Don M.

John, we do some light landscaping. We have gotten into the handyman realm once again and we are doing pretty good with that. Its amazing the little things people wont fix or cant.

Doug, I found out in the neighborhoods that are nicer, people are financed to the hilt. If its not pay day they dont have money to buy the paper to wipe their arse. This year, I sent out 1500 P.C. to household incomes of $100,000. How many calls, ZERO. After talking with Barry and Jarred, I bought another list and lowered my income level down to 75,000. Sent the same post card and the same quantity. I got 14 calls. I dont waste my time too much in affluent neighborhoods. If I wind up in one it is usually by referral.

Adrian, I know what your saying, but personally I just dont think its there. Tire Kickers and people not serious is just part of the business. I know I have went out on bids thinking there is no way these people are going to accept my price. THe house looked like Sanford and Son. 15 mins later I walked away with a deck and housewash for almost 2K. If I would assume these people were just tire kickers I would have never gotten to establish that relationship nor gotten the job. As far as advertising goes, I found out newspaper ads and phone book ads 95% of them are not serious. I also found out with direct marketing, coupled with the right offer and the right demographic will get people motivated and call. The offer will help you sell the job.

P.S. Barry, your the new "Joe Polish" of PW. :) Man, you have came a long way. I am very impressed with what I just read. I wish I could write like you.

Like James said, just do good work and word will get out. Yesterday we had a deck strip/housewash. That night the neighbor came over and couldnt believe the gutters looked that good. We landed his house to wash next week. We will be putting out flyers on that street, along with target PC mailings and our yard sign.

I think if the last episode had Furio show up at the diner, that would have been interesting. I didnt watch the last season except for the last episode. I am waiting for it on DVD and then I will have a marathon.

Bruno, if your RM for last year is week throw in a 2lb tub of F-18 and stand back. :)

Now I know why it sounds like he's stressed. :) I know he's tired of my stupid questions.

I break down stripping, brighting and staining as three seperate parts.

I'm in with the no rinse club.

I would call Russell. I know at the STL RT he said this product was not for a "deck in a day" process, but to keep the contractor on schedule

I dont know either... Visit Your one source for everything pressure cleaning washer and call Andy or Bob. They will hook you up.

Keith, I started using RS this year. I personally like it. Go to readyseal.com and get their number and talk to Pierce. He's been great to me. I tell everyone usually people like the Natural Cedar color. Out of the 12 or so decks I've done I only had one person want a different color. I explained to them I didnt carry that color in inventory thus there was a price increase. They were fine with that. The Natural Cedar is going to be darker on older cedar.

I started with that machine. I made a lot of mistakes, then I found boards like this one. Dont price too cheap. Find out what your market will bear and charge accordingly. You'll find out quick if you charge too cheap, you will get that reputation, and one day you will wake up and say Hey, Im not really making much money, but by then its too late to raise prices.

90 min to dwell! Holy cow. Jarrod better get a straight jacket. He'll go flipping crazy waiting 90 min. But I guess if it works, it works.

The other day I was by myself and tired and didnt want to pull out my shurflo. I had a 500 sq ft deck to strip and decided to try out what Jarrod talks about. I've got a container on my trailer of Steve R.'s RX 4. I used that on most of the deck, but Jarrod gave me a gallon of a stripper that he uses and I tested it out. I had the entire deck coated less than 5 minutes. As it was dwelling I washed the backside of the house. I went back and washed the deck and the stuff melted right off where I used Jarrod's stripper, and the rest was the same with the RX4. I then mixed up some of Bob's brightener on the heavy side and DSed it as well. Then I rinsed plants, the glass doors, etc and got out of there. My staining crew went to the deck yesterday and they called me to tell me it looked like new wood. :) I called Jarrod to thank him.

No, there was really no difference Ken. I know from Chem Station it would cost less I am sure, but Steve quoted me I think around 550.00 for a drum delivered to my storage unit. Breaking it down, on this deck (556 sq ft total) I used a tad over a gallon of stripper. So 12.00/556=.021 per sq ft. Try it Ken. If you cant get it through Jarrods guy order a 5 gallon Jug of RM 4 from Rowlett.

My feeling is you are going to see RT's dramatically change over the next couple of years. (for the better).

Jarrod, How dare you post something like that. There is NO WAY you can cut your time in half with some stupid set up like you have. What are you, a $99 dollar hack? Don't believe anything this guy has to say. All he likes to do is toot his own freaking horn. :)

Mike, I have used 8 oz to 5 gallons of mix. If it is the wet wax from Steve R you are talking about. No need for a separate applicaton. Just add it in with your mix. I would stir your solution before you used it everytime to get the junk from the bottom of your tank.

Tony, I've been bidding against seal maxx down here in St. Louis. I tell the customers that if they ever become unhappy with their product, then they have to tear down and build it new again. I tell everyone nothing last forever. Everyone wants that magic 10 year stain. Forget it.

I've got 2 weeks worth of work, with more estimates to do in the beginning of the week. I started a newsletter campaign in Dec of last year. I know, weird time to start. But I have mailed it off to my existing customer base every single month. I'm starting to reap the rewards. Done some internet marketing too that panning out well, and I've got a few thousand post cards mailing out on Wed to a select demographic list. I did a test mailing of 100 direct mail letters to this list and I got 2 calls. I bid those this week. If I land those then I am going to rewrite the letter just a tad and fire it again. But I am thinking my postcards are going to be my biggest hit. My new employee starts tomorrow, and my nephew wants to come to work for me as well. I just dont know about that yet. He's 21, a hard worker, but he's got some issues. But I think him and this other guy who is 18 would make a good team.

I knew that was coming Mike. LOL Jarrod is a great guy. He has helped steer me right. I can call the guy at 2 in the morning and he would talk to me. I think thats pretty cool. This wasnt a ego thing at all. He's just excited about how he does things and he wanted to share. Hopefully the fall RT Jarrod is planning on hosting is still in the works. Him and I have talked and he wants to show people right on the spot his methods. Personally, I am looking forward to it.

Any problems with gutter grenade stripping paint?

Jarrod, you been sniffing your deck stripper or what man?