John Orr

I think licensing can be accomplished rather easily and simply. Require all pressure washing companies to hold a valid business license - that's all that's needed. Well, maybe require insurance too. If you think about it, holding a business license requires a level of commitment to a business that the casual cleaner need not have. If you are not paying taxes on your income - or collecting taxes for employees (not to mention sales tax where applicable!) - of course you can afford to charge less. If anyone can start a business 20 minutes after leaving WalMart...why go the legal route? If our local governments would promote the hiring of licensed contractors (unlicensed contractors are stealing revenue from city, state and federal governments) by raising residents awareness of the dangers associated with unlicensed contractors - we could bring respectability to all small contractors.

Kind of silly to manufacture a product that can't be used with their own skids. I would love to buy one of these, but can't unless I run an extension cord - or add a generator. What's the point of selling a product specifically designed to attach to trailers you make - but not design it's use into the skid?

90% of my estimates are over the phone. Determine a price per square foot and ask the customer for the measurement - presto! you have your price. I explain that at $3+/gallon for gas and a van that gets 12 mpg (on a good day). "Shoppers" appreciate getting an instant quote and I book almost all of these calls. I do offer to come out if there are any add-ons (decks/roofs), but giving estimates by phone is the way to go - at least for me.

Assuming they work like every other insurance agency, they are paid a substantial commission by the underwriting insurer. Personally, I would never knowingly pay a fee to an agent for doing their (already paid) job. But maybe that's just me.

I have always found that 2 x 6 pressure treated decks weather worse than 5/4" decking. My theory is that being thicker, they hold moisture longer - leading to premature decay.

I would sand the spots, which are probably left over from a long-forgotten stain. I realize that you're not looking for an argument over the use of Thompson's, but if a customer insists on using any inferior product, I would require a signature for release of liability.

Yikes! I pay about $700 per YEAR! for 1M/2M. I have a local agent and am insured by American Granger.

Last year, in response to higher gas prices, (not to mention diesel) I started giving most estimates over the phone. I explained that I was doing it in order to keep from raising prices and almost everyone appreciated the savings. Not to mention, getting an instant quote was what many were looking for.

Nice rig Randy! :winking: 24 footer works great and just takes a few minutes. I use Simple Green Automotive, which I buy in 5 gal jugs (not any less expensive, but better than carrying around 1 gal jugs). I keep a 5 gal pail/lid just for gutters. P.S. Cleaning gutters in cold weather can be frustrating. It seams that the lower (below 60*) the temp, the harder the stains are to remove. I have found that boosting my SG with Roof Magic (stripper) works well. (Always be careful not to remove the finish. If the brush starts to turn white, you are removing finish!)

That's basically what I have with Heartland. No minimum, no lease and I call in each sale on my cell phone. $5/mo sounds great, but almost 4% of every sale sounds really steep.

I use Heartland and pay about $25/mo plus 2 point something %. No machine, no leases - and I usually get 2 or 3 charges each month. As for whether you lose any jobs because you don't accept mc/visa, I can't say, but I can say that having the MC/Visa logo on my truck and in my phone book ads have brought me work. I have also had a few Navy jobs that had to pay with a card.

In addition to my 8gpm/3000psi hot water trailer, I still have my first pw - 13hp/4gpm direct drive. I ran that machine for 2 years washing houses drives and decks until I bought my first hot water set-up. I have since replaced the direct drive pump with a gear drive 5.5/3000. With 13hp, I get 5.5 and about 2600 psi. Works great as a backup.

Sounds like you have too much machine for your 16". One way to get around the hover craft effect is to change out the tips to fit your psi/gpm.

Actually, The Landa Water Jet came with an adjustment guide that allowed you to properly adjust the nozzles. I used to use a Water Jet and thought it was great...until I tried a Big Guy. What a difference! Not just because it is bigger (24") - I could actually move faster. I initially replaced the WJ with a 24" Steel Eagle (which I though was great) and replaced the SE with a BG last year. I have had numerous other surface cleaners (casters as well as floating) and, by far, the Big Guy out-performs them - and is much less "finicky". It just works.

Assuming Oly Max is the same where you are, it strips quite easily. I have been using OM exclusively for almost 6 years and I stain quite a few decks/fences each year. (Honey Gold is my favorite.) OM is guaranteed for 3 years not to gray on decks (longer for fences) and I have seen this to be accurate. After 2 years, it can be lightly cleaned and after 3 or more, I strip it with downstreamed Roof Magic and neutralize with oxalic OR re-coat. Around here, OM is oil-based and I have always applied with a pump-up sprayer (usually backpack). No runs, no lap marks.

I think he meant LOOK BACK...

Public, Your initial post was the equivalent of saying "Niagara Falls". Slowly we turned - "step by step, inch by inch..." Any professional that has they're profession "minimized" (by implying that anyone can do what they do) by lay-people tends to get they're hackles up. Many homeowners assume that just because we make what we do look easy, it is - but it is not. Based on your initial post, you did seem to be one of those people. Obviously, based on you last post, you are not. I'm sure we all wish you well in you attempt, but please, PLEASE heed our warnings of PPE and the dangers of working with, especially, the HD-80. HD-80 is caustic soda or lye and it will eat flesh. I can speak from personal experience. John

It would seem to me that the simplest solution would be to do the rest of the deck with the same SH solution to even it out. (A test could be done on a few of the affected boards.) From the pics, it would appear that the boards would still have a silver color. Just my thoughts.

I think most burners exhaust out the top - some have a vertical coil, some horizontal. Most verts I have seen (had one) are 12 vDC and the horizontals (have one) are 120 vAC. (You might want to do a search for AC/DC comparisons. Personally, I've had both, and as long as you either know how to work on your own machine or have a trustworthy shop nearby, either one will get the job done.) If you use a cover on the skid, or at least create a lid for a vertical coil, you should have no problems. (If you run in the rain, the heat will keep the coil dry.)

Hey Randy, Check to see if the leak is at the inlet or outlet of the coil (top or bottom) as I believe that there is a short section of pipe that can be replaced. John

In a past life, I was a sales manager for a large, national, pest control company. I was told, and subsequently found to be true, that in a "down" economy, homeowners will cut back on many things, but will continue to maintain their homes. Since my business is 98% residential, I'm not overly concerned about an economic slowdown - at least not yet.

Jeff, Did you go to school with "Needle Nose Ned"?

How many of you picked the Giants, in this poll, to win? :corn:

Excellent information. Its nice to know that I really do know how to properly clean Dryvit! If people understood that Dryvit is actually a thin Styrofoam board with a VERY thin coat of mortar (like plastered walls in a house are done these days) they would NEVER attempt to either wash it themselves, or hire an uninsured contractor. Thanks again for the links.

I'm thinking of offering Fed Gov't check cashing. :)