bforbis

GESH you guys....all those different bb's how do you find time to actually work??? LOL

I have not used Citracleen, but heard favorable commnets about it here and there. I use the simple Cherry from bob at PT and it works great. I switched by XJing to DSing and really like it better.I don't like to carry the extra water aruond nor pay for shipping. If I carry the powder around and mix it at the job. I know I use a bit more chems that way, but I don't like to have to mix 55 gal kits, transfer the liquid to 5'ers and transport etc.Overall, I think DSing saves chems relative to XJing, I have used the SC on about any surface, stucco, vinyl, wood etc all with good results.

This is not one of those jobs to "cut your teeth on" as stated before many have been there done that. If you have good carpentry skills, there is an opportunity to do some nice work on this, but charge accordlly. The wood work should be around $15 to 20 per sf (remove and replace wood). The rails and probally some of th floor.decking will need to be replaced. Then you add in stripping/removal of paint (MPITA) but can be done. Definitely looking at some major elbow grease, sanding and rework. Some of the stuff would be easier to remove and replace with new than to try to strip and clean. It can also be less expensive to all involved. Lot of good advice in above posts, far more experience than I have...approach carefully and have a rock solid contract if you move forward. Good luck

Hey Dan...I am with Rick. There is NOTHING like working with and preserving old wood. You can smell the difference and feel the textures. Most people would have probally pull it off and replaced. My mom would work on a old piece fof furniture for many months and when it was completed....WOW! Great Job

I put SPF on about 4 decks about 2 years ago and before I became "educated" better on stains. I returned to do maintenance cleanings on all but one and each looked great. each were total strip down jobs with all in poor condition prior to my cleaning. One deck had a Sikkens product on it that was really butcher'd up, caked on mess. I need to qualify though I am not an advocate for using acrylics because of what they are, how they work or not and "typical performance". There are some really good oil based products for best performance and quality....Do your research and learn how to apply and maintain that (those) products.

Neil, Look at it like this...if you haven;t already. The cleaning power of an 8 gpm machine is far superior to the 5.5. (I do not have the 8 gpm, but understand the cleaning units provided). By cleaning better,faster etc you could save time and money with the 8 gpm. If the supply is 6 gpm and you are using 8 gpm, there is only a 2 gpm difference. For a 1 hour job you need 60 minutes X 2 gpm or 120 gal tank buffer plus a little extra. You don't want to have to carry a lot of water around with you if you can help it b/c of gas and wear/tear to axles etc. But you can plan on equipment needs based on some simple calculations. Hope the example helps....Good luck

Ken, Thank you for the input. I felt like I was pushing too much with the paint as I was used to in the airless, but started there out of ignorance to see how it would perform.

Where do you hook it to water?? LOL ENJOY!

Hey Ken, I got and HVLP gravity feed gun from HD the other week. appears to be a nice gun with pressure regulator so I can dial down the pressure to desired effects. I am used to airless pumps at much higher pressures and have played with this new HVLP a bit using latex on some shutters. You said you thinned some latex with an additive (I am familar with that one and others) My problem was with the viscousity of the paint. Do you have to thin all paints used through HVLP? I would expect this to require multiple coats to get the necessary coverage???? Thanks for help from those used to using HVLP

A few months back we had over 275 lf new K gard gutters installed, guaranteed not to clog with 144 lf of 5" down spouts for less than $2K. That averages a good bit less than this product without having to deal with add-on products etc. I am not a big advocate of add-on type products. I am sure for certain locations or installations the prodcut will function for a particular time frame. But I also have issues with the "retail" pricing as posted for the product. The rate of $7 to 10 per foot for a product add-on is not realistic IMHO esp compared to an original product (ex. replacing the gutter). As far as claims for reducing electrostatic bonding, I would be very interested in reading reports that support such on that claim! (All that glitters is not gold!)

That stuff is a growing platform for any thing that falls on top of it. Granules from the roof, seed pods and moisture etc provide the right environment for growth. Then, as stated above, when it freezes, you have a long block of ice to weigh the gutter down. From my stand point, I wouldn't waist my money to put it on my house and sure would not want to stand behind it from a contractor point of view. Just my $0.02

First out of college I worked in the nuclear plants as an inspector of electrical systems, then spent about 15 years in coastal NC with NC dept of Transportation as civil engineer building roads, bridges etc. Then back to school at age 35 completed Chemical engineering and chemistry degree. Worked about 5 years with Kimberely Clark as process engineer in developing new product lines, diapers, car covers, medical industry wraps, coveralls...you name it. Loved the job....HATED CORP Politics, back stabbing, two faced etc etc etc. Lost that job and started business painting, PW, maintenance, etc.

Jeff, Congrats on building a great business and getting things paid off. Celeste is right on about needing deductions. Have you considered max out of something like a 401K. For small business owners it is almost unlimited and invest in good quality stocks. They will more than pay for the interest you are paying for on your house loan. I know a lot of people back away from stocks, and similar investments b/c of the unknown. The biggest part is get started putting $$ away, and work it like you work your business accounts and you will be set. Just my humble $0.02 worth

I have a wet soda blaster from WADU. Have used it from time to time to remove graffiti, oil, grime sanitize odor etc. Youi do have to be carfeul about the Ph of the soda and the landscape, most green things don't like the big shift in Ph the soda causes, because of this, I am reluctant to use it on residential applications unless the owners are very clear on what could happen. It has been a great help on commercial jobs.

The last time I changed out a couple of vinyl shutters I bought a pair of 62" +- X 18" for about $65 (ballpark). They are less depending on size of course. If you can get the right colors, no painting required and simply remove and replace. I'm not sure (As Ken pointed out)the example given by Flood will make the cost analysis for everyone. WC, time, material expenses etc vs what the homeowner is willing to pay?? I know it is sold at local SW and Duron paint stores. They had an examply of a vinyl patio chair and the difference was really good, but the cost on the product certainly overwhelmed the cost of a new chair.