PressurePros

Cabot's now has a "wet" application sealer. I know for us guys that do wood, it seems to good to be true to be able to clean and seal in one day. I offer warranties on my work. I'd hate to think I would be spending season 2006 redoing the work from 2005. Any input? I love Cabot's products and swear by them. Here is a link, the product is not on the market yet. http://www.cabotstain.com/pdf/tds/3600_3700_3800_tds.pdf

Beth, forum looks great! Hi woodies, long time, no see!

Who is using and X-Jet and who is using downstreaming for res. housewashing? Why do you prefer one method over the other?

Homeowner has ipe work that needs TLC. My network, unfortunately falls short of covering that area. (unless Tom/ACR services wood?). This is a fairly decent sized project but too far out for us to handle. I've cut my forum tours down so i don't get over to TGS often. If you are interested, please email me at pressurepros at maildotcom. Title the email appropriately so I spot it. Thank you in advance. While I appreciate the offer from someone willing to help, if you haven't done ipe before, this is not a training project.

Thanks, Rick. I'll let Tom know. Its a spring project.

This is an article on yahoo finance today. Interesting article that may make some people think. After reading it, now I know I am way better off being NOT behind a wand. (or designing websites) ____________________________________________________________ by Penelope Trunk The Brazen Careerist I'm not a perfectionist. In fact, when I painted my walls I didn't paint near the windows because I didn't want to do the detail work. When I accidentally address an envelope upside down, I don't get a new envelope. You know what? Doing those things hasn't made my life any worse. It hasn't made me unhappy, and it's freed me up to do other things besides worry about if what I do is perfect. A Lack of Perfection = Perfection I have a good eye for how well something has to be done in order to accomplish what I need to accomplish, and it's one of my favorite traits about myself. The good that comes from a lack of perfection is that I can set a lot of goals for myself because I get them done. Here are the reasons I can't stand perfectionists: • Perfectionists procrastinate because they're scared of not being perfect. • Perfectionists are hypercritical to the point that they can't support people around them. • Perfectionists can't finish a project because they can always think of a way to improve it. • Perfectionists are phony, because no one's perfect and they can't handle showing that in themselves. Four Steps to Imperfection Here are four things to think about if you're letting perfectionism dictate your life: 1. You get more done if you don't sweat the details. My disdain for details started when I looked around at all the people who are disappointed with their lives. For the most part, these are people who wish they'd done something that they didn't do for fear of failure. In the worst cases, these people have whole lists of such things. Then I saw a bumper sticker that read, "What would you do if failure were not an option?" When I went through my own list of what I would do, I decided that if I stopped worrying about failure I'd be able to do a lot more. So I started focusing on just getting stuff done instead of getting it done perfectly. Details fell by the wayside. I also noticed that once I stopped worrying about doing something perfectly, I didn't have nearly as much reason for procrastination. It's easy to start something if you tell yourself that getting it done 70 percent perfect (as opposed to 100 percent) is OK. Believe it or not, in most cases 70 percent perfect is fine for what we do. The trick is to balance fearlessness with attention to detail and understand when you need to concentrate on each. 2. You do better work if you aren't worried about perfection. Here's a story I heard from Alexander Kjerulf, who was talking about David Bayles's book "Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking": A ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of the work they produced. All those on the right would be graded solely on their works' quality. His procedure was simple: On the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the quantity group; 50 pound of pots rated an A, 40 pounds a B, and so on. Those being graded on quality, however, needed to produce only one pot -- albeit a perfect one -- to get an A. At grading time, the works with the highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the quantity group was busily churning out piles of work -- and learning from their mistakes -- the quality group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of clay. Think about this in your own life, even if you're not using clay. The more you practice, the better you'll get. But you can't practice if you think only of perfection. Practice is about making mistakes; perfection comes from imperfection. 3. Working the longest hours doesn't mean you're doing the best work. Usually, the hardest worker in an office is a perfectionist. This begs a few questions: Why does this person need to work harder than everyone else? Is she slow? Is she stupid? Is she avoiding her home life? The people working the hardest are usually stuck on getting all the details perfect, but they've lost sight of one of the most important things -- which is that you look desperate if you work more hours than everyone else. The person working the hardest looks incompetent, either at managing their workload or at managing their family life. Of course, you don't want to work the least number of hours, either. But you want to fall somewhere in between. People who work very long hours are inefficient and sometimes get so little sleep that they're performing at the level of a drunkard at work. So cut back your hours, and even if you do things with less attention to detail in order to get them done faster, they might actually get done better because you have a better handle on the time in your life. 4. Stop procrastination by stopping perfectionism. One of the biggest productivity problems is procrastination. And one of the biggest contributors to procrastination is the feeling that we need to do something perfectly. The key to ending procrastination in your life is to be honest about what you're really doing with your time and energy. Look closely at why you've made the bar so high that you can't even start. Procrastination can only flourish in a situation where perfection is so clearly demanded and so intrinsically impossible that inaction seems preferable to action. So be honest with yourself about why being perfect is so important to you. Perfectionism doesn't make people happy, and often makes them nutcases. And remember those clay pots -- they represent all the creativity and excitement you could unleash if you'd let the attention to detail slip a little.

