dk34

I have 30 - 50 lb. bags left over from a completed job, and have recently sold my business. I will give them away to anyone who will pick them up. They are located in Lancaster, PA 17601. Please inquire to jay514@yahoo.com or to 717-471-5718. Thanks, Dan

My hesitation with using SureKleen 800 is that it IS an acid. Ph of 1.7, and states "Will not correct damage caused by improper use of hydrofluoric acid cleaning solutions." Muriatic acid is not hydrofloric, but hydrochloric, however, you may want to try both burn restore & 800. I don't think the primary use of SureKleen 800 is to repair burn/etch/bleaching marks.

The gray color is likely a burning or bleaching of the brick surface. Efflorescence cleaners are buffered to prevent this. As far as knowing if they were sealed, a Rilem tube test might be overkill http://www.prginc.com/Masonry/rilem.html, a splash test is likely sufficient. As far as fixing it, EacoChem has a product called burn restore that may do the trick http://www.eacochem.com/specs_burnrestore.shtml - test a small area first. You may want to call them, as they are great with supporting heir products, usually putting one of thgeir chemists on the line with you.

9 1/2 hour day....

Cheaper? They are about $150. I've read on this board that the average charge on a house wash comes to about $50 to $75 per hour. How much time and chemical is wasted waiting for the cleaner to go thru the line, how much time is wasted wating for the line to clear, how much quicker does the job go when you can apply the cleaner at a stronger concentration? I can usually have the x-jet pay for itself in a couple days. Pricing for house washing hasn't changed much in the 20 years that I have been in the business. But the methods(x-jet & turbo nozzle), chemicals, and equipment improvements have tremendously shortened the time it takes to complete a job, thus more $ per hour. If you have enough work lined up, make the investment, do 40 hours of work in 30, and spend some of the extra time with your wife or kids, or on the golf course. I prefer to work smart. After 20 years, it's not worth working hard.

Another direction, less cranky www.pressuretek.com If you are new to the business, Envirospec's technical library contains a wealth of information. Very detailed.

A search engine is a terrible thing to waste...... www.envirospec.com

The profit margin on oil to the oil companies is actually very, very low. They just amke their money in volume. As a country, we have done NOTHING to reduced demand over the last 30 years.

HotShot Pressure Cleaning, a division of HotShot Hood & Duct. 1 set of books. Keep it simple.

Double click the icon on your desktop to install & run the program.

#4 tip on 8 gpm 3500 psi? My chart shows using a 7.5 nozzle with those specs. May it was wasn't a faulty bearing?

I own the exact unit, which I bought from a rental store. It is a low gpm machine that I use around the house, fine for the money.

I have used it to remove water repellant over spray from anodized window frames. Below is a picture of a test sample using SafeRestore on terra cotta, used 1:1, brush applied. http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2260&d=1121974444

Detail freaks drive me nuts. I am not detailed. I just avoid the detail work, & let the details to others. I would not give him the detail "stuff", like spindles, etc. Try to find work for him that doesn't require attention to detail. Otherwise, the 2 of you won't ever survive as a team. You'll either have to find work that suits his mind & skill set, or he'll be gone. It's much more expensive to fire/hire a new employee than it is to retain & train him.

Why bother with proportioners? If the un-proportioned x-jet sprays at 3:1, and you need 10:1, isn't it easier to just add more water into the bucket of chems instead of dealing with changing/dealing with those little plastic devices?

Bob's number is 717-540-6868, he is an Eacochem & Diedrich distributor in Harrisburg. Great guy to work with.

Wouldn't it have made more sense to price shop BEFORE buying it?

What else did you expect? Simpson, Bryant, Blake, etc.....

yes, it varies by state what is taxable.

What chemical are you cleaning with? Sounds like you are just using water at 3200 psi? If that's the case, you get what you put into it. Try the proper cleaners, and 1000 psi @ 5 gpm, and you'll be amazed.

I've been using a $35 Suttner Turbo nozzle for a few years without a problem. The guts are ceramic, so you don't want to use it as a hammer.

Did you try Tom Vogel @ ACR Products?

Sodium Hydroxide carried around on your back? Good luck!

I have soda blasted a cement based coating from terra cotta. Very time consuming. I rented the equipment. Because of the historical requirements, a non-abrasive method had to be used. There wasn't any chemical that would take it off. I don't know if you could make a full time business out of soda blasting. Attrached is a pic of the job I referred to.

3/21/05 .....