KGILL

Thanks everyone. I think my minimum price is going to be about 150, unless you are family. In that case, it will be 200. Ha.

I saw a very old post from Dave Olsen who advised that he did not use chemical but used 200+ degree water, 1800-3000 psi and 8-9 gpm. Unfortunately I am unable to ask Dave whether or not he used a turbo nozzle. What are your opinions about using a turbo nozzle? If possible, I would love to do this without chemicals. If not possible, what chemicals do you suggest? Thanks for any response.

I don't let them dictate, and I did stick to my price. Like I said, I told her I could not do it for the price she was willing to pay me. I do not have an official minimum price yet, but I figure it would be somewhere in the 150-200 dollar range. So far I have been above that range so it has not been an issue.

Good to know Dave. How did you mix it, and apply it?

I do not know if it would be strong enough. According to my research on the various forums and other places on the internet, I have seen these responses Yes No Yes, but not as well. I have also seen a lot of the wood guys swear by F-10. That is what I plan to use.

Dave, Look up F-10

A neighbor of ours is an elderly widow who has trouble getting around. Since we bought our house I have been maintaining her grass situated between her driveway and mine. 90 percent of the land between the houses is hers, but I have been taking care of it. Never asked for a dime for my gas or time. I have been leaving the grass in front of her house to her neice and nephew (late 40ish couple live directly across the street, with 3 very able bodied teenage kids) She got a notice of violation from the county after her grass grew too tall (not the section I maintain) and she failed to remove several limbs from a fallen tree (nice family of hers, huh?) Another neighbor used his kids (best source of labor), truck, and trailer to remove some of the junk then mow her front yard. He is coming back after Easter to clean out the beds and do other things to make the yard shine. I am planning on going over as well on Monday because 1)it is the neighborly thing to do and 2) in-laws will be in town. Enough said. Yesterday I washed her walkway, retaining wall, curbline and the front porch because it was black. Came out real nice and once again did it without expecting a thing. I had time before a kickball game and figured why not. She has not stopped ranting and raving about it through email. She advised me about our neighborhood facebook page which I subsequently joined. I had no clue we had a facebook page. I have already received a couple of messages through facebook asking for me to come by for estimates. It was never my intention to utilize my neighbor's house as advertsing but it has become one of the best kinds of advertising, cost me a little more than a gallon of gas and no chemicals. Karma is a good thing.

Trying to find the answer. A buddy of mine had some renovation work done in their house. To say that his wife is troublesome and hard to deal with is an understatement. Nothing came out right according to her. My buddy hung the sheetrock himself but wanted a contractor to do the finish work. One of the potential drywall guys must have picked up on the difficulties that would have been present (crazy, stuck up queen of the house) if he took the job. Bid something like 5 or 6 times what it was worth. She said she would not pay that much, he said "Have a good day" then ran like hell.

Guy....I'm assuming when you tell a customer that it would be 4 times the price it is a bluff trying to get them not to hire you or allow you to use bleach. What if someone says they are willing to pay the 4x if there was no bleach involved. What would be your method of cleaning it? What if any alternatives to bleach would you use?

I have no experience cleaning TREX or composite deck yet, but based on other threads that I have found make sure it is in fact TREX vs another manufacturer. The word "TREX" is sometimes used to describe all brands of composite decking. There may be different methods of care and cleaning for the different brands. The last thing you want to do is inadvertanly void whatever warranty the customer has and be liable for it by using methods prohibited by the manufacturer. Just an FYI.

I have not cleaned any TREX yet, or even attempted to market for it. However according to the website I linked above there are slight variations in the methods of care between TREX Transcend and other TREX products. Key points Oxalic acid can be used TREX Transcend products allow for pressure washing 1500 PSI Other TREX brand products recommend not using pressure washing and using a PW over 1500 psi or closer than 12 inches will void warranty.

