Celeste

Ours are free, which we follow up in writing (with a "good through" date on them) via mail along with a phone call. We are starting to "set appointments" for estimates so that the estimate actually becomes a total evaluation of anything that we can do. We've not lost a bid yet and are not the lowest in the area so we're not pricing too low.....I think that we are just very thorough with our educating of the prospective customer. Celeste

Lou, shoot me an email and let me know your ballpark spending range. I can try to make arrangements to get to Winston and take pics of this guys stuff if you're in his asking range. We're coming to DC so I can bring you the pics and details. From what he's told Roger (and yes we have personally inquired on the package) it's a great deal, just more than we can personally take on right now. Celeste

Lou, as far as rigs in other states.....it is possible that there is a member on the board who may be close enough to go check it out for you. We bought ours from an Ebay auction however, we were fortunate enough to be about 10 miles away from the guy. If you run across one in the central NC area, we'd be glad to take a look for you so at least someone's eyes besides the sellers would have been on it. The one in your post looks like a pretty nice setup - Roger's concern was the 16 HP motor running a 3500psi/5gpm machine. Ours is 3500/5.6 with an 18 HP and we feel it would do better with a higher hp engine. There is a guy about an hour away from us with a 2 man unit for sale -(Hydrotek) but I'm not sure what kind of money you are wanting to put into start up. We can get details then check it out for you in person if you like. Are you going to be at the RT in DC? Celeste

We're making plans to go - we'll be around like little sponges...soaking up everything we can! Celeste

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We have closed 99% - if we don't want to do a job, we diplomatically decline (with solid professional advise of course). We don't decrease prices except for public servants (cops, firemen, emt, teachers) and it has seemed lately, the higher we bid, the more jobs we get (gotta love that!) We very much practice the same ethics as Pressure Pro up there - you can never go wrong taking care of your customer the way you would want someone to take care of you.....sort of the "golden rule" of customer service. Also, speaking of gutters, and this may be appropriate for a strictly gutter (not minded) thread, BUT, I have read an article that may make yet another point for marketing gutter cleaning. (Can find and post if someone wants me to) MOSQUITOS! Mosquitos breed in standing water...if gutters are clogged, they are breeding grounds for mosquitos which as we all know, carry nasties like West Nile. If you can't appeal to a homeowner's common sense to take care of their house, they may bite on the health issue. Celeste Oh, we also only travel about 40-45 miles. We will continue free estimates, but now instead of just going to do it (unless we're in the area for another reason), we call and confirm that we will be there and ask that the HO meet with us for a "full consultation".

Some folks just have no taste.....maybe when all that lovely paint poops out, there will be another City Manager for you to talk to. I know you took pictures of the work when you finished back in May! Tell them it won't be free next time but you can get it back to where it was before the painters got hold of it. Celeste

Are you Macgyver in disguise??? Celeste :)

I simply stated that our tags are rated for 11000 lbs for the point that our truck is capable of doing so - I for one would not be stupid enough to obtain a tag that (a) was not an appropriate weight for my vehicle just to be saying that I could and (b) was inaccurate information through the DMV which could cost me in the future. Clearly what "matters" is that you have a vehicle equipped with what you need to do your job safely. As it has been said earlier (by other MEN) a 1500 will do just fine but primarily may not last as long as a 2500 or 3500. I believe Lou is looking for a starter within a budget. This is exactly how we viewed our 1500 and after one year in business, we can happily say that we have NO company debt which means that in the next year, heck yeah Roger will be getting a bigger truck to pull with and I will still be driving the 1500. Celeste

Tony C Somewhat backed by the other professional opinions of Cuprinol Deckscapes, let me reiterate that this customer wanted to achieve a color that was as close to the solid stain color as she had before. This was not possible using a wood toner type product like Ready Seal or Wood Tux. It is not always possible to (a) walk away from a job because they don't like your stain selection (b) sway what someone wants because your opinion isn't the same. What we try to achieve is providing what the customer wants and based on everything that we have read and questions that we have asked, the Deckscape product should have been fine. Bottom line is that the mildewcide failed and SW is making good on it. Roger stands behind his work and will do what is necessary to make her happy and we will get 4 more decks out of this painful lesson. I'm done beating us up about this. Thanks for the responses. Many issues have been resolved. Celeste

I can maybe understand about color fading in places.....ever notice how your tan fades differently on your body? The biggest failure here was the mildewcide in the product. I just want the whole mess to go away (which it's not, but I can wish) We're going to meet her sometime this week to discuss the next step. Yuck. Celeste Here's a small example of the mildew.....which on the one hand, should not have happened as Deckscapes contains a milewcide but on the other hand is linseed oil based which is otherwise known as "mildew food".

