John Orr

If your machine is not working, then neither are you. Even the best machine can and will break down. For your first machine, I would suggest local due to Murphy's Law. There have been a bunch of excellent suggestions made, but educating yourself to all aspects of your business will be your best investment in your business. I use a Hydro-Tek (8 gpm/3000 psi) rig and love it. Whatever machine you get, I would suggest 110 volt AC over the 12 volt DC. I have all my service done at my local Landa dealer and I can tell you that, since they don't see a lot of DC machines (I'm referring to hot water machines. The engine/pump will be 12 volt, but the burner should be AC.) it takes them longer to troubleshoot and they are less likely to have parts in stock. Hope this helps!

Matt, Excellent questions. I'll try to answer as best I can. ***** By-Laws prohibit a vendor from serving on the BOD. The definition of a vendor is spelled-out in our By-Laws. Paraphrasing, if the majority of your business involves getting wet, and you join as a contractor, you are a contractor. Based on that, you would be eligible to run for office. (You would get my vote.) As for BOD meetings, per the By-Laws, they are not open to non-BOD members - unless they are invited. A regular Town Hall-type of meeting would be great. As for the minutes, I personally would not have a problem with posting them on our BBS. I look forward to active committees and discussion of committee activities on our BBS. I would like the Oversight Committee to be peopled ASAP. Active member participation is the best way to achieve transparency. I hope my response is helpful. As always, my phone is always on. John P.S. Any changes to our By-Laws would require a 2/3 of responding members to vote "yes".

Marko, so sorry to hear of your loss. As we get older, unfortunately we have to rely on our memories of family that pass. Sounds like you'll have plenty of good ones.

Excellent! Can you share with the "class" what you used?

I'm assuming that you are referring to the oxidation residue that runs off of the paint and onto the brick? Sometimes sodium hydroxide, though I generally carry a can of spray-on paint remover. Just don't ever spray yourself or anything plastic. Paint drips and oxidation - it works fine, though a bit impractical for large areas. As for pricing, I make no distinction, though some brick or partial brick homes should cost more. (Most customers feel that their brick home should cost less, since you're "only" cleaning the trim.) When working with any chemical, always take precautions and use the proper PPE.

How do you wash? With or without pressure? If you use any pressure, you should stay away from aluminum siding. Even with a "soft" wash, older aluminum siding can lose color. The test is how much comes off on your hand when you run it over the siding. To actually answer your question, I will use my normal mix for any aluminum sized hour that I agree to wash.

The ***** does not sell copies of these BMPs.

As a ***** Board Member, I can honestly say that we were not given any notice of this press release. While it is true that the DVD is supported by both orgs - and has been since the inception of the ***** - the support that we have given is to Robert. Any of you that attended the 2009 ***** Convention in Orlando was given a copy of this DVD. There have been - and will continue to be - revisions, but this DVD is not new.

Do you really want to practice on someone else's expensive teak furniture? In any event, $3-500 pw'ers are toys and won't last. At a minimum, you'll need to spend $1000 on something with a 13 hp engine. The problem with that is that the more powerful the machine, the greater the likelihood of causing damage. I don't envy your situation.

I've used a HydroTek skid (8gpm/3000psi) for almost 6 years and somewhere around 4000 hours. I've replaced seals and valves a few times in the AR pump, but otherwise mostly routine maintenance. Not having to wonder whether it will start and run on the next job - or worry whether it will make it through the current job - is worth spending a little extra for. Of course, if you don't do the maintenance, it won't matter, much, what you run. BTW, I carry a spare 5.5gpm/2500 gear drive in the van...better safe than sorry! I wish I was closer to ACR, they're good people.

Very nice Tony! What stain did you use?

I have a 3000psi/8gpm rig and I have stopped trying to "fix" downstreamers. I buy the non-quick connect injectors from Northern for less than $20 each and just replace them when they fail. I do flush them after each downstreaming session.

I saw a congressman speaking about a 1% solution. Makes sense to me, here's the link...We endorse the One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2011

Ditto on the HD80 for the vinyl. On brick, HD sells a spray paint remover. I can't recall the brand, but it's in a gold can. Nasty stuff that will melt plastic - so only use it on the brick. Apply, pw off. It will remove the paint - as well as any exposed skin! (Use proper PPE!) I've used it to remove 30 year old paint drips with great success.

The old siding still has it's original color, its just hidden under a layer of oxidation. Literally, the siding is rusting. If you rub your hand over the old siding, you will find your hand covered with an oily residue and there will be a corresponding spot on the siding that looks like the original color. (This problem is worse on darker colored siding.) There once was a product (Restora - there's an insiders' joke there. LOL) that was supposed to do what you want, but it was pulled - thankfully! - from the market a few years ago. The best advice I can give a homeowner - other than hiring a professional (sorry, I had to get that plug in!) is to wipe-down all of the old siding. A scrub brush will also work, though you will want to do it dry. (Having the surface wet will make it very difficult to see where you are, and need to be, working. Be aware that it may be difficult to remove all of the oxidation. The goal is to blend the old and new. I hope this helps.

Are these actual cobblestones or pavers? (Cobblestones are stone and pavers are concrete.) Assuming they are pavers, the best - and fastest - solution is kitty litter. Buy some of the cheap stuff (oil dry will work) and spread it over the spot(s). (Again, I'm assuming the oils have penetrated and there is nothing on the surface.) Grind the kitty litter into the paver with your boot until it is the consistency of talcum powder. Let it sit for a few minutes, then sweep-up. Repeat if needed, leave overnight if really stubborn. The idea is that the clay in the litter, when crushed, will pull oil from the pores of the paver. I have used this technique successfully for over 30 years, so it should work for you. P.S. This becomes rather tedious if the area in question is large, but it will still work, it just takes longer. Tip: I carry a 5 lb bag in my vehicle - just in case I drip something oily.

Oly Max Toners can be removed with a strong housewash mix. Having a stain that is durable, but easy to clean is a plus. Any time I wash a house with a stained deck, I wet the deck and usually wash it. Chem tip to apply and rinse.

Still busy, just not 5 to 6 weeks out! Back to "normal" - about 2 weeks. I'm hoping that I have the usual slowdown in August. I could use a break!

Does it work OK when downstreaming? If so, replace the pressure switch.

I vote for carpenter bees. (They are easily identified by their tool belts.) They actually look like bumble bees and hollow-out fascia trim or any wood - including pressure teated - to lay eggs. Usually, woodpeckers attack the fascia boards to get at the larva. They leave the trim looking like a machine gun has strafed the house. The mess is referred to as fras - a mix of wood and bee poop.

I've had some success using kitty litter/oil dry. Grind it in, sweep it up.

I might as well add my name to list!

The water is actually blowing from the downstream injector, which is built into the unloader. Most likely, the spring has sprung.

When using a pwer on a deck, think of painting a car. Sweep in, steady across the surface, sweep out at the end. Personally, I find that trying to walk the length of a deck while trying to maintain an even spray pattern way too tiring. I usually wash about 6 to 8 feet at a time and never leave lap marks. If you happen to come across lap marks left by others, a cross grain motion over the mark, starting well away from the board, will help to even-out the mark. Be careful or you will add a mark of your own! Practice, practice, practice.

I would suggest using a dry cleaner like Re-Crete, which has enzymes that will eat the oil. The added benefit is that you won't be adding another odor into the house. If you'd like, I could send to a cup or two. I have been looking for new and more ways to use it. I have a tub of it and unless its a very large area, a cup or so should be plenty. (Spread it over the area, sweep it over the area and pick up any extra. A second application may help.)