Celeste

Since you referred to posts from 5+ years ago that may or may not been from me - I'm going to point out that those posts were from our EARLY days in business. You see, we didn't come on here saying we'd been washing for years and years and spit at the pros and their suggestions. We hooked up with several obviously successful companies - Beth & Rod especially - and we LEARNED, we raised our standards, we READ and practiced and became as damn good as we are. We have mentored a number of companies now and have many colleagues and friends in this industry. We actually LOVE having Charlie (Apex DeckSavers) in our sandbox as well since HE came hear, learned and is keeping that bar right where we like it! I figure you have two choices here - either keep kicking sand back and get run off - or LISTEN and implement (hope that's not too big) some BUSINESS changes and become more successful. It's what this forum is about. If you've gone back so far and read so much you'll be able to tell how much better a LOT of people - and the industry as a whole - have gotten from coming to TGS.

This has gotten hilarious now....riddles? I've read this silly thread more than once now - I never saw any riddles - just PROFESSIONAL companies trying to guide you in the proper direction. And any 12th grade teacher would be able to read your site - we all did and explained what the problems were just as she probably did. And what exactly were you "narked" on? Curious minds want to know!

Bingo Rick! And again, loving what you do is a great perk!

Destruction of personal property - I do believe that is a a CRIMINAL act, punishable by fine, incarceration or both (although maybe not in your state). Wow.

Boy - for companies located near college campuses - this stencil thing might be a neat frat trick :) Postcards to one frat proposing stenciling another frat for $99 :) Or stencil the sidewalks after games!

Staining concrete is pretty much on the permanent side - if you have issues with the customer and coloring, samples are the very best way to go. Also, make sure you have them sign off on the sample they choose so you're not screwed when they see the entire thing done and decide then they don't like it!

Our Hannah, rising 9th grader, has been chosen this year to participate in the People to People Student Ambassador Program!! She will travel & study next summer in Italy, Sicily & Greece (I am sooo jealous!)! (Everyone watch your mailboxes soon for sponsorship requests :) ) She is enormously excited as are we! This is very cool!

Not me - I'm to the point I don't care about dirt anymore :)

We're going to a meeting next month but from what I've read - trip is 19 days and below is the tentative itenerary and some of the highlights: Rome, Italy Step into the Colosseum and imagine the spectacles that millions watched within its walls. Walk through the ancient ruins of the Forum and learn about this heart of the city in the time of the emperors. Explore the Vatican, home to the Pope and the world’s largest cathedral. Examine Michelangelo’s brilliant Sistine Chapel masterpiece. Toss a coin into the legendary Trevi Fountain. Go deep into Roman history in the secret catacombs. Naples, Italy Walk through the once-affluent city of Pompeii, and observe what remained in the wake of the volcano that destroyed the city in A.D. 79. Board an overnight ferry to Palermo, Sicily. Palermo, Italy Stroll through Palermo, whose mixture of buildings makes it a veritable museum of architecture. Explore the government center, housed in the ancient Palazzo Reale. Toss a pizza pie with the help of professional chefs. Visit the San Giovanni degli Eremiti church, which has served as a house of worship for both Christians and Muslims. Segesta, Italy This city boasts some of the most impressive Greek ruins outside of Greece, including a 5th-century classical temple and amphitheater. Train at the hands of a Sicilian potter and then create your own masterpiece. Erice, Italy Understand Sicily’s medieval roots in this hilltop town. Explore ancient castles, including one built on the ruins of a Roman temple. Taormina, Italy Explore this beautiful terraced town and its series of small medieval palaces. Mount Etna, Italy Hike on the slopes of this active volcano, where the Romans believed the god Vulcan forged his metalwork. Learn from experts about the mountain’s 2003 eruption. Bari, Italy Enjoy an overnight ferry ride to Patras. Ferries regularly bear travelers to Greece—appropriate for the city whose name (from the Greek) originally meant “burden”! Patras, Greece Launch your discovery of Greece from Patras, the country’s third largest city. Olympia, Greece Explore the relics of the original Olympic Games, held here in 776 B.C. View the Canal of Corinth, an engineering marvel. Athens, Greece Experience the Acropolis, built in the 5th century B.C. Stand in the famous Parthenon, once home to a 40-foot statue of the goddess Athena. Crete, Greece Enjoy the contrasts of Crete’s capital city, Heraklion, which bears evidence of both Muslim and Italian occupation. Explore the spectacular Palace at Knossos, center of the Minoan civilization. Descend into the Dictaean Caves, where the god Zeus is said to have been born. Note: Highlights featured represent past programs. Your program may differ slightly in some areas due to scheduling conflicts, unforeseen changes, and the arrival of new opportunities. Your program’s Schedule of Activities will be provided as confirmed, closer to actual travel. People to People Moments Receive an Ambassadorial welcome from a European official. Meet with a priest or monk in Italy to learn what life is really like inside a monastery. Enhance Your Education Ambassadors on this program will earn special insights into: Renaissance art and architecture World War II history History and architecture of the Roman Empire and ancient Greece Geology Medieval history Intercultural studies Top Program Activities Take your artistic appreciation to new heights as you admire the famous Sistine Chapel ceiling. Understand why the beauty and order of ancient Greece continues to influence the world as you walk the ruins of the Acropolis. Explore medieval palaces and ancient Moorish mosques. Study an active volcano at Mount Etna. Help citizens protect endangered sea turtles near Athens. Get hands-on lessons in making traditional Sicilian pottery and pizza. Stroll through the Forum and visit the Colosseum like the ancient Romans. Take a dip in the warm Mediterranean off of Sicily.

