John Orr

Tony, thermostatically controlled vents will work. Cut the opening and there is a bezel that will cover the edges. Batchelder & Collins in Norfolk sells the good ones - "Temp Vent" brand. They come in several colors - brown black and white as I recall. As far a plastic/sand, I would skip the plastic on the ground, as this will allow water to sit on top. Plastic with holes punched-in (a screwdriver works well) would work, though if water can drip between the boards, the sand/plastic needs to be sloped away from the house. The biggest problem with this (and most) decks is that they cut-off airflow in the crawlspace of the house - which can lead to many nasty problems - so curing the moisture issue with the deck will save the homeowner thousands of dollars down the road. P.S. In another life, I was a manager for Terminix in Virginia Beach and have crawled MANY houses that were suffering due to lack of airflow caused by decks.

"Normal" housewash mix is not the likely culprit. Do you add wax to your mix? If you do, just a few drops will coat the gills of the fish and they suffocate. (Don't ask me how I know!)

Not sure how I missed this thread, but any, well, most, er some pw contractors would welcome the opportunity to help you - even in their own backyard. My position is that there are too many dirty houses/buildings/walks for me to clean by myself and the better educated my competition,the better prices we'll all get. If your eve in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area, I'd be glad to let you wash a house or two.

Competing against others with essentially the same price as you is where the "intangibles" come in. Professionally dressed (uniform), lettered vehicle, informative website, high ratings on services like Angie's List are what will get you the work - many times even if your price is higher.

Now THATS'S funny! :lghohoho:

What a coincidence, I too spent time in Italy when I was 13. Of course, there were no ruins then, folks were still using all the (now) museums! We were in Fiuggi (sp?) midway between Rome and Naples.

I still have my Atari 400 - with the optional "real" keyboard and tape drive, even have the optional cover with the Atari logo! Missile Command, PacMan, Donkey Kong. Ahh, the memories! I pulled it out a few years ago and was still impressed with the graphics.

I'd be very happy if Santa put a new hot skid under my tree. (Too bad my "old" one is still going strong. :( )

I would be tempted to offer to redo it as a favor for the Realtor. It will make you a hero for them, but they have to promise to allow you to bid against "real" pressure washers.

I stand by my earlier answer and add that, minus a pressure washer, a homeowner could "swab the deck" with a 3% solution of chlorine/bleach - or 2:1 water to store-bought bleach.

I have an Acer Aspire One with an ATT air card built in from Radio Shack for $50 w/2 yr agreement. Works great in the field with MS Streets & Trips. I can email or eFax invoices and proposals while on the (side of) the road. I recently bought Dragon voice recognition software, as monkeys can type faster than me! (I have 10 years of records that I'd like to input!) I added a wireless mouse and a bluetooth dongle to sync my phone and a 9 cell battery on eBay for about $40. I also found a $40 laptop stand that bolts to the floor of my van and uses 1" pipe and a plexiglass top. It works quite well and has a quick release so its not obvious that you have a laptop on board.

Hope all is well. My daughter turns 18 next month. (Wow, where does the time go?)

Most areas have a rep for Olympic stains (owned by PPG). If yours is anything like mine, they will be more than happy to work with you to make sure it will work.

You can make your own DS nozzles by adding a 1/4" air chuck to a 1/4" quick connect - no tape needed. In addition, using NO nozzle will give you the best concentration, though it won't shoot as far. It also has the advantage of having less overspray. The weak link is going to be your downstreamer. I highly recommend that you purchase one from one of the TGS sponsors that is designed for caustic chems. (Generally, they will have a ceramic ball.)

Of course, if you use heated water...But seriously, do not use too much heat or you can break window seals, causing them to fog-up. P.S. Hot water does feel good on the feet on a cold day.

Welcome D! I think that you'll find this board an awesome resource for whatever info you're looking for. May I suggest - if you haven't already - that you use the search feature at the top of the screen. See 'ya 'round!

If you only have an occasional need for it, Home Depot - and many hardware stores - carry Rust Aid. Costs about $10/gallon at HD and is oxalic acid.

Listen to what Ken says!

I insist on my customers having either vinyl siding or brick! Seriously though, any time there is a possible "situation" - especially if you don't find it until after you start the job, use your phone's camera to document.

If you're trying to pre-qualify (and if you're new, don't! you need to see as many prospects as possible) then a simple "prices start at $x, depending on size and scope of job." Then, offer to come out and give an in-person estimate. Mention your website and be sure to bring your book of pics. (Not everyone has computer access.) Talk to your prospects the way you would want to be spoken to!

In addition to extra everything, I also carry a spare pwer! I have an 8gpm/3000psi trailer made by HydroTek...and a Home Depot 4/3500 direct drive converted to a 5.5/2600 gear drive. The last thing I want to have happen is to leave a job incomplete due to mechanical failure. Time= $$$$

A non-functioning downstream injector really sucks! But seriously, I always carry at least one spare. In my experience, downstreamers seem to delight in frustrating me. So rather than getting mad, I get even...just swap 'em out. (I quick-connect mine after the coil and before the hose reel.)

Michael, it's obvious that you want to offer the best possible level of service and are having a tough time charging for it. One possible solution that others have used is to offer "tiered" services - like at the car wash. Wash the house and offer the other services at an additional fee. If you're reasonable about the fee - and explain why its needed (think about sitting in line at the wash and trying to figure out the difference between levels of service) you customers will get (and pay for) exactly what they want and you'll sleep better. P.S. Brushing gutters only takes a few extra minutes, and since most pwers don't do it, let it be your "signature service". From time-to-time, I have a customer that is skeptical of a particular service like gutter wash or driveway, I offer to not charge them if they think it wasn't worth it. (Always get paid!)

Showoff! lol I'm guessing that the pump costs more than the engine! I converted my direct drive 4/3500 to 5.5/2600 gear drive. GPM's rule!

Now THAT'S funny! And that is one amazing home. Did you get the job?