Henry B.

Man, you Texas people love to drive don't ya? Everytime I've been there and ask directions they always said. Yep, it's just down the road.. Only about 200 miles or so. Bahamas should be nice with very little driving.. Thank god for that, you all drive like your in the indy 500. I did love visiting both places though and look forward to visiting again. I'm not sure what those Texas ladies eat to be as beautiful as they are but keep up the GREAT work Texas!!

It all depends on what your going to do, if you can keep it in your garage and many other factors. I'd suggest getting a 5gpm to begin with. Check into a skid unit that you can mount into the back of your truck with a small float tank.. Maybe 50 gallons or so. As long as you can get 5gpm from a hose bib in your area that should cover it. And, you won't have to worry about keeping the trailer heated in winter, or trying to park it. This way if you make it in this business you can always pull it and mount it onto a trailer in a couple years if you expand much. Like I said, it's all up to what you plan on doing with it and how serious you are. Beth and Rod have a truck setup similiar to this and they do quite well with it.... Maybe they have a picture of it they can post. I've got a trailer rig and it works well but it can be a pita to store and keep warm in the cold winters here.

Our range is about 30 miles but I operate in Montgomery County, Maryland and it's pretty crowded here. If there's a decent sized job outside that area I'll consider it but not very often.

My fault, I was referring to using a 12 volt burner or a higher voltage generator powered burner. Mine is run by a generator.

I've recently signed up with a national collection company to track down some cleints that moved without paying for their services. Now this doesn't happen often but it ticks me off to see people basically steal from me like this. If anyone is interested in checking this out let me know on this thread. The fees run $9-$15 per account I refer to them instead of the usual 50-60%.

Hey Chris, A downstream injector hooks into your high pressure line after it leaves the pump. It can be hooked up anywhere past that point. As for types of injectors, I'd use an adjustable one with a stainless steel ball or something else that won't corrode. You could also just by an xjet and attach it to your gun. I like x jets because if I use a downstreamer I have 250' of hose filled with chemical that I'm going to waste unless I cut off the chemical early. Xjets don't work that way and they shoot further with a stronger concentration.

I've got a deisel burner on mine. I heard about numerous problems with the 12 volt systems when I bought mine but they may have worked out the problems since then. The good thing about mine is that I can find parts fairly easy if I need to locally.

Hey Beth, Those are some cool railings, what city was that job in? I've never seen anything like them before but I know a couple clients that would love them. I thought I'd seen almost everything by now, I guess I was wrong.

In that case the only thing I could think of would be kitchen hood cleaning. I don't do hood cleaning but I know others on the board do. Beth and Rod clean them so they might be able to give you some tips on it. If your good at repairs you could offer a handyman service.

I don't know how cold it gets in your area but what about doing gutter cleaning, repairs and gutter guard instellations? Or how about doing roof repairs and ice damn removal? That's what we do.

I agree Dale, I would have definetly walked away from that job. I don't have the patience to deal with a whole lot of stripping and I don't like using really strong chemicals. I usually refer those kinds of jobs to Beth, I know she loves stripping decks. If HD-80 took that stain off that well I'm going to have to check it out. I still don't want to do a whole lot of stripping but I may change my mind about not doing any at all.

I told you they would work... Magnetic cards are probably one of the best suggestions that I give to anyone in business. The reason is simple, they sit on the fridge for years holding up kids artwork and they and the company name become a household fixture. I've gone out to a clients home to talk with them about a job and found as many as 8 magnetic cards on their fridge. They have even kept the oldest versions of my cards that were quite pitiful to look at..lol Why do they work? The client knows where to find your number so they don't have to look in the newspaper or phone book to find you when it's time to do their deck again. If you only give out regular cards the will usually loose in or throw it away by the time they need your services again. True, they can look in the paper or phone book for your number but wow... just look at all those other companies in there next to yours and they might decide to do a little price shopping. Not to mention anyone that visits the home will most likely see your card also and ask about your company. I've thought about creating a new magnetic card that's classy looking but also large enough to frame a 3x5 picture but I haven't done anything with the idea yet. I just wish I could come up with something that could be put on the deck like a brass plate but I think most customers wouldnt like the idea of having my company name nailed on their decks. I've got a few other suggestions I usually give out buy my hands are asleep now..lol More another day.

I've tried correcting or helping people that make statements like that before and it rarely helps. So many people are convinced that they know everything they refuse to listen or even take the time to watch themselves proved wrong. As a matter of fact, I'm headed out to a facility next week to show them how much a difference using a surface cleaner and hot water can make after another company power washed all their walks with a cold water unit and a 25 degree tip. It should be fun!

LOL Beth!! I remember that guy, he was using abr products. I've even went back out and done a few of his jobs this year. Unfortuanetly, the clients loved the abr product so I had to retreat it with that but the decks look good. ABR really is a good product, I'd put it up there with ready seal but I just can't take the smell of the stuff!

