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Aplus

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Posts posted by Aplus

  2. Posted · Report reply

    I suspect that once you use products like CitriClean or Emulsifier Plus, you'd ask yourself why you ever fooled around with home brews.

    Just my .02

    __________________

    Tony C.

    Maybe because its cheaper. Why else do so many guys use sodium hypochlorite? I don't know I'm asking. Do these house washing products remove mold like 12% does? Tony, I'm pretty sure I read you use a rinse aid in your mix. Do you add anything else to citra or E plus? What ratio do you Xjet at? I know it boils down to doing my own field testing but I appreciate your .02 cents.

    Less than $3 per 6 gallon bucket, plus the cost of chlorine. E Plus has several ingrediants, providing results far better than dish soap. A squirt of dishwasher rinse aid never hurts.

    Does cheaper really matter compared to effectivness? I don't think so, not for two bucks.

    I know there are plenty of other folks out here who use the commercially prepared products, mixed with chlorine, and get superior results.

    Lets here it.

  4. Posted · Report reply

    Agreed rinsing is key, but as a side note.. I use the Emulsifier Plus from E-spec and its fairly caustic. The first time I mixed it (the directions given are for a concentrate which is then further diluted to a soultion) It hit the widows and left wicked haze. The day was windy, it was extremely sunny and there was no way to keep up. Needless to say I spent longer making sure my mix was right the next time. I know this isn't limonene specifically, but just my exp. with another e-spec chem.

    Did you prewet the windows? A dry window in direct sunlight can get very hot. It is possible that applying soap directly to a hot window could cause the soap to flash dry. It can happen in seconds. Always prewet windows. If there is a chance that overspray can land on anything that it should not be on, then prewet those surfaces too.

    cleanhoods reacted to this

  5. Posted · Report reply

    One key to good results with any product is to apply the products at the proper strength, and dwell time. If using an x-jet you have to ensure that your wash mix is not being diluted too much. It's easy to wind up with a mix that's too weak.

    It could take a lot of dishwasher soap to make the mix strong enough. Testing needs to be done to find the mix that's best for you.

    I prefer to use a commercially prepared mix designed for house washing. My testing has shown that they work better than the different home brews I tried.

    I suspect that once you use products like CitriClean or Emulsifier Plus, you'd ask yourself why you ever fooled around with home brews.

    Just my .02

  7. Posted · Report reply

    Now why would anyone want composite decking if wood can look this good?

    Because someone did a great sales job. Composite decking is often represented as "maintainence free".

    The #1 comment I hear from people is that they would not have built a wood deck if they had known what it takes for upkeep. These people are ripe for the taking by a smart salesman who sells them on the idea of a maintainence free deck. AKA... composite decking.

    Because you asked.

  10. Posted · Report reply

    Those are some really good tips, thanks Jon! You're right, I don't spray much latex, maybe twice a year, but when I have to, the airless is invaluable. Do you suppose q/c could be attached to make it easier to switch out hoses?

    I've never used any of the strippers you mentioned, at least not yet, and hopefully never, because I usually don't even bother with jobs that may require the hardcore stripping agents. There are enough "good" jobs that I let the crappy ones go to some other poor fool. I can imagine that you need those strippers more often to do log home restoration, and with the amount of money on the table for those jobs, I can see why.

  11. Posted · Report reply

    Shane,

    The way that o-ring is seated, I wouldn't have expected it would swell. I've never had a problem with that, though. Are you sure a piece of debris wasn't at fault? Hmmm...

    Rod,

    Thanks for sharing your cleaning process. I do it pretty much the same way, except with thinner. I'll have to give the degreaser a try and see how it works for me.

    If you spray latex, would you still use degreaser, or soap & water? Sometimes cleaning the airless sprayer is such a task, especially after extended usage while spraying latex. Mainly I would spray solid color latex on fences. I've been using Simple Green and water, but often the little clumps, and clots plug up everything and maybe the degreaser would soften it up better.

    Speaking of Simple Green, I keep it in spray bottles in all the trailers, it is great for washing hands, and almost any general cleaning you can throw at it.

  12. Posted · Report reply

    Understandably though, most cedar on the market these days are newer growth and will be shot in about 5-7 years.