I have seen guys say they use powered reels. I'm sure they are a nicety but how much do they cost? This is one my local place has for sale. REMOTE CONTROLLED POWER REWIND REEL - 300 FT. 3/8 IN HOSE CAPACITY

We are doing a deck this morning and my guy says, "I smell Chinese food" I just gave a little half smile and went about spraying. Then I smelled it too. We were using the new forumlation Cabot's Aussie Oil. I definitely recognized the smell.. someone must be cooking with peanut oil. About an hour goes buy and I happen to look over at a pile of oily rags we had piled. Sure enough smoke is coming off of them. I used a stick to pick them up and they were maybe two minutes from bursting into flames. I have never experienced a spontaneous combustion outdoors. I looked at my helper and said to him "Now you know why I am always on your a** about leaving rags in the truck". Scary Stuff.

Today is the final prep and seal commence on a deck I posted about last week. Strong chem mix, extended dwell time factored with varying thickness of prior sealer on an extremely soft variation of cedar has resulted in a pretty fuzzy deck. This thing is no baby at 1500 elevated square feet. So I have my work cut out for me To what level do you guys get into getting rid of this look?

Are the TWP products penetrating or film forming? Also, is it advisable to put multiple coats on of this stuff to achieve a slight sheen (I already think I know the answer) The reason I ask is this: A customer has asked me to put finish on her deck that was recently completed. Her contractor completely brainwashed her into using TWP and told her it is possible to achieve "furniture finish" building up multiple coats.

In an effort to tighten ship I am breaking down my profits on each aspect of my business. Today is deck day. I have a year under my belt in residential wood care. I love the gratification/satisfaction of seeing an old weathered deck become like new, but as this is a business not a hobby I have some concerns regarding my profit margins. Here is my question based upon a theoretical scenario: You get called to do a bid.. 1) Deck is covered with mold/mildew 2) Drip test confirms old finish is still in tact so it needs to be stripped. Besides, customer wants to change from dark finish to something lighter. 3) Measurements are 20'x20' surface, 70 LF rail, 4 steps standard riser/tread 4) One coat sealer sprayed on and brushed 5) Residence is a row home with very close adjoining neighbors, so overspray is not an option. Where would your bid come in? Please include your zip code so I can see the varying rates across the country. Understanding that some may choose not to post pricing here in the open, feel free to PM me or perhaps just include how many hours total this job would take you including all the prep. Thanks in advance.

It hasn't been a good week for the Dems.

If the deck beads the product rocks!

That's the thing you were telling me about?

Its the government. It can and will change the rules at random to suit its needs. Your point is 100% accurate.

Tom, we can handle a 20" storm (they are rare). If we were to get another large storm or two before this one melted, I think they dump the snow into the river.

Been comin' down since 3 am here. Looks about 20 inches on my vehicles that haven't moved since yesterday.

John, I learned that lesson. The homeowner signs the contract. It doesn't eliminate your risk but if the person tried to make settlement within 65 days of the wash and they haven't paid, I will be at the closing with lien in hand. "3000 SQF EIFS/Stucco, 20x20 deck, and 75' driveway, 30' walkway, roof blown off, but not washed.. My bid was $396." Wow.. If you got beat at those rates its time to find a new source of job leads. Obviously your discounts do not make them loyal to you.

no pictures no idea of your experience no idea of your overhead no idea of the degree of difficulty no idea what type of equipment you have There is no possible way anyone can give you a price.

he might have an inch. laugh it up Jose.. you are my south of the border stunt double.

Scott, I may regret this but... Custom Bobblehead, Personalized Bobbleheads, Bobblehead Doll, Groomsmen Gifts & Wedding Cake Toppers & Top

Rob, You can fill in as my stunt double! We're dancing around it, but we got something here.

Now that Billy Mays Hayes has passed on, there needs to be a new pitchman to take his place. HI ! RONNIE ********** HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE MOST IMPORTANT PRODUCT I HAVE EVER ENDORSED!

Rick, check out this ipe lattice.. all custom (obviously). I cannot even imagine the weight. Sorry about the thread hijack.

I've been lucky enough to not have a pond anywhere near a jobsite. Looks like the bottom line is.. Add the cost of replacing a full pond of fish into your proposal or pass on the job. I just read that even if you have some insect repellant on your hand (such as OFF™) and touch the water, you can kill the fish. That be some sensitive fishies. I can't even keep a plant for more than two weeks without killing it. I officially ban myself from ever owning or building a koi pond.