Theres also a germantown in Tennasee Did you read the article? They mentioned using a strong bleach chemical to clean the wood and also using hot water...

Okay this is a trick question... "The photos you can take and show to others of the difference you can make...and the longevity it may impart on their deck." I've asked this question to MANY different manufacturers but I've never been able to get a reasonable answer. If I use your product per specification, how much longer will the deck last than if I just used another sealer and did the job every year? "I use the same methods of pre-treating, cleaning and nuetrilizing all our deck jobs.. The only thing different is the sealer itself." The only answer I have ever recieved was that it would last forever if it was maintained with their product. We all know that nothing lasts forever and I think it was foolish for a rep to say that. I am curious though if anyone has been able to get some type of definite answer to this question and what was the product? The reason I ask this question is because I've had clients ask me the same thing, I'm not trying to cause controvery but I don't feel comfortable telling a client that something will last forever.

Hey Carolina, European hornets look just like yellow jackets except they are about 5x the size. Yellow jackets have black and yellow stripes on their buts and their are usually at least 100 in a nest. A lot of people confuse them with wasps but they have shorter wings and bodies.

What's wrong with offering your clients that are moving a price that they can afford with a lower end sealer? I'm sorry that you all may not agree with this but what about the guy that just can't afford $2.50-$3 bucks a square foot. Is it better to let the deck get covered with mildew or rot away to nothing? Or lower these lofty principles and work with the client? I'd rather give them a lower price with a homeowner based sealer than just blow off the job and tell them to save up some money then call me. Or even worse, let a low baller trash their deck. Then they will just think all pw companies are rip offs or idiots. Educate the customer on why your price is what it is and let them know to help them out you can offer them a sealer that's not AS good but it will be a short term solution for a year. Sorry if you don't agree but I believe in working with people when possible. I'd rather inform them then give them a choice on what they want. Give it a shot you may be suprised how many more jobs you will close, and still make a profit on.

Hey Chris, I sent you my stuff allready right? I've sent it out so much I don't even remember who I sent it to.

Hey Beth, I don't remove bees... Not unless they're chasing me away from the house..lol I've got a deal worked out with a pest control company that will give us quick service and discounts for our clients. The name of the company is all pest solutions if you'd like to check it out. My sister in law is the president. 301-770-2400 We refer them out to clients all the time for yellow jackets, hornets, bald faced hornets, european hornets and anything really nasty. Regular wasps we just kill with the spray as long as they're arent that many of them. My wife is also allergic to bees. She has about 25 seconds to use her epi pen or she's in deep trouble. She's not wild about needles either but there isnt much of a choice at that point.

Anywhere from 45-150 or so depending on the difficulty.

Wasps are one thing but recently I've been running into a bunch of european hornets (basically yellow jackets on steroids about 2-2 1/2 inches long. Very aggresive and will sting the hell out of you. I've contracted a pest control company that gives my clients a discount if they are clients of mine. Name of the company for you Maryland people, all pest solutions.

Don't call them from home in case they have caller ID and they get curious...

ACTUAL AUSTRALIAN COURT DOCKET 12659---CASE OF THE PREGNANT LADY A lady about 8 months pregnant got on a bus. She noticed the man opposite her was smiling at her. She immediately moved to another seat. This time the smile turned into a grin, so she moved again. The man seemed more amused. When on the fourth move, the man burst out laughing, she complained to the driver and he had the man arrested. The case came up in court. The judge asked the man (who was about 20-yrs-old) what he had to say for himself. The man replied, "Well your Honor, it was like this: When the lady got on the bus, I couldn't help but notice her condition. She sat under a sweets sign that said, "The Double Mint Twins are Coming," and I grinned. Then, she moved and sat under a sign that said, "Logan's Liniment will reduce the swelling," and I had to smile. Then she placed herself under a deodorant sign that said, "William's Big Stick Did the Trick," and I could hardly contain myself. BUT, your Honor, when she moved the fourth time and sat under a sign that said, "Goodyear Rubber could have prevented this Accident"... I just lost it." "CASE DISMISSED!!"

Hey Ryan, Unfortuanetly most painters basically have to power wash. For the new paint to properly adhere it has to be clean first. You might want to contact the painters in your area and say HEY, I can save you a lot of time by doing your pressure washing for you. That way you can focus on what makes you the most money. Painting... Then you could give them a base price for pwing houses by style and see if they are interested. Most of the painters I know HATE power washing because it wastes their time. Now I can go out there like a week before they are planning on painting and get everything all cleaned up for them. This way by the time they are ready to go paint everything is clean and well dried for them. All they have to do is paint. You should also be able to refer them quite a bit of paiting work also if they would agree to your proposal that is..