Aplus

I've got F-18 on the way, and I'm excited to give it a try. I'd be happy as heck if it works that well Rob.

Well the snow was here yesterday,(about 4-5") and gone today when it hit 63. Craziest darn weather I can remember. Sunday was like a blizzard at times, and this afternoon, some neighbors were mowing their grass....:)

We just got blasted with snow today! And just a few days ago it was 80+ and I had to apply sunscreen to stop from burning up!

This comment would be pure speculation if Wood Tux Wet just became available. It's not that I doubt what Russ says that WT Wet is a decent product, but I personally do not have confidence in any product that is new to market and may not have had sufficent time to prove itself in all climates and regions. At least not enough confidence to use it on my customers decks before I have a chance to completely evaluate a product. And that just cannot happen in one season.

One heck of a good question Celeste! My feeling is the Wet product is not appropriate for every situation.

I know you're going to end up with more than one opinion here. My experience with straight HD-80 is that it will not completely remove Sikkens from the vertical surfaces. I've had discussions with Beth about this, and she indicated that Rod has had better results with Sikkens removal. Maybe it could be a regional thing, or water hardness thing, or something else I don't know. If you have trouble with the straight HD-80, then possibly the Booster, and maybe even some Hang Time additive would make a great improvement, as would much longer dwell times, and perhaps even covering the area with plastic during dwell times. I would suggest doing your own testing on this deck to determine if the results are satisfactory for you and your customer. If so, be very careful about how you price, because your time and costs are going to go up, and don't forget to plan on a lot of furring to deal with. There are some conditions I don't even bother with anymore, and Sikkens removal is one of them. I don't get personal satisfaction from whipping up on tough to remove stains. Most customers don't want to pay what I want to charge for that kind of work, so I don't bother anymore. If there wasn't enough work, that would be one thing, but as it is, there is plenty of 'good' work for me, and I leave that stuff for some other poor shmuck. Please remember I'm telling you this from what I have personally experienced over the past ten years.....not what someone else says, or what a vendor says, but what my experiences have been. Others may vary. OK....I'm prepared for the heat that is bound to follow.......:)

That would have been a good one to have taken photos of. The main problem I have encountered is that few customers are willing to pay the amount of money required to justify a crew spending so much time.

Additionally, if there is mildew trapped under Penofin, your friend is in for a real whammy. Penofin contains what they advertise as "Brazilian Rosewood Oil". Whatever that stuff is, it's food for mildew. In no time, the mold will start eating the oil, and as we know, anything that eats, also excretes. That pretty Penofin finish will start during darker and darker, from all the "poop" trapped below, and the finish will fail quickly. Here is a picture of failed Penofin.....cedar color. Notice how dark the floor is compared to the railing. I know it's not a great photo but will illustrate my point. This finish is one year old and already looks like "crap".

Mike, Often times with aluminum siding, I have found that the top one or two panels below the overhang are actually pitted, although from the ground they look just dirty. There is nothing that can be done to eliminate this, except to repaint the area. I would suggest a closer inspection, and if you find the pitting, then you need to explain to the customer that you can get the siding cleaner, but the pitting will still be visible on the top panels. Sometimes it's necessary to do a little testing up front to determine exactly what you are up against before you commit to anything.

I wonder if he can even get insurance when he tells his agent he has no experience?

Pressure treated is also being sold as "Thompsonized".

Looks great! I find even though fences can look so good, it's sometimes a tough sell, just because fences require so much stain, and it sometimes shocks the customer at how much it's going to cost to do the work.

If you're speaking of the initial burst that a pressure unloader provides, as opposed to the gradual ramping up that a flow unloader provides....true. What I'm saying is that with either style unloader, there should be a noticable difference in the "feel" when the trigger is squeezed and the water is flowing. With a higher # tip, the flow is the same, but the psi is reduced. It's the psi that gives the big thrust feeling. I still think Jon may be stronger than he thinks, therefor he can't tell the difference......:)

I don't personally believe that an xjet is the right tool to apply HF or HC acid. Both can be extremely toxic. It's almost impossible to not create overspray when using an xjet. Over spray from an xjet can carry in the wind for 100 feet, easily. Why would anyone want to risk causing uncontained overspray from HF or HC acid ? Well I guess you could keep some calcium gluconate (sp?) gel ready in case the HF ends up on someones' skin. Check out this web page.......http://mrel.bsg.uiuc.edu/shannon/labHF-safety.htm

Jon, There should be a noticable difference in the kick from a #4 to #10, regardless of what type unloader is used. Maybe you're just stronger than you thought you were........

Same here, works like a charm!

I'd say you're a used-to-be pressure washer. And I'm glad you stick around...:)

I bought a setup last year that was also priced way too low. I use the 6x10 trailer for storage. It allows me to buy certain products in larger quantities and be able to store it offsite. If the deal is really good, you can keep some stuff and sell other stuff. Trailers don't really lose much money after they reach a certain depreciation level.

An xjet is a device that allow you to shoot soap over 20 feet at higher concentrations. A must have for house washing, and really any application where you need to apply large amounts of chems at high ratios, in a fast manner.

I have four cold water machines, three are direct drive, one is belt drive. The oldest one, the red one in the pictures, had a cat pump that lasted 7 years. The AR pump on it now is going on 3 years old. The black direct drive is 5 years old and still has the original AR pump. The belt drive is 9 years old and still has the original General pump. The machine will the smallish frame, I picked up last year used for almost nothing. It has a Giant pump. All the machines have Honda engines, and all have Mobil 1 synthetic oil installed. All get the pump oil changed twice a season. I like the direct drives because they are lighter and better balanced, making them easier to drag around. I would never sell any of these machines because you can never have too many backup machines, and you never know when multiple machines will be needed. Think big...and you'll get there.

I think I may have ordered it from Espec. It is a large box, sized for a full sized, high amperage marine battery. I'm not sure where to get a small battery box.

I shut off the burner and run till cold water comes out. That's what the manufacturer recommended.

I try not to use the word "chemical". For some reason, on occasion it can conjure up bad thoughts with some people. I normally call it detergent, but soap is just as good, and sounds less toxic then chemical.

Amazingly, I've also come across many customers who are satisfied with a low priced splash & dash. They have no concept of what they are missing. They refuse to understand anything other than price. This kind of customer is best left to someone else.

I absolutely agree 100%