I'll answer your questions, or maybe others can jump in, tommorow morning.

Kevin, we all use the threaded type tips but we attach them to a quick coupler. On your machine a 0 degree #30 orifice will draw your chemical you can go as high as a #40 and still get higher than 25 feet. The designations would be 0030.0 or 0040.0 As an alternative you can quick couple a barb and use a pair of needle nose plier to put a little bend at the output end. This will introduce some agitation to the strema and help it spread a little. Start with a very slight bend. We use dual lance 4 foot wands and can get 40 feet with no difficulty. If you want to try the X-Jet pick up the M-5 version. It was mentioned also that housewashes yield a certain pay per hour. I'm not gonna revisit that but I sold two house washes (with gutter scrubbing, polymer/wax, a patio and retaining wall right next door to each other) for $800 each. One crew will do them both in one day.

Sweet, Ant. When a homeowner bothers you for the tenth straight time you can just stare at them and breath.. haaaaaaaaaaa chiiiishhhhh haaaaaaaaaaa chiiiiishhhhh. Or as an amusing alternate look them in the eye and say "La La La Luuuuke, I am your faaaatherrr"

Hack, can we get a signature from you, bro?

Jarrod, don't sweat it, man. You have to remember you are talking to a bunch of business owners. In owning a business you need a certain amount of ego. The last thing an ego wants to hear is "you are doing things wrong." Take the dissention in stride. If everyone thought you were some bragging jerk on the internet this thread would have had zero response. I am saying this as your friend. Having met you and spent countless hous on the phone with you, know that I would defend you til the end of the earth if it came to that. But, you know, when talking about egos, you have to make sure you keep your own in check. You can't expect to post something on a board and have everyone fall at your feet and worship you for it. Three or four years ago I came to these boards and said "the X-Jet is a good tool but it ain't all that". Not only did I get slammed, I got banned from a board run by a "sharp dressed man". LOL, no hard feelings. Being an innovator requires cajones. Everyone will tell you that you are a dreamer and can't do it. I appreciate your forward thinking ideas. That doesn't mean I am going to immediately change my feelings on a certain subject. When one gives me a challenge to my way of thinking they need to do so in a concise, intelligent, non confrontational manner or I tune them out. 'You catch more bees with honey' sort of thing. At midnight on Saturday of the SL Roundtable I argued with your ideas on giving estimates and scheduling jobs. As I approach higher volumes (predicting servicing 250 new customers plus my existing database of 450 this season) I am starting to come around and see your points. That's because the Jarrod I talk to on the phone or in person is not the tirading and berating guy that is posting messages. Ya feel me? Guys, they don't come any cooler than Jarrod. He is dedicated to helping and asks for nothing in return. Bro, I apologize if my posts offended you or contributed to your anger. I do it in complete jest. Take a deep breath and start again.

This is coming from a guy that wears shorts spraying full strength HD-80 and has reached into a bucket of stripper to pull out a stirring rod. Wear a respirator. I was never bleach sensitive. I used to think guys that complained about it were wimps. I'm not Mr Macho it just never bothered me. Now, even when Chrisitne is in the kitchen using a bleach based cleaner I can feel a constriction in my throat. That is the body's physiological reaction to damage. It's done. I can't reverse it. I'm out of the field now a day late and a dollar short. Don't f' around, wear the protection.

JUNK... saw decks with this stuff after one year and they look horrible. You can't strip it.