Henry B.
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Posts posted by Henry B.
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I'm doing the same thing but with f-18 instead. I might try out some of the hd-80 when I finish this tub of f-18. Probably next week I'll be ready to order. Were running about 7 pw jobs a day so it should'nt take long. Gutter cleaning jobs are backing up on us though and so is the power washing, I just can't seem to keep up this year with the volume of work we've been getting. Still raising prices but it hasn't helped yet.
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MAN, I wish I had a camera with me today but I left it in the office. I estimated a deck today that had so much moss on it the grass seed the landscapers laid out actually started growing on the deck!! LOL
Some of the wood is completed rotted out and needs to be replace but it should be an interesting before and after pic if we do the job!
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Buy an M% x jet and you will probably do the same thing I did with my extenda wands...
Sell them!
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He's right, it's the gasses that the percarb gives off once it's freshly mixed. Make your life easier and use your m5 to apply it. Just wet everything around the deck down first.
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I've seen lots of decks like this, I've even seen them with moss growing in the boards..lol In that case you might want to let your sodium hydroxide dwell a lot longer. If you use bleach be very careful!
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I don't mind downstreaming or using an x jet, the only problem is I hate having to run 200' of soap out of my lines or back into my lines to clean stuff. With the m5 I can just turn the valve off and instantly rinse or soap when I want too. With 15% bleach I can downstream it with almost anytime of injector and have it work the way I want it to. I could pull out both high pressure lines and use one for soaping and one for rinsing but then I have two tangled lines so why bother?
When I've got two guys working on my dual gun rig I do it that way and just run the hoses opposite directions around the house.
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I agree CCPC, I've been thinking about building myself a cart also but I want to make a small one with 4 wheels that will hold 10 gallons so I don't have to worry about tipping it over. I usually mix my house wash at triple strenghth and use the proportioners or just change my ratio by using the plastic ball valve on the line.
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If you get the knack of measuring out your chems right and using a proportioner you ca double the strenth of your mix and only carry one bucket to do a house instead of mixing up 2 or more buckets...
I think I've got the perfect x jet setup now along with my deckster pump for those high chemical usage jobs. I've got two 40 gallon tanks mounted on my rig that I can fill with house wash or whatever I want and pump it to my m5 x jet.
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I use a 5 gallon bucket with a lid on it... I mix up my chems triple strength and use a proportioner. One bucket does a whole whose easily.
I've also mounted one of the deckster pumps onto my rig, welded on a bracket for another hose reel that holds 200' of 1/4" hose. This hose can quick connect onto my x jet for when I'm working on a lift or a roof. The x jet working with this pump will pump my chems up about 30'.
When I get a chance I'll post some pics of my newest setup.
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We went out and stripped a deck yesterday using f-18. The first two layers of stain came off really nicely. Then, we hit paint.
The screwed up part is that we did do a test spot when bidding the job it just so happened that the area we did the test spot was not painted..lol
F-18 took off 98% off the paint when mixed a bit hotter and the job turned out pretty nice at the end. Unfortuanetly for me some of the stripper ran down inside my glove and also burned one of my fingers... Yeh, the stuff works well and it's hot!
End result, job came out great, customer was amazed and I burned off the hair on my finger and got a nice chemical burn to boot!
Once again I remember why I HATE STRIPPING DECKS!!!!!!!!!
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If you know of a power washing company in Northern VA please have them contact me. I've been getting a lot of calls for that area and I don't work there.
Henry Bockman
301 353 9234
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I've been power washing for about 16 years now and I still buy chemicals pre-made. I may have saved a bit of money by making my own but it's not worth the liability to me. All the chemicals we use are used according to the manufacturers instructions.
Even if I could save 10,000 a year on making my own stuff I still wouldn't do it and open myself up to more liability.
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I have to agree with Beth, the liability in mixing your own chemicals is not worth the savings.
One injury to an employee will cost you 1,000 times more in lawsuits and workers comp claims than you saved making your own chems...
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The verticles look good but what does the floor look like? That's what wears out the fastest, expecially if they have stairs and kids.
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I would have given her the estimate the first day while standing in the rain... Of course her phone call and attitude would have raised my price.
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I walk away from jobs all the time... Some may think I'm foolish but why should my company bust it's butt working on a difficult job when it can do 3 easier ones in the same amount of time with great results?? Some people say it's a challenge to do the tough stripping jobs. Maybe I'm getting old but I just don't need those kinds of challenges in life anymore..lol I'd rather make more money for what I do.
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I liked it also... I'm sick of all the crap email on refinancing, bad jokes, porn and other stuff.
I'd rather read a story with a good moral or insight into seeing things a bit differently.
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I've had this happen quite a few times also. It's unfortuanete but the bottom line is if you do enough decks it's eventually going to happen to everyone. It can usually be touched up like mentioned above but not always. I can vouch for the ready seal statement because I've had it rain pretty hard 40 minutes after applying ready seal.
No problems at all! Another sealer I used in the past called ABR X100 would have to be completly redone if it sprinkled after application. That problem and the stench of the product is what made me switch to ready seal.
Has anyone had any experience with what happens with wood tux wet when it rains after application? I'm curious since it can be sealed when the deck is somewhat wet. What happens when more water hits it?
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Personally I try to pick one or two products at the most and stick with them. I've never tried super deck before but think carefully about carrying too many products. Unless you want to carry a bunch of different sealers in different colors in stock.
I also have a policy of not using new products until they have been out for at least 3-5 years. I want to know exactly what to expect from a product in the future before I start putting it on a clients property. I also want to make sure I can get it from a few different sources.
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My Advice,
Bid it high and let it fly. Those kind of fences are a PITA to clean and seal.
If you really want the job, get the property manager to require every company bidding on the job to do a demo in different areas then compare the quality along with the price of the job....
That should get you the job.
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Why did you want to shut it off? If you want to change to another gun or a surface cleaner just use a ball valve. Or is there another reason?
I'm not kicking the idea, I'd thought about doing the same thing until I used ball valves.
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I've done both of the things you guys are talking about and they work quite well if you find the right people. I've got three other companies that have added power washing to their list of services they advertise and just refer any calls to us. I in turn do the same thing for them. it works well and you cut down your costs while increasing your circulation.
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I had the same problem this week. I gave a lady a price on a house wash and deck clean and seal. She told me that she got price last year of 99.00 for house wash. I told her my price of 165. She said that was to much but she would do the price i gave her on deck clean and seal. I call her this week to schedule the deck job, she had the nerve to tell me that her 99.00 guy came through neighborhood and she let them wash house and that they threw in deck for free, could I come out and just seal her deck now.What would you have told her about sealing the deck.
Lawrence Carter
I would have told her it would be the same price if not more since you were going to have to sand down all the wood. And, your probably going to have to go back over what they did to make sure the job looks good and lasts a long time.
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So, have you decided to quit smoking, having barbecues next to the fence or what? How did the fire start?
Working with Realtors
in Business Topics & Tips
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We work with Real Estate agents a lot also but with the booming market they really aren't too worried about the condition of the home. Most homes around here sell within 2 weeks and have 10-15 offers within a few days. The market around here is HOT!
It is true though that most agents want the cheapest price they can get and they want it done yesterday. But, there are still some good agents out there that look out for their clients best interest and want the job done right.