Craig

Bad idea! You will find that you are always better off on your own. I've taken on partners 3 different times and didn't learn my lesson!

How many hours on the machine?

A potential customer's house was severely burned in a fire. Our GC is gutting it down to standing wood. Basically the whole framing of the house is still OK. My question is, has anyone done fire restoration on wood? What chems can I treat it with to take out the smell and restore it? Thanks in advance. Craig

OK. So get it wet, apply with mixture of TSP and bleach? Mix how many oz/gallon and dwell time? Pressure wash cold water. Let it dry thoroughly before application of sealer? Thanks guys. Craig

Congratulations!

Credit cards are the #1 way for people in power washing to finance their business. I'd guess that everyone does it. I've been in business for 4 years and still to this day I have credit cards. They're essential. There are other ways to get money for your business though. Some good ideas are posted on www.entrepreneur.com

Listen to Jim. scarifier, grinder (with vacuum preferrably), or a small shot blaster. Go to your nearest Equipment rental outlet and they can help you. Normally you can charge 1-2 bucks a foot. Sometimes it's more. We've done removal jobs where we charged upwards of 4 bucks a foot.

The company that sold DR-60 (Dominion Restoration) has gone out of business. I'm looking to purchase as much of their DR-60 as possible. If you have some and would like to get rid of it please give me a call. Thanks Craig 760-397-7722 Cell 760-771-6305 Office

Safe Restore is pretty good, it works great at getting mineral stains out of concrete. I have 24-5 gallon buckets in storage. So I guess nobody has DR. Thanks for the replies and help.

This must be the "Babies" forum. You're alive and making money. Be happy.

Thanks Jon. I still have about 40 pounds of Oxalic left. It's a good second but it just doesn't come close to the consistant results that the DR-60 offered for me. May the Gods be with us. Rust removal brings in about 4K for us a month.

that's pretty funny

Jim, I'll check it out. I have strictly used DR-60 for rust removal. With a couple of other techniques I can on average get 90-100% of the rust out. I haven't found any other chem that could come close. Hopefully there's something out there. A $100 -5 gallon pail usually brings in over $1000 in gross. Gotta find something quick!

about 20 rigs?

Ron- how many units do you use per night to accomplish your flatwork?

Jim- you got a landa, right? Did you get the ball valve installed? If you did and do, you'll be fine. Use R-109 mixed 5oz/gallon. Don't use more than 125 degree heat unless you test it. (I think I know what this stuff is). Let me know if you need help but it should be pretty easy.

Jason, I have to agree with you that their videos are buried in my back yard. But... I also got training in Hood cleaning (good to see how it's done), building washing (over two stories), flatwork, machinery repair, laws and reg's, proper reclaim and systems to use, AWNING CLEANING-HUGE PROFITS, and tons of start up advertising flyers and other useful things. Labor for learning should be second, once the groundwork and structure is laid out and planned. It's great to be a technician, but if you don't know how to work ON your business rather than IN your business you will "OWN" a job for your lifetime. Hey Jim- It was a pleasure to have you aboard! Thanks for the props, but I will not forget where I got my start. Delco was a bit expensive but they are a huge resource and I respect them very much.

I went. It was worth it for me. After attending it took 12 short months before I hit 6 figures. If anything, meeting professionals in the business who really know the laws and cleaning procedures is priceless. Whenever I have a serious question it's nice to know I can call someone who most likely knows the answer. You can also use that little sheet of paper that says you've completed their "school" to your advantage. How many people in your area have gone to "school" for pressure washing? Who would YOU hire?

Pam and Cujo Our prayers are with you for a healthy recovery. Take your time and do it right. God Bless you both.

Good job and good luck. Keep pushing forward and never look back!

Jeff, Use Jasco Premium Paint and Epoxy Remover. It should run you $24.99-27.99. Both Lowes and HD sell the product. Buy #1 steel wool (blue package) Buy a little squirt bottle. A ketchup bottle works great or if you dont have one an inexpensive option is to buy the stuff guys use to chalk lines with. Dump out the chalk and you have a nice bottle. Make sure to mist the surface with H2O. Apply the remover directly to the paint and try not to mix it in with the water. It has the ability to "push" the water away from the paint and it will also neutralize the concrete around the paint. Use the steel wool (after waiting a minute or two) and lightly buff out the spots. You might need to reapply but the Jasco works really quick. Make sure you rinse off the product before the concrete gets dry. It'll help to turn your burner to atleast 125, but not too hot or it'll make the jasco very mad! Also, get some of the blue rubber gloves from Lowes when you're there. They are the nicer ones and will run you about $4.50 each. Jasco contains methylene chloride so be careful not to breathe it in. This is the fastest, easiest way to remove paint on a concrete substrate, unless your customer wants an acid wash with full strength HCL and 120 grit concrete!

My personal favorite is the Landa Water Jet. Its adjustable height (from aggressive to non-aggressive) is indispensible on many jobs and performance is good. The handle on the side is useless but you can plumb it so it's independant of the cleaner. We also have a hydrotek (twister) and a steel eagle, which are all wheeled units.

On the tire dressing spots try some Jasco "Premium Paint and Epoxy Remover." Wet the concrete first, put on some product and lightly work it in the concrete with a #1 steel wool. Make sure to rinse off the product before it dries. I've had some excellent results in reversing the stains.

M5 X-Jet

Yes. Use Muriatic acid at a 3 or 4:1 (one part acid to 4 parts water). Make sure you add the water first before the acid. We like to use a stiff broom to work the solution into the concrete. You can use a simple one gallon garden sprayer from Lowes or HD, or use a flowering pot (I think that's what it's called). Make sure the sprayer you use is plastic so it won't rust. Hey- I just noticed you were from LV. We were there last weekend!