Barry M

Rinse it well after each use and spray with silicone spray, it doesn't evaporate like WD40. But anything is better than nothing.

Pretty fun, I got 60,000. Do they have one of Pat Sajak? LOL

Use the info right here at TGS and put together your own article. It will probably turn out better than any article you could find anyway.

Where can I buy shurflo parts? I had one crap out on me so I took it apart and found the switch on the front to be bad, right where the two terminals plug in. If I bypass it the pump works fine. I know shurflo's are cheap and I planned on buying a new one anyway but I like tearing stuff apart to see how it works and if I can replace this switch then why not, ya know. Here's a pic of it.

Maybe I should start selling pens:) It's the 1.8 60psi on demand pump. I'll call them this morning and thanks for the link.

That you can't just sit and wait for the phone to ring, you have to go find work and really hone your advertising/marketing skills and techniques. My first year I was PT and I sent out 50 homemade flyers and hung some door hangers and I was scared I might get too busy to keep up on the weekends....lol Of course the phone never rang and it was back to the drawing board.

It just depends on the customer. If their older, I usually move heavy potted plants and stuff, sometimes the customer and I will move stuff together other times I'll tell them they need to have everything moved before I get there. It's never really something I put to much thought into, I just play it by ear.

Ron Great idea for a thread. I attended Steve Rowlett's RT this past Feb down in Tenn. Though the weather was bad and we couldn't do any outside demos, I still learned a ton of stuff just talking with Steve and the other attendees. Plus I picked up some supplies while I was there. I also meet Don M there and found out he is in the Midwest and that we started our biz's about the same time. We have chatted on the phone once a week ever since then, and a lot of good things have come from that. I'm going to try to attend Steve's RT on Oct 14th if things work out. If you get a chance to go to a RT don't pass on it, it's a great learning experience and the information you get and the friends you'll make can be priceless.

It must not of been that great.

What works for one guy might not work for another. But for me, those last to mixes seem very weak. I need at least 1.5% hitting the wall.

Looks like a $300-$350 house to me. I wouldn't of used but a couple gallons of 12% and a 1/4 gallon of citracleen. With no gutters I'm guessing about 1.5 hours of work from pull up to collecting check. I just did a brick/wood house like that this morning. The mildew on the painted wood looked exactly the same, it melted right off. Nice work, looks good.

I enjoy hockey, I watch it some during the long season but mostly I tune in hardcore for the playoffs. It's really a neat sport once you understand the rules and get used to the pace of the game, it took me awhile. Of course as you know it's also very rough, I love a good body check. Go Blackhawks!

My mix was normal housewash strength, 1-2% chlorine. I let it dwell for 10 minutes and kept it wet with mix. I'll have to try the stripper next time.

I did a test spot on a flag stone house with vines on it, like little suction cups attached to the stone. I soaked them down with my house wash and gave it 4000psi and I don't think one root came off. I was glad I did a test, and I gladly passed on it.

No uneven marks, that's what the sweeping motion prevents. It takes a little getting used to but I think it's easier than walking the distance of one whole board at a time. I also use a 4010 tip.

He's saying that the 12% chlorine, that he put in his new 50 gallon tank, started tuning black after a day or two. Jeff I've never heard off that. I've had some old chlorine that sat outside in the heat and then all winter and it never turned black. I've also had 12% in my 125 gallon tank most of the summer and it's fine. If the tank was new it doesn't make since. My guess would be something got put in the tank either by accident or on purpose. Maybe someone is trying to sabotage the King.

I would scratch the water broom, pitch witch, brush kit, hose reel, surface cleaner and hold off on the xjet. I would then take that money and get at least 150' of non marking pressure hose and a better surface cleaner. A whirl a way is good for the money, but the wisper wash is better. Maybe even consider getting a belt driven unit if you plan on being around for awhile. Also get a telescoping pole and a brush for doing gutters. Do you have a ladder? Some other things to consider: insurance, advertising, and chemicals. Do you plan on doing roofs?

This rain is unreal man, I'm glad I don't have any decks going on right now. I did a big house and driveway today in the pouring rain. I didn't even have to rinse the drive after surface cleaning. Oh well it helps the mold grow, job security right?

True that the tips are easy to change, but there is still something I don't understand. I know you don't use one on decks Don but there are some that claim to. But how do they keep from getting wand marks? The way I clean or strip a deck is working in small sections and using a half golf swing type motion to keep from getting these marks, but how would you accomplish that with a surface cleaner even with low pressure?

Aaaahhh, I never made the connection. Good tip. Or he could have the kid just go postal with the crayons and color the whole room..lol

Larry I'm curious how long that Deckscapes last over top the old sealer. I realize you didn't promise your customer anything and you gave them what they wanted. This is just why I don't like doing jobs like this, because if it fails in a year then who are they going to call? Then you have a real mess to strip.

Ron ********** Your welcome for "The Edge".....hehe

Buy some stain blocker, it's for crayon and crap like that. Just apply it where needed instead of priming whole room. Make sure you buy yourself a new tool and tell the wife you need it to finish the job. After so many new tools she'll quit asking.

I blast em off with the 0 degree rinse tip and get to work. Sometimes they don't come off, then I hit them with my house mix and after I'm finished with the house I'll go up the extension ladder with my brush pole and knock em down. Good luck and happy downstreaming.

Your post definately shows you have a painting background, talking about spot sanding and priming, but I don't mean that in a negative way. I commend your choice to come searching for answers. The proper way to reseal a deck is to strip off any old sealer with a sodium hydroxide stripper and no more than 1000psi of water pressure. I normally use less pressure than that and depend more on the stripper to do the work. After a complete strip you need to brighten/neutralize the wood with oxalic or citralic acid and then allow the wood to dry for several days before sealing. This of course is a very general description and I would highly recommend using the search function to do more research. The first thing you need to do is find out if the old sealer that is on there now is strippable. Most carry a spray bottle full of stripper and will do a little test spot on a vertical in a somewhat hidden spot on the deck. This will give you an idea if the deck is strippable and what dwell time you might be looking at. I wouldn't take the job on or shoot the homeowner a price until you do this, or it could end up eating your lunch. The problem with spot sanding and priming is that the new sealer won't adhere properly and in 9 months the deck will look like crap again. I have walked away from a few decks that failed my strip test. I just told the homeowner I can't strip whats on there (usually a solid latex) and that I don't want my name tagged on something that is half assed. Just my .02 cents. Others will chime in I'm sure. Oh, and a side note. That large font size is annoying....lol