Richard Ivy

Thank you. I'll go to bed now thinking oxalic acid! G'night all.

What you people make of this? I stumbled on it while surfing eBay UK. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PRESSURE-WASHING-BUSINESS-STARTUP-GUIDE-CD-ROM-ver2005_W0QQitemZ7582965972QQcategoryZ46536QQssPageNameZWD2VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

My sentiments too. We get the same happening with window cleaning here.

Morning all, I have some wooden garden furniture that looks decidedly grubby - I'd like to pw it. The thing is, I am wondering how you clean in between the planks? There is a gap of about half inch (remember, this is not decking, although the same query applies really), and I have no idea how you clean in there. Maybe you don't? This leads me to ask if you use a chemical on wood to strip it? I can't see any other way of getting in between the pieces of wood (slats). Thank you,

Pretty much, I think Rod, esp. in regard to downstreaming and upstreaming. Also, when you spray on the chems, presumeably the chems/water drips down into the gaps between the planks and take effect. So yes, thank you for the clarification. I have been doing some google research on wood care and maintenance (uk sites) and am coming up with a few products to consider, although I can't tell what's in the tin until I buy them! Thanks again.

I thought that downstreaming maent the application of chems into the line after the pw (thereby including the X-Jet), and that upstreaming was the introduction/mixing of chems and water before it got to the pw?

Rod, these cleaners and acids, do you apply them with the pw or by hand with a brush or something? Perhaps I'm getting confused with how you apply chems to buildings?

I believe it to be teak. I tested a small area with a 1700 psi turbo lance, and it seemed to be ok, but, to be honest, I'm an amatuer when it comes to wood care.

Hi folks I could do with some advice on setting out my new trailer. I may be getting either a 5' wide by 10' long trailer or a 6' x 10'. On the trailer I need to get, as I can see it, a water tank, the pw itself, a box of other kit, perhaps containing tools etc. I should also need space for hose and reels, perhaps those mounted ones I have seen on some of your rigs. Aside from mounting the tank above the axles (twin), can you give some advice on where to locate the other bits? Should I be looking at putting the pw near the front of the trailer or the rear? Presumably centrally located, not to one side? Should a tool chest go near the front? Have you a preference for siting the hose reels? Have I missed anything? I am planning on getting a flat bed trailer, ie not one with the wheels pronounced to the sides, but underneath the trailer, if you follow. I don't think that having sides on the trailer is going to help anyone, is it? Also, I would be very interested to see photos, close ups, of how you use the tank. Do you bore a hole in the side of it and feed the pw from there? I have read about wheelie bins (as we call them) PHOTO: being used as a reservoir. Is this bin fed from the main trailer tank or elsewhere? Questions questions... Thank you in advance. Richard.

Now you're talking! Great link - looks super. Richard.

If anyone has any close ups of their kit on the trailer I would love to see them. Anything that helps with how and what connects where would help immensely. Thank you.

Sorry for my ignorance about all this, but each answer takes me a step closer. I had assumed that a float tank, whether a wheelie bin or other small-ish container was what was always used when using a pw. I can now see that I don't have to use a float tank if I don't want to, and can feed my pw from the main, very large capacity tank. I guess there may be circumstances where I would want to use a float tank - perhaps for ease of access for some smaller job. Hope I've got this right. I'm expecting a delivery from the US later this week with some gadget that will connect to a wheelie bin, but I reckon now that I can connect it to my large water tank on the trailer. Sure hope I have this right!

Far from it Rod, that's a great help - I had no idea about the volume of water we were talking about - phew! I'm planning on a twin axle trailer with a capacity to take a couple of tonnes (metric), so should be ok. A question on the flaot tank thing - is this fed from the main tank? So the main tank holding 400 gallons, say, somehow pumps water to the balance tank? Then the pw takes its feed from there? I don't quite get how the main tank can fill the balance tank (say a wheelie bin) without being under mains pressure. Is another pump involved? ??? Not too confused, only a little! :) Richard.

Squirtgun, What is a 'float tank'? Is it used in addition to the main tank or is some kind of separate thing? I am dealing with merrillfox as we write. Any further advice on setting out the items on the bed of the trailer? Anyone got any photos, preferably plan-view, of a trailer all setup? Thanks both. Richard.

Evening all, or whatever it is there :) I'm looking to buy a trailer to tow behind my van. Van should be capable of pulling a fair sized trailer, anyway, I was just wondering if you were advising me to buy a trailer (forget what I'm pulling it with for the moment), what size? Is 15' long by 7' wide too big? I was thinking more like 8'x4'. I have to get on it my (yet-to-arrive) Honda pw, 20 whirlaway, flat (3'x4') 120 gallon tank and lance, hoses etc. and other stuff. What you think? Thank you. Richard.

