John Orr

Dale is correct. You should see results almost instantly, certainly within minutes.

Oxalic will work fine. Apply and re-apply as needed. Do not let it dry on windows as it will etch. Bring enough to spray areas adjacent to the stains as frequently there will be a "haze" of rust over a much larger area. You may not notice until dry and viewed from a distance. Been there/done that.

That's what I would use. I'm sure you should offer to seal it too, though I'm not sure which sealer to use in that environment. Can you say "lawsuit"?

Sodium hydroxide strippers are actually lye. It will eat your flesh. If you get it on you, rinse asap. If you spill it on your clothes, change and rinse asap. If allowed to remain on your skin for too long, you will need (speaking from personal experience) medical attention. I now carry a small bottle of apple cider vinegar to neutralize the SH.

I have never had any success with adjustable downstream injectors, but there are non-adjstable injectors various in varying sizes. I think that mine is 2.0 or 2.1. By varying the dilution of the chems, it is possible to get fairly high concentration.

Are you doing anything different this year? Personally, I like picky customers. They are the only ones that truly appreciate my work.

Actually, the question should be "Does anyone find anything RIGHT about this picture?"

Many good suggestions have been made, but the most important (to me) thing is to spray in the direction of the siding joints. As you sight down the side of the house, you should not be able to see the joints. Most of the water that gets behind siding will get in through the joints and drain through the vents. (Small holes spaced about 1' apart, which are really too small to let much water in.)

Everett, Should I be offended? John Orr Low-Pressure Exterior Cleaning http://www.exteriorcleaning.com

Jeff, It sounds like the normal learning curve to me. lol I would recommend that you get a ball valve and quick-connecting it at or near your gun. This will allow you to change guns without having to shut the machine off. As I am writing this, I realized that you probably are using a portable machine. The key to keeping your pump from overheating is a float tank. When you release the trigger, it will bypass water from the pump into the tank while drawing supply water from the tank. It doesn't have to be a large tank, maybe tou could rig a portable tank (30 gals?) The plumbing would be fairly simple and by doing this, you won't have to worry about getting to your machine before the pump burns-up.

I used to use a rinse aid, until I started adding wax to my mix. I use carnuba wax from Northern Tool. Just a little goes a long way. The key to using wax is hot water, otherwise you will not like the result.

I have never had a problem with screened-in porches. The keys are the right chems and low-pressure; (I usually use just a few hundred psi.) and always start the flow with the wand pointed away from the screens. I usually use a 10.0 or 12.0 tip.

I charge the actual cost of the stain/sealer. I always quote a range of stain/sealer to be used and your're right, it would be consideralbly more than 2 gals. Dale, in short, no they don't ask. And frankly, I don't charge by the square foot - though I may use it as I calculate estimates, I never mention it to a customer. Around here, people won't pay thousands of dollars to clean and seal a fence - no matter how great a job you do. For comparison, here is the house I will be doing today: 2300 sq ft house with about 300 linear feet of fence, some of which is 2 sided. The house is $225, the drive/walks is $35 and cleaning/brightening the fence is $250. Working alone, I will start about 9 am and be done around 3 pm. That works out to just about $100/hour. I think most pwers would have no problem with these numbers. Dale, I see that you are in Wisconsin. I used to live in Milwaukee and visit every year and I wonder how in the world you get the cheapskates that live there to pay top-dollar - for anything!? lol

OK, let me clarify. I charge $1 per linear foot for the first side and .75 per linear foot for the second. I charge the same rates for sealing, plus the sealer. So...a 100' fence, both sides, would be $175 to clean and $175 to stain plus about $40 for the stain. $175 + $175 + $40 = $390.

I normally charge $1/lin ft for the first side, then .75/lin ft for the other side for cleaning and/or staining - plus the stain. Even at this price, I have few takers.

Ah...second story decks. My favorite...NOT! lol Generally, I will reach around and do the insides of the spindles, then remove 24' from my Coress (making it 24') and clean the outsides and in-between. I did one just like this yesterday, so my recollection is vivid. With the Coress, control is easy, since there is no "bending and swaying". The worst is when the railings are not secure, in which case I skip the reaching part. John Oh yeah,I voted reaching since I could only pick one.

Locutus, or shall I call you Jean Luc? lol I can't tell you whether that is a good machine or not, but I can tell you that the gpm is more important than the psi. I'm sure if you do a search, you will find a wealth of information on the subject. Having said that, since you already have it, I'm sure you could get by with it. The fact that it has a Honda engine and a Cat pump tells me that it is not a p.o.s. As far as not getting an answer, I can honestly say that I did not respond because I am not familiar with that particular machine. You will not find a more helpful group of people than those that participate on this board. Live long and prosper.

Paul, There are a few possible sources for these stains: Rusty antifreeze, water dripping off a rusted automobile and muriatic acid. Occaisionally, Using a stronger oxalic solution will work on the car rust, but I have no solution for the others. I advise customers with these stains that they may not come completly clean. By the way, I know that muriatic acid will cause these marks from personal experience. lol

I always use a respirator when using bleach in an enclosed area. One time without one is all it took to convence me!

I downstream my housewash mix (which has bleach in it), let it dwell for a few minutes, then rinse with a 12.0 tip. Works every time.

If the finish was oxidized, it would have masked the problem, only to reveal it after cleaning.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but...Those are not streaks, they are caused by the nails used to apply the sheathing being super-heated, concentrating heat in one spot and "cooking" the siding. (Sometimes the nail gun isn't adjusted properly and the nails are not driven below the surface of the sheathing.) There is no amount of washing that will fix this.

$1.55 today, up from $1.51 last week. Here's a little perspective on current prices: During the last "gas crisis" in 1979/80, I managed a Union 76 station in Milwaukee, WI. As I recall, this was when prices first went over $1/gal - up to about $1.20. Adjusted for inflation, current prices are unbelievably low...even at $2 or $3/gal. There aren't many things that haven't doubled, tripled or ?? since then.

I have been using Olympic Maximum exclusively since late 2002. I try to steer customers towards the Honey Gold. On pressure treated wood (which all decks are made with around here) OM Honey Gold makes it look better than new. Tony is correct about the verticle surfaces, however, the decking can be cleaned, without stripping, and it will look good. For me, aside from durability, ease of application is key...and OM fits the bill. Also, Olympic guarntees the stain not to gray-out for 3 yrs. (I let the customer know that the guarantee does not include labor,)

This thread started due to pics of mine, from my website, being used on someone else's site. While it should never have happened, an explanation was given and a correction was made. Thank you Ernie for your prompt attention to this matter. John Orr