It's going to be a specialty airless to put something that thick & goopy up - Bob Port at Restoration Direct could fix you right up - Roger says it's almost like a hopper gun. We rolled ours then put the plastic over it. Other things to consider on this job if it is in a public access area - There are seriously stupid people out there. This product will burn the skin off of you so even if you post DO NOT TOUCH - some idiot will. Even when you're rinsing, some is still pretty hot so be careful. We were working in cold temps so barefoot or barearm folk were not a concern. We're home all day today and any evening is fine to call :)

Tony - you can call us anytime - there are LOTS of options for concrete staining - I would suggest NOT going the acid route on this as your results will also seem "busy". If you are just looking to alter the existing color, there are some great water based products that will actually look like what they say when they interact with the minerals in the concrete. Then you seal and "tada" - no more ugly concrete! Also, take a look at this treatment:

We're definitely looking into how that might work :) I can't think of a better way to spend a summer with my daughter!

Oh WOW - I hadn't even thought of that - great idea!!! Thanks!

Now - when you typed that in and found multiple companies that offered the service, did you look at any of their websites? If so, did you find "speech" like yours on their sites? There are two serious reasons why your choice of verbage is not going to work for you. 1) I'm as redneck of a gal as you'll ever find - and I would never hire you because of the grammatical & spelling errors and slang that you are using on your site. Friendly is fine - we can all be friendly without appearing "stuck-up" (which has nothing to do with slang by the way). I wouldn't hire someone that used ebonics either. 2) Google isn't going to like "washin" nearly as much as "washing". Seriously - you have found a gold mine in TGS - you don't have to like any of us, but it would behoove you to listen to sound business advise from industry colleagues & competitors.

That was exactly how we did that job - we bermed the area - used tarping to protect the sidewalk with an additional layer of landscaping fabric (liquids pass through but stupid paint chips don't!) We were able to continue using the tarping and simply discarded the landscaping fabric with the paint chips & endless blobs of paint/stripper snot. This will be an incredibly rewarding job Rich - take LOTS of photos throughout the process :) Good Luck! Celeste

Paint that old should not have lead issues - more likely a milk paint, which is a PITA!!! You will very likely have multiple applications of your product - buy appropriately!

We used quite a bit of plastic - helped MUCH with the job :)

Richard, Give Roger a call - here is one we did last fall/winter. 200 year old brick with about 6 layers of paint. Diedrich's product was the best one we used and we did use them all!

By matching the lowballer price "just to get the job" - you damaged the profession. Think about it.

THAT IS PRICELESS!!!:dance:

I'm not sure you can count the 3 house washes we've done this season - particularly since they were part of the deck pitch :)

+10! There is nothing better than to have a business built on something you love and enjoy doing :)

Nice to see you back around Fifemeister - you do provide solid information :)

Rich - check your pm :)

Check with Jim Foley - he should have some great shots - 'cept with bleach!