Jeff, I think the engine is 1800 diesel. It's what we call a '55' - it can carry up to 550kgs (I guess you use Imperial). There is a 75 available, although none manufactured anymore. It can pull a decent weight, I think it's rated for 665kgs for towing. My tank is 400l - about 100 gallons. So it would need to take 200 kgs (don't know how many pounds that is) in addition to tank. Should be possible. I use the inside of the van to carry another tank, with 60 gallons in it, plus window washing kit. All in all, this would be pretty punishing for this little van. That's why in the mid-term I would like a big 4x4 pick up truck like so many of you guys drive. As for advertising... there is consensus her ein the uk that this is a good thing. Only reason I'm not so far doing that is that sign-writing the van will make it harder to sell when the time comes, and I also don't like to advertise the fact that I have expensive kit on board. I'm actually busy enough with work and getting it through word of mouth that I don't need to advertise the window washing part. The would be a different story. I would put adverts on a trailer - there's one of you lot who has a neat trailer - Visual Appeal I think, and that looks great, IMO. Have a nice weekend all. Richard.

And here's a link to the eBay site where a trailer is up for auction: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4604436019&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Now don't laugh... This is a picture of the type of van I have - not the actual one. It's all I can afford for now, so you can see the trailer has to be a compromise really. I have my eye on a 14'x6' trailer (total length - the bed is 10') at the moment. This van should have no problem with that. :) Richard

Yes, helpful indeed, I like this site. I am bound by having only a small garage, and 15' x 7' is a bit too big really. I could manage it... It might also be too early to expand. My main work is window washing, and use my little van for that. I think a medium trailer might do it, but I wondered if there was a minimum spec I should seek. Thanks AC Guy.

Hello everyone Just as I was cleaning some windows the other day, I happened to look across and see some large buildings that are half clad in what you call 'siding', and we call 'cladding'. Nomenclature apart... the siding I saw was once white, but on two sides of the building the siding was green and covered in this mess. The roof tiles were also green. When I saw this, I imediately thought of TGS - it's actually quite rare, I think, in the UK to see this stuff. Anyway, I took a closer look, and far from the siding being uPVC (plastic), I could see that it was wood. I could see the nail holes. I could see the mouldy algae on it, and I could also see that the paint underneath was also degrading. Sorry for the waffling... but, I wondered how you deal with this kind of job? Do you simply clean with your pw and chemicals and walk away, job done, or do you make arrangements for someone, maybe yourself the cleaner, to repair the paint work? I can't imagine cleaning a building like this and leaving the paint as it was - maybe even the bare wood underneath. I don't imagine that the timber in my example will be anything other than the cheapest pine going. How anyone could let this buidling fall into this state is beyond me - I can't say where this is, but it's an educational establishment in this town. Your opinions are valued. Sorry I don't have any pictures - the top half of the 30' building are cladded/sided, and the lower half brick. Clay roof tiles, difficult to access fromt he ground. All the best for the coming week. Richard.

Thank you for everyones' input to this.

So would you guys clean it with your pw and detergent then have scaffolding erected and get access to clean the roof then paint the siding? ALL of that? ???

Yeas, it's a mess alright. Such a big job. Like earlier posts have said, this cannot be a job properly done just cleaning the green off - the thing will want painting again, I'm fairly sure of that - you can see, (up close) the peeling paint in places. This is a shame, because I'm not in a position to do the whole job. As Rod said, perhaps prep it for a painter? How would you prep it? Simply clean it down with a detergent (I know you guys turn the pressure down and tend to let the chemicals do the graft)? I think there are places in the UK where I might buy the relevant chemicals. I couldn't reach it, but the roof tiles (shingles?) are green too, where they were once brown. Scott, I can well believe church headstones being protected perhaps - they do get lichen growing on them. Richard.

Hi everyone, Sorry they have been so long in coming, but here's the photos I promised of the 'cladding' I have seen on a building or two or three around here. To be viewed in conjunction with my original post above. Thank you. Richard.

Hi ROd, Jeff, Thank you. I am not at all experienced in pwing - only carried out a few driveways (concrete) in a year, as my main work is window washing. I have on order from the US a new, more powerful machine, and a whirlaway/lance and a few bits and bobs (x-jet etc.), so want to make more of this pw than I have already. This job would probably suit one of you guys! As for the painting, well, I would have to put scaffolding up, and that's out of the question really, as with only one person working at painting, the cost of scaffold would be too high. Surely you don't apply paint with a pw do you? If I can get some pics in due course I will definitely put them on here, as I think you will all feel at home with this! Richard.