    Rod~

    That doesn't seem very long. I'm not sure where you got those numbers, but I'd double check.

    I have customers that I've been servicing for many years, that were brand new when I started, and still look extremely good.

    I agree that new growth wood is not as strong or decorative as older growth, but if it's maintained properly, should give a nice long service life.

  14. Posted · Report reply

    I don't think a hand cart will make a stable mount for two reels. It'll probably tend to tip over when you're pulling the hose out. Unless you've already tested it, don't assume this idea will work ideally.

    A nice heavy duty hand wagon with pneumatic tires may be an even better choice. Northern Tool has some nice ones.

    Due to the limitations of your trailer, it seems you may be forced to custom fabricate something if you want it done right. If you can't weld, find somebody who can. Be sure they can fabricate well, because it may sound easy to just weld this piece here, and there, but it really takes a craftsman to cut the metal stock, smooth the edges, clean, and finally weld, laying nice beads. Plus make it look good to boot!

    A side point....

    I like all my equipment to look as well as function exceptionally. Although jury-rigged equipment can get the job done, I prefer my equipment to reflect a professional image. Let the college kid with a pressure washer in his trunk retain the amatuer look.

    Although it takes time to build a business and get the extra cash required, it reflects very nicely to show up on the job with a nice clean truck and trailer, and professional grade, industry standard equipment. If we as powerwashers want to promote a positive image for the trade, then we need to play the part, as well as offer superior service.

    Sometimes if you step back and look at your overall operation, you can identify that changes need to be made in the basics before proper changes can be made in other areas.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    Agreed rinsing is key, but as a side note.. I use the Emulsifier Plus from E-spec and its fairly caustic. The first time I mixed it (the directions given are for a concentrate which is then further diluted to a soultion) It hit the widows and left wicked haze. The day was windy, it was extremely sunny and there was no way to keep up. Needless to say I spent longer making sure my mix was right the next time. I know this isn't limonene specifically, but just my exp. with another e-spec chem.

    I also use Emulsifier Plus. I don't have room to mix up and store 55 gallon drums. I phoned Espec a couple years ago about mixing individual batches of the product. It's not a problem they said.

    Two plastic one cup scoops to 5 gallons water is a good starting point. Most any alkaline detergent can etch or streak glass if allowed to dry, not just E-Plus.

    One of these days I'll have to try the citricleen, having heard nothing but good about it.

  20. Posted · Report reply

    I totally agree about NI MH technology, but it's just not as widespread in cordless tools as NiCad is. I'm guessing here, but I think the NiCad is a cheaper solution, which allows the tools to be priced lower. Like for me, I wasn't really in the market for more cordless tools, but for 2 hundred bucks it's hard to beat, and I like the assortment of tools.

    If the tools were priced at 400 bucks, even though they included NiMh batteries, I wouldn't have bought them. Too much money right now.

    Maybe in the future battery technologies will advance enough to allow better solutions at lower prices. Then I'll probably buy another set, but this one will do fine until then.

  23. Posted · Report reply

    Ken,

    For one, I have not seen TWP last for three years, but I guess it could if it were covered and the conditions were ideal. Generally, I strip the old coating off after two years, and then reapply. I've done some testing on boards behind my shed, and was not satisfied with how multiple coats looked. Often it takes up to a week for the stuff to dry completely when applied to heavy, which is not a good thing. I've not seen it peel, but that's not really the issue I have, which is overall appearance.

    The look you mention makes me think two tone is the way to go, where the spindles, railings, and sometimes fascias and lower skirting is stained solid, with the floor done as a semi-trans. There are variations on how this can be done, and which parts are done.

    Also, two tone can be done using two different colors of semi-trans, like the railing a darker brown, and the floor a medium brown. Or certain accent points can be done with a honey gold color to give a striking contrast.

    I think Reed did his own deck two tone with Ready Seal semi-trans.

    The color choices offered by TWP may not make the best choices for two toning, it just depends on the situation and look you are going for.

    The biggest problem I have with stains in general is that no one company offers all the colors that I am requested to apply.

    That is why I offer both TWP and Ready Seal.

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