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Aplus

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Posts posted by Aplus

  3. Posted · Report reply

    Be careful with gas stations! There are so many contaminates on the concrete you'll have quite a high octane brew by the time you're done. And of course you're supposed to recover the wash water.

    There are lots of concerns to cover. I'd suggest using the search function on this board to find as much info as you can, then ask questions from there.

  7. Posted · Report reply

    Steve,

    I have a buddy in the biz in the Spring Lake area, that's why I asked if you were near there.

    Yes, the Emulsifier works well mixing by the batch. That's the only way I do it. I dump the 40# bag into old pails that previously had HD-80 in them, and carry one on each trailer.

    I mix two measuring cups per pail. By weight, that is approximately 10-11 oz per cup. I had to experiment a bit to find what worked best for me.

    I don't like mixing up whole drums because I just don't have enough storage area.

    During winter cold months, I round up all my chems, group them in a circle, and cover with an electric blanket set on low. It keeps them just warm enough to prevent freezing.

  8. Posted · Report reply

    For me, licensing means a city license to operate a business, and a DBA license thru the county.

    I've never been questioned as to what 'licensed' means, but I would tell them that it means I am registered thru the county, and licensed in the city to do business.

  9. Posted · Report reply

    Robert,

    I have not noticed the addition of wax to cut down on suds. The emulsifier plus provides plenty of suds.

    As Ron mentioned, it is JET Dry that I add a small squirt of into my house wash mix. I don't know it it's more economical than other ways, it's just how I do it. Actually, I haven't noticed anybody selling a similar rinse aid by the gallon. Anybody have a source for that?

  11. Posted · Report reply

    A lot of the stuff I carry has never been needed/used, but you can never tell when something is going to fail.

    Most common failed parts for me have been: o-rings, connectors, high pressure hoses, and unloaders. Now, you need the tools to be able to field repair the items mentioned.

    One thing I would really like to have onboard is a vice. No, not the bad habit type, but rather the clamping type.....:)

  13. Posted · Report reply

    My take is that if the concrete is not excessively oily, then hot water alone will often do.

    I do some drive thru's at fast food restaurants, and the area by the order box, and the pickup window are usually pretty heavy with drippings, and hot water alone does not achieve satisfactory results.

    However, the length in between these areas usually does not require chems.

  17. Posted · Report reply

    I always wear long pants, even when staining, because I don't like getting stain on my legs then having to use paint thinner to clean it off.

    I have light grey t-shirts with my logo that I supply for everyone to wear in the warm months, and sweatshirts with logo for the cool months.

    Nitrile gloves, respirators, dust masks, ear plugs, goggles, etc, are available for anyone who wants to use them.

    I also keep bug spray & sun block readily available, although it's not theoretically ppe.

  21. Posted · Report reply

    Robert,

    I'm not sure why you feel you have to sand. If it's just Behr semitransparant, it will strip easily with a product like HD-80, which you can order from Beth on this board. I rarely have to sand, and if I do, it's just to touch up an area or to smooth out a hand rail. It's all in the chems and your technique.

    I'd be in the $750-800 range for strip, neut, stain. Two guys to wash in about two hours. Three guys to stain by brush and roller in about three hours. May seem too fast, but we do so many jobs that we just fly thru decks like this one.

  24. Posted · Report reply

    James,

    I was actually just ribbing ya a little. I knew you wern't talking about an Ipe fence.

    When you did the new cedar fences, did you wash them first? I always do, to remove any mill glaze. Funny thing is, there is a local fence builder here that offers a staining of the wood before the fence is assembled. He uses TWP, and sprays all the components before assembly. They look really nice done this way, but they don't seems to hold up as well, because the stain really can't penetrate the way it would if the mill glaze was removed.

    In all my years in this biz, I've only done one redwood deck, and no other fancy wood species.

    White cedar and pressure treated pine dominate in this part of the country. I have never seen any other wood species in any of the lumber mills or chains, at any price.

    My observation is that the very high end homes around here don't even bother with wood decks. They go with stamped concrete, and such.

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