Care & Cleaning Guide | Trex

Thanks Mick for the info

Possibly, but I don't think so. The sealer will have a spread rate (gallon per 400 sq ft for example.) When I sealed the concrete floor I had a couple of holes from the tack strips. My wife decided to leave the holes instead of patching (said it might look more rustic, I did not argue because I knew I would not win.) When I applied the stain it looked milky while wet, but cleared when it dried. The instructions advised this is normal. Puddles formed in the tack holes and took longer to dry but eventually turned clear. With a driveway you probably will not have holes like I had in my basement, so fewer puddles. Perhaps those who have done a lot of concrete sealing can advise whether or not a botched job will lead to a milky surface.

Voted. Looks amazing.

Thanks guys. Mick that is a a great way to upsell. Chazz, I do not have any experience sealing exterior concrete but it looks pretty easy. I recently sealed our concrete basement floor after we stained it. Pretty straight forward, which is why I would like to seal concrete driveways if possible. Seems like a real easy way to make extra money if you can upsell.

Forgive me if you saw this on ***. Long story short, I took a swim today while washing my pool deck. We removed the cover so I could wash the concrete deck and get pictures. I tripped over myself and I went in. Cold as hell. It is 70+ degrees here in East Tennessee and all I can think about is warm chicken soup. Not going to tell my wife because I do not want to give her the satisfaction.

Congrats. 25 years is a long time. I did 5 years in VA, sometimes thinking it was too long other times not long enough.

How do you feel about purchasing a rebuilt pressure washer? I have found a distributor in my area that is willing to sell me a unit made by pressure pro (is this a good, reputable brand?) for less than what a new washer from a distributor that is not in my area. The distributor says it is a machine that was worked on but the customer never returned to pay for work completed. Any thoughts, opinions, and what to look for if I do purchase a rebuilt unit would be greatly appreciated.

I appreciate all of you who responded with your opinions. It turns out that it is not a good deal at all. I went to the distributor yesterday and all the hairs on the back of my neck stood up while talking to the salesperson. Oh well.

21 Views and no thoughts or opinions?

I have several questions regarding to starting a pressure washing business. I am interested in starting with residential but would like to expand to commercial in the future. For those who started doing mainly residential, what type of equipment did you first use? Specs about PSI, GPM, hot or cold, bed of the truck vs trailer pulled would be helpful. I understand that a hot water unit is required for commercial use (parking lots, etc..) but would a cold water unit be sufficient for residential? If a cold water is sufficient, do you believe it is better to start with a hot water unit because it is better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it? I have seen several people advise to call Pressure Tech and talk to Bob about equipment, and that is my intention when it comes down to purchasing equipment. I would just like your thoughts on the matter. I originally thought I just wanted to do siding and clean decks/porches without staining afterwards but I have seen through this site as well as others that many companies offer staining after cleaning. If you stain, do you find that aspect of the business profitable? Talking to someone I knew from the past, he stated he used ladders while pressure washing. I always thought it was a no-no to use a ladder while power washing. Keep in mind that I want to start with siding and wood cleaning, for those who offer those services do you find a need for ladders? I am not talking about using a ladder to gain access to a roof if you are planning on cleaning the shingles. Also keep in mind this someone from my past has made several poor life choices and is currently a resident of the state (not someone you really want to base a business or operating model on.) Any thoughts, opinions, etc would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks everyone. I do have interest in attending a seminar or roundtable this year as well as participating in some training courses. I wish I decided to start this last year as there was a seminars in Nashville which is 3 hours away. I was unaware of the event in NOLA but did find information about Easton, PA and Albany, NY. Even before the reponses to my original post I had been looking at getting formal education through courses as well as offering my labor in exchange for learning at a company. That being said, has anybody here allowed someone to learn from their company who was not a part of it? If so, were they local or did you prefer someone who would not ultimately compete in the same market as you once they were on their own? I ask because at this point I can offer my services here locally or from the town I lived in (9 hour car ride, probably 7 if my wife drives) where I live or offer in the town where I just moved from and have a place to stay with friends for free. Would you consider it tackyor be receptive if a local person asked for an agreement like this? Once again thanks for the responses and good luck in your business.