Don M.

Hey Bob, let us know how simple green does please

I own several rental properties, but I have another oppurtunity in front of me. I have a chance to buy a house 50k below market value. The deal is the homeowner just filed chapter 13. Am I going to have to go through the courts or anything to get this approved, or can I just write up the sales contract and do the title search? Thanks

There is a pest control company in St. Louis doing this. They were on a local talk show. They said the first time a customer calls them to hang lights its (are you sitting down) 3G's. The do a professional layout and drawing, and you have to buy the lights from them. They claim they have 75 homeowners that hire them.

Its the temps. I have had the same problem. Do you have hot water? I've used the stuff full strength with hardly no results. If you can heat the GS up thats the ticket.

Being new to roof cleaning, I called Don and left him a message and he called me back. I told him what I was up against, and he walked me through it. Not once did he try to sell me anything. He helped me out tremendously.

Shane, this might be a dumb question, but how did you prevent your stripper from going into the water?

Zapp, I totally understand what your saying. But here is a example... A painter called me to prep a deck for them. They just wanted it washed off, no stain removal or anything. There was a semi down and they were going back over with a latex solid. To me, and someone please correct me if I am wrong, but that quality level of that job is not going to last since it wasnt stripped down to bare wood and redone. My point Zapp is all of us, including myself, sometimes take on more than what we know about. I feel this way about painters. Around here they will wash a house for 100 bucks, get on a ladder and do it for 6 hours, when the house would have easily brought 200 dollars. They do decks, but the majority of them no nothing about wood. When I asked this painting company if they ever strip decks and brighten back, there response was "huh". Just my .02 worth

Went to give a bid yesterday...in a nutshell was 255 lin. feet, going to be a pita because of getting on the roof to hit some areas we cant from the ground, have to use the ladder to get on the deck because of no stairs, so forth and so on. I told her my price, she said that was higher than she thought it would be. Then she wanted a copy of my liablity insurance, a list of references, so forth and so on. Then she tried to get me to come down in my price. Right then I should have shook her hand and told her to have a nice day.

I always ask customers where did they hear about me first. She told me the paper. I advertise in the paper in her area once a week. Then at the end the pulls out the coupon from the magazine.

I dont know why painters cant just stick with painting. I get request all the time to do painting and I have some cards in my wallet of a local painter I deal with and pass the jobs on to her.

I agree with Tracy, and next time I will do that. But it just pisses me off when that happens.

Ken, yes I did price accordingly. I'm not one of these contractors that inflate the price due to this or that. My first price is my best price...take it or leave it.

Larry, she doesnt want me in her house. I dont have to do anything to the deck, its the back of the house I need to wash and I have to scrub her gutters, plus get some black crap off the side of her chimney.

No, not yet. Jon, I forgot to mention that after it was all said and done she pulled out a coupon that I am currently running. She got 25 bucks knocked off there.

I agree with Bob. Take a pass.

Shane, I guess you learn something new everyday. I never have walked on it right away. I have always came back the next day and applied a second coat.

What is "wet on wet"? Are you guys putting down a coat of stain and then immediatley walking on it and putting down another?

I am getting ready to hire my first worker tomorrow morning to help with the work load this fall. My question is...he understands this is part time and that come the end of Nov we will probably close up shop. Will I have to pay any sort of unemployment if he draws it? BTW...he has another full time job right now. He just wants something to supplement his income. Thanks Don

Thanks

Hey Larry, you better hop on that roof cleaning in Cape before I do. LOL

$8000 dollars for that much? I'm sure that is going to be a quality job.

you have to FEAR your customers into buying from you..... I disagree. I would say build a relationship with someone and show them you care about them. Keep in touch with them and you'll have a customer for life. I think you put too much "fear" into someone and they will say no thanks.

If you guys have to brush the gutters, then what would you have charged? The ol "1.00 a foot if its one story" does that include brushing the gutters for most of you guys? If not then what do you charge if you have to use a different chem and brush the gutters? Thanks Don

Just me personally, but I would go somewhere else for a pressure washer. I would shoot for a machine that would do 4 gpm. It would be good for your residental houses and also for your deck jobs. I am still using a 2.8 gpm machine that I bought spring of last year. Its a good machine, but it takes me FOREVER to rinse a house, plus I've been told its not really set up for downstreaming. I would call Bob at Pressuretek or Steve R from Rowlett Pressure Cleaning and have them quote you on a total setup. I know that customer service is crucial when starting out, and I have called Steve R. on a Sat at 2 in the afternoon because I was having problems. He has always been there for me and he sells good chemicals.

Barry, I dont have a clue. I am going to stick with the wand thats for sure. A good dose of Roof Magic and some dwell time and I have had a lot of success. I've got three deck jobs going on right now but the rain has messed me up. I dont know how to stop the marks from a surface cleaner on wood, but I dont think I would ever try it.