Desi, www.bia.org This is the Brick Industry Association website. That should keep you reading for a bit. The best concrete cleaner is debatable in many threads. Just read read read. here is some of an article on efflorescence: "Efflorescence is a crystalline deposit of water-soluble salts (usually white) on the surface of masonry. All masonry materials are susceptible to efflorescence. Water-soluble salts that appear in chemical analysis in only a few tenths of one percent are sufficient to cause efflorescence on a masonry surface. The amount of salts and character of the deposits can vary widely, according to the nature of the soluble materials present and atmospheric conditions. Temperature, humidity, and wind affect efflorescence. In the summer, even after long rainy periods, moisture evaporates quickly and small amounts of salt or efflorescence are brought to the surface. Usually efflorescence is more common in the winter, when the slow rate of evaporation allows the migration of salts to the surface. Efflorescence that occurs on new construction after the masonry dries is referred to as "new building bloom". New building bloom is generally an unsightly nuisance and no cause for concern, as it will normally weather off within a few months to a year. Efflorescence that persists in masonry walls and chimneys generally means that excess moisture is entering the system and (if not remedied) is a precursor to more serious damage. " Again, the cleaning of this is always up for multiple opinions. Dave O has nailed it.....you will find more answers than you may ever need in these posts. Make a big pot of strong coffee and hit the search button! (If you really want to see chemistry in posts, look for Ryan's.) Cheers, Celeste

We usually use Ready Seal. This was a one time bad experience....I refer to these retail grade stains as "over the counter" as opposed to "prescription". She wanted a color - not a wood enhancing thing of beauty. Heck, we had to strip her umpteen coats of Behr first then to try to match the crap with what she wanted. As far as I'm concerned, offering people colors is just asking for trouble. , but for the record, you "two tone guys" what stain do you use when someone wants to have the white rails - I know it ain't Ready Seal or Wood Tux! Celeste

Aw c'mon - don't you like the artwork? I'm sure the manager is thrilled with his "one of a kind" end wall. Celeste

You're not just whistling Dixie on that one - I'm thinking that she may have some regrets herself right about now. Not sure what is still going to happen - we do know that SW is going to make good on it (although I don't think replacing the existing stuff with the SAME stuff is the answer at all!) The whole mess has fried my brain. Celeste

We pull our rig with a 97 Ram 1500 - we're wearing commercial tags rated for 11000 lbs - We have a dual axle trailer with a hot water washer, 325 gal tank (that, yes, we have pulled full - don't say you won't ever do it 'cause you will) 2 - 25 gal chem tanks, tool box, 2 hose reels and a truck bed fulll of a bunch of other stuff. She does just fine. We are upgrading to 6 ply tires. Downside to Dodges is that they habitually have problems with their factory transmissions. We had ours rebuilt - no problems since. Now granted, Roger WANTS a bigger truck but for the purpose and price you are looking at, a plain ole Ram 1500 will suffice. Celeste

Never try moving a full shop vac down carpeted stairs without making certain that the top is SECURED. I managed to dump 2 housefulls of drywall dust and carpet grigglies all the way down the staircase...makes for a great day. Oh and by the way Reed......if you want that fresh shaved look, try Nair next time :) Celeste

We are experiencing a similar problem with a deck that we did just three months ago - the stain is completely failing in some locations and the deck floor, rails, spindles are all polka-dotted with black (big) spots. This was a strip of a solid Behr product - SHE chose the Deckscapes stain that we used because it was the closest match we could get to her previous color. Deck was stripped with SH product, brightened with oxalic - looked fine for the rest of the summer and now POOF, it has black chicken pox. This post has been extremely helpful for us - hopefully we can all find a solution that isn't going to break the bank. (I hate these growing pains). Will post pics this afternoon. Celeste

Right here!!!!!! Click on the STORE link :) Celeste

http://www.sealmaxx.com/process.asp Not just anyone can buy this stuff - one must be a dealer (for the small price of $78,000 for an area of only 250,000 persons) - but I'm more curious as to what is in this stuff that will allow you to GUARANTEE IT TO LAST FOR 25 YEARS!!!!!!!! (They say they can guarantee 100 years but 25 sounds more reasonable) Out of curiousity, we did call and speak to someone at Seal Maxx. According to them, the concrete sealant can penetrate up to 8 inches and then can still be stained with anything. The wood sealant goes onto a wet deck (?) then can be stained but then this will make the stain last 3 times longer. They will guarantee "their" stain for 7 years. How 'bout them cookies? Celeste

Dale, where did you find the homemade MSDS on the stuff? Celeste

This not only seals the wood but guarantees the WOOD for 25+ years. Supposed to go so deeply into it then forms another type of bond inside the wood - sounds like a man-made petrification process. What if you were to go try & strip a deck with the "sealant on steroids" stuff (but didn't know it was there)? Wonder what would happen? Celeste

It's not just wood care either.....they guarantee this sealant on concrete & masonry as well. It's a big franchise thing.....we did get some conflicting information from the rep we spoke to as far as the concrete and it's abilities after sealing but my thing is - what can you put in a sealer that is that strong but that will also allow ANY TYPE stain to be applied and then say it will make the stain last longer. And the bigger question - how much does this stuff cost to use??????? It's got to be through the roof. The guy that originally (on another board) that put his link up is getting into this and says that their repeat business will be brightening? How can you brighten the wood periodically if it's sealed so tight? (Confusion is setting in!) Celeste

This is a brick job that we bid today....the brick has been cleaned every three months (by someone else) for several years at $200 a whack for right at 1200 sq ft. It's also 50+ years old. We're trying some new chemicals, including some that are supposed to inhibit the green growths for about 5 years. Looks like fun, huh?

Our bid was accepted (yippee!!!!) Here are some pics of the cleaning. She really wants us to put down the Anti-Growth so down it's going. We'll seal in a couple of weeks when we do a full house wash :) Celeste