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HighTide

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Posts posted by HighTide

  6. Posted · Edited by HighTide · Report reply

    I go through about 5 gallons a year of the F-13 and it works great. I did have my first set of gutters 3 weeks ago refuse to come clean and I even strengthened it to around 3 or 4:1 and tried on a small section and on a 70 degree day...nothing. After 100's of gutters I finally came up on one that it wouldn't work. But every gutter since like a charm!

  9. Posted · Report reply

    A huge thanks to John Allison of Envirospec for putting together this month's 2-day technical school for contractors. This was, without a doubt, the most informative hands-on event yet for me! Everyone got a chance to rebuild a pump (I rebuilt both an AR and General), injectors and two kinds of unloaders to see how they work. There was a burner class to understand and troubleshoot them, an engine class for preventative maintenance put on by Greg Dupree of Kohler, and lots of demos on guns, foamers, and several different pressure washers. ANYTHING you wanted to test out was at your fingertips right at Envirospec facilities. Day Two started out by building a pressure washer from the ground up. My group's unit was an 18 hp Vanguard mounted to a skid plate, which we then attached a gear box, pump, unloader, inlet filter, and bypass line. After completion, we took them outside for us all to test out.

    This class will minimize my downtime going forward as I now have a much better grasp on the maintenance of my equipment. Even two awesome lunches and a dinner were provided. Great networking and lots of great tips learned. Thanks again to John and all who attended this month's technical school.

  10. Posted · Report reply

    I threw my last half pack in the garbage one day and have never touched one since. It has been 13 years. It was tough for the first month and then it was easy. I chewed a million pieces of Wrigley's gum that first month and was a little irritable to be around. But I wanted to do it and I did!! You can too...good luck!

  11. Posted · Edited by HighTide · Report reply

    I am having some of the same problems and I don't schedule clients until their week comes up. Right now, I am booked two and a half weeks out. Two estimates came in today and we agreed on a price. I then told both of them that I would call Monday morning, October 17th (2 weeks from today) to schedule a convenient time that week (I try to take Monday's off as I usually work commercial jobs on Sunday). Today (Monday), I set my whole schedule for this week after previewing the weather outlook and best ways to set clients up based on location to reduce travel between jobs.

  14. Posted · Report reply

    I started using them last fall as I needed something that would pull with 300' of hose. I like it so much that is all I use now as I like the extra chem pull (it will empty a 5-gallon pail of soap/SH quicker than anything I have used). The regular fixed ones work fine in most cases but there is a house or two a week that needs a little extra chem to keep me from having to hit spots a second time.

  18. Posted · Report reply

    With my trailer setup of downstreaming @ 5.6 gpm including a small to average size driveway and assuming the house is pretty dirty it would take me by myself 2 1/2 hours. Adding a detailed cleaning of the decks (instead of soap and rinse) would add an hour. I cleaned a 4,200 s.f. 2-story house and driveway three days ago in 3 hours flat including hand brushing one of the gutters (oxidation) and hand brushing the mud dauber nests under the 2nd story front porch overhang.

  19. Posted · Report reply

    The St. Johns county school contract which was done for 6.0 cents per s.f. for many years and then 4.9 cents per s.f. for the last two years will now be done for only 2.5 cents per s.f. for the next 3 years. This price includes all hot water cleaning and the use of any cleaning chemicals, and at these higher fuel price levels. This also includes any lift rentals which the contractor must lease on his own and any roof cleaning. The thing about this situation is that the high schools are the only ones that clean some sidewalks annually, where the middle and elementary school clean every 2 or 3 years (over half of middle and elementary schools clean by internal employees). On top of that, the county only pays via credit card (rewards card) that will likely take 4.19% right off the top plus monthly C.C. fees of $10-$20. A lot of the jobs are small too (less than $300) and include things that the school employees can't do, higher walls, tall ceilings to remove spider webs, etc.

    I expected a bid or two around 3.5 to 4.0 cents per s.f. during these times, but was quite surprised that the four lowest bidders (and ones that will be able to do this work going forward) were 2.5. 3.0, 4.0 and 4.7 cents per s.f. Since I was the contractor that held this contract for last two years (and still have it until May 12th with 4 larger projects coming up) and was able to get 4.9 cents per s.f. during this period, I know first hand about this contract. There were 3 smaller jobs that I just broke even on, especially after including the time and fuel used to complete a measurement estimate (it took me half a day to measure Nease high school and it ended up going to one of the other contractors who turned in far less s.f.). All the schools know the measurement but won't tell you (but will if your measurement turned in has more s.f. than the school’s areas to be cleaned actually has). Good luck as I hope the two lowest bidders (which will be estimating against each other) can make it work for them.

  22. Posted · Edited by HighTide · Report reply

    One way is to go to Tractor Supply and get the following items: A cart and a 15-gallon tank with sprayer attachment. May want to upgrade the hose, sprayer, pump, etc. depending on what you will be spraying and how fast you want to spray. They have stronger carts as well. These 2 items plus a small battery and you are ready to go.

    http://www.tractorsupply.com/groundwork-reg-garden-utility-cart-800-lb-capacity-3599008

    http://www.tractorsupply.com/fimco-15-gallon-spot-sprayer-lg-15-ec-tsc-2138134

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