PressurePros

who manufactures the siding?

Take this as food for thought as well. Our post-industrial economy is based upon service for several reasons. One of the main being the cost of labor. Unions, while regal in their inception, have driven the cost of semi and unskilled labor beyond the scope of many manufacturer's financial labor resource. What is the first thing that happens? Importing parts from other countries to cut costs. It continues on a downward spiral until yet another factory closes down. We are business owners. Many complain about being unable to compete because of unlevel playing fields. How would you like to be a manufacturer with a $50,000 weekly payroll and have Walmart come in and offer you a 5% gross margin on your product? Payroll is always a company's largest overhead. Obviously that is the first place you would look to trim. Immigrants provided cheap labor for turn of the century manufacturing. Those immigrants then, generation by generation bettered themselves by starting service oriented businesses or becoming educated and shifting to higher paying professional service providers. Guess what? That leaves a gap in the minimum wage segment. And guess who fills those positions? Is it the American guy that is over extended with a huge mortgage and all the toys of pseudo opulence? Of course not, it is going to be a person that by hierchal economy scale has nothing and is willing to work his way up. (ie immigrants) I know this focus is on illegals and that everyone would probably agree (at least in a public forum) that the concern is on non resident aliens. Then why focus on the daunting task of ebbing the flow of border crossing with militant effort? Focus the money spent on border patrol to enforcing labor laws. If there is nowhere for an illegal Mexican to go work without a Social Security number and a green card, then they will stop coming.

How far north are you willing to go?

You sayin New Orleans Americans gave y'all some trouble? ;-)

I have yet to find a company that would give you a 40% deposit (any deposit for that matter)

wanna buy it? I can check UPS for a shipping rate.

No kidding, that little guy on the infomercial is a strong little SOB.

I love it when I can get on the course. I still suck at it after 20 years of playing but it's fun. I had a buddy that was a natural athlete and the first time he swung a club he drove almost 150 yards without a bounce. Me, I had to hire a golf pro to show me technique. I've never been formally handicapped so I'm not sure what my number would be. I generally shoot about 93.

There is no one size fits all solution. I use a landscaper to maintain my property. Its a family operation, no ethnic worker has ever come to my house. Thats not why I chose this company. My parents used the father and now the sons and cousins do all the work. But just about every other company in the area has Mexicans doing everything. So what? Are you going to pay $75 to have your lawn done every week? If that was the going rate, I'd buy a riding mower. So would many of my neighbors. Now we just put a local business owner out of business. Who does that help? Live and let live. There are plenty of opportunities for me to make money in this great country. How can you blame a person for wanting to come to this country and escape the plight they live in? Every father wants a better life for his sons and daughters. Most Mexican immigrants work very hard. When I hired them in the past they had to have a SS# and I took taxes from their wages. Did they work for less? Not really. Maybe a dollar or two an hour. I wasn't running a national conglomerate that employed a thousand people so my competitors couldn't complain I had an unfair advantage. If a guy is running an illegal operation and using all non-resident aliens then he will get his, one way or the other. It is not for me to waste time or emotion trying to make things right. Let God sort that stuff out.

President turned out to be a super guy.. a chemist so of course I had to go into chem talk with him, but it was nice not having to break things down and use words like sodium metasilicate without a blank stare. He actually gave me some very cool information about hydrogen and sodium. My wheels are truning, anyway..back to topic. I did half. Not one to miss a marketing opportunity I printed some "wet paint" signs with my name and logo on them. You won't confuse them with a Keith Bruce design but they did the trick. This should have taken me two hours tops including tinting Tux, finding power etc. Took me three because I must have been stopped at least 12 times and asked to give 7 estimates for various homeowners that drove by. I should have just gathered them all up and did them at once but i like to capture an audience while I have it. Ryan, they would need to have an ambulance in the parking lot on call. I met just about every homeonwer today and they were all over 70. Very friendly.. though, I got asked to do everything from paint a door to change a lightbulb lol.

I was only teasing about the bridgeway. I just got off the phone with the president, he says he is fine with half and half and having a dry line.

Explosive? I know a few decks I'd like to try this on. :lildevil:

Dave, good idea. Christine has been paying $80 (!!!!) for half full bottles of this perfume she loves on ebay. The stuff was $40 when it was on the market.

One thing I should have added. Some of the people that live in this complex are OLD. And when I say old think shuffling feet and gripping the rails for dear life. I tell people to stay off their deck for 24 hours. I am meeting with the president pror to sealing this one. I dropped the ball on this one. I may have to make him sign a waiver. I'm just glad there are two sets of steps. I will have to do half and half. This may be a job for Ready Seal.

If the sealer is less thana year old, not peeling and is totally intact you could just clean it with bleach and soap.

Is that a reference to my Dungeons and Dragons wallpaper?

LOL, Chewy says HELLO.

J, Starrr Warrrrrssss oh them starr warrsss

Maybe I am wrong and obviously we need someone with a chemistry background but when you mix sodium hypochlorite with an acid don't you get deadly chlorine gas?

Not a bona fide BH, but I'll add my peanut gallery comments. I remember some other touching on this topic in a previous thread. It's interesting. I wonder how you buffer the two to keep from reacting? To any newbie reading this, do NOT add bleach and acid together haphazardly. Inhaling the gas released is fatal.

Yes RAD is division of PP, Inc called RAD Systems. I am in the process of trademarking the name but it looks like I may have to incorporate separately because of name conflict.

It does depend upon your states laws. In Pa, I can d/b/a as many entities as I want under my corporate umbrella. Grease Pirates is an excellent name too ;-) When you become a multi million dollar conglamorate, CISCO will break your aggies.

Enough to apply another 5%. hahaha... credit where credit is due, Paul. You'll do well. PS: I got your message about those other products as well. Thank you.

Mineral spirits are petroleum based thus subject to degreasers. But seriously, try the brushing in of laundry detergent (something formulated for removing grease from clothes) You could also try OxyClean. This lady needs to pay you. Begin all of your documentation. When you talk to her, conversation content etc. Hand her your final bill and subtract $50. Let her know along with the invoice that you are going above and beyond by offering her the discount, that you have offerred solutions and she will accept none of them. If she refuses to pay, walk away. From there drive to the local courthouse and learn what form you have to fill out to file a lien against her property. Send her the invoice again, this time with a registered letter stating your intent to file a lien. Warn her that you will also take her to civil court and she will be responsible for all court costs and legal fees. In two weeks follow up with a letter from your attorney. These types of people are ridiculous. She will lose very quickly in court. The courts are very hard on people whom do not pay their contractors unless they can prove the contractor was grossly negligent and made no attempt for amends. This lady will never be a reference. Who is she going to refer anyway? Her neighbors probably think she is a head case.

::Cue circus music:: :juggle: It's a driveway. Driveways get oil stains. I feel your pain, . Make sure you get tons of photos of the spot up close and from the street. Doug. I like to try the most benign and work my way up. Try sprinkling powdered laundry detergent on the spot. Moisten a broom or brush and agitate. If that doesn't work I still say you could try a mild degreaser. Yes the asphalt is petroleum based but it is not going to dissolve or have surface color you will wash away. I wish you luck, sounds like you have a unique person on your hands.