douseahouse

a word of advice to you or anyone else that has not already found this out...be aware of the pressure being used when cleaning out gutters. it is so easy to wash the dirt out and to the backside of the gutter (between fascia). you then have a steady drip of dirt until you finally rinse it out which can take some time. i'm one of those dummies that found out the hard way. rando

i'm doing my 2nd deck in a week which is rare for me as i usually only do about 2 a year. last week i used bob's f-18. this deck was not stained but i think it may have had some sealant in it. it had turned a grey color but the f-18 and f-8 brought it back to life. i bought some e z off from sunbrite in the past but have never put it to use. has anyone already compared these two products or just the e z off itself? if anyone is up late tonight please chirp in as tomorrow is "d" day. thanks gang. rando

don't know if you're still around aaron but here's another question. this deck has no stain and i cannot tell if it has a sealant or not. so if you are using the rip it to just clean the deck then what mix ratio are you using? thanks for your help. rando

another welcome aboard dave. you would be surprised oh how many of the newbies ask the same identical questions that you have. i know, i was one of those newbies myself and i did the same thing. there are a number of answers to your questions as most of us have our own personal preference on procedures and chemicals. you will find the search function an amazing tool on this forum and the best part about it is that it is "free". if you get stuck then feel free to call or email just about anyone of this forum and i guarantee you that they will be glad to help. good luck, rando

to each his own on this subject and it has been a hot topic for quite a while. you'll definitely find alot on this one in the search functions. my advice, try them both yourself and make up your own decision. i personally like downstreaming so i don't have to carry that bucket of chemical with me. when you talk about the xjet are you talking about the xjet or the m5? if you have the xjet only then i feel like that's too much pressure to be washing a house, especially vinyl siding. good luck, rando

sounds like a piece of cake to me. i've always used my regular house wash to remove spider webs along with hot water. i'm not exactly sure what you've got there but good luck. rando

welcome to these forums, you'll find a very special group of people here willing to answer most of your questions. as beth mentioned above, grab yourself a good cup of coffee and use the search function to help get you started. you may not understand why we're sending you that way to start off with but eventually you will. the dewalt you have is a good one as i use it as my backup. you'll find down the road that hot water is essential in this business along with a greater gpm than what you have. with a 4gpm machine you're limited to a surface cleaner no bigger than 20". go ahead and get your feet wet and start up a part time business. daniel is right about the 99 dollar house wash that you are going to have to compete with. so you have a cush government job? air conditioned? insurance and health benefits? 401k? pretty little secretaries? good luck, rando

well i have a house to wash this week and to tell you the truth it's the first one that i have ever come across that is stained. i washed a vinyl house in the past that had a child's playground in the backyard. the playground had a redwood stain and being the nice guy that i am i washed it at no charge. guess what? the stain came off. guess who had to restain it? you're right, me. on the playground i used my standard house wash mix but i'm just assuming that it was just cheap stain. do i need to look out for anything on this stained house? i'm not sure if it's latex or oil base. does it matter? again i thank you guys, rando

rick, if i had washed that house with hd80 you and i would no longer be freinds. rando

smart move ken, i will definitely follow that lead. john, when you wash houses with stain do you use hot or cold? and yes, i did get a call on a house wash and the homeowner mentioned your name but the house was in raleigh. raleigh is about an hour and a half away from me. i called him back and left a message but he never called back. thanks anyway for thinking of me. thanks, rando

nice ron, i noticed some foam on the concrete. did you use any chemicals before starting up the surface cleaner? how about gum? can you remove with the surface cleaner or do you have to use a tip? i also noticed you used hot water...what temp? thanks pal, rando

jimbo's just pulling your leg...i've seen his rig. it's an old vw bug with a bucket on the top (i think it holds 5 gallons). he's got one of those 1000 psi karcher electric pressure washers and 50 ft of hose from big lots. he washes most houses for 49.95 and never buys deodorant. but...he's my friend, and a good one at that. keep up the good work jimbo! rando

i'm using a 98 chevy express van. fortunately i bought it with a ladder rack already installed along with shelves over the rear wheel housing. another bonus was a parts bin where i keep my nozzles, tools, fittings, and alot of other essentials. i looked at utility trucks first and realized that i needed a van so i could secure my equipment. i'm able to carry my surface cleaners, extension poles, and chemicals with no problems. drawbacks? naturally shc is caustic and needs to be vented. since i pull my rig behind me i don't have any room for my chemical tank but inside the van (when i am doing roofs). i keep the windows open for proper circulation but i am always dependent on the weather for this. i've weighed the options and to me a van is what I need. rando

i cannot say that i really saw a difference between 10:1 and 20:1 applications. since i rinsed after applying for better coverage i feel like i spread the 10:1 application a little bit more. when using plexmaster i see the biggest difference on the windows and glass doors as sometimes the customer does also. to me it's something that separates me from my competition as i like to offer a free wax with every wash. if i had to choose between a carwash with wax or without for the same price then i think i would take the freeby. customers, just like us, love freebies. rando

i'm not sure about all the math you guys are talking about but i'll share my method of applying plexmaster. naturally i make 55 gallons of concentrate out of the 5 gallons of product. i have applied 20:1 with an x-jet proportioner and i have also applied 10:1 with my downstreamer. using my rinse nozzles i then spread the plexmaster evenly on the house. i love the way it beads up on the windows. try it, you'll like it. rando

jeff, to answer your question i'm a big fan of hot water. i have found that i can use a lesser % of shc when i use hot water to wash with. my standard housewash mix when i use hot water only contains .5% shc and i have had no problem knocking off the mildew. good luck, rando

i've been using the plexmaster from envirospec. it's actually called a sealant and a mildew retardant. i use it to distinquish myself from the "other guys" in my area and it has turned out to be a great selling feature. i include it in my normal housewash instead of letting it be an "add on" feature. i buy it and make 55 gallons of concentrate. i like to get it on the windows and watch the water bead up as that lets the customer know that they are not being taken advantage of. rando

i'm currently using the FIMCO brand that is about 4 gpm's at 45 psi. i've had no problem with the brand and i like the fact that they have a rocker switch already installed on the pump. i have used a shurflo in the past and again have been satisified with the performance. rando

agreed, i would never seal that. quote her a price including the oxalic cleanup for the entire area. luckily oxalic is an inexpensive product. rando

go visit bob at pressure tek...here's a product alot of us use to take care of those pesty streaks...Simple Cherry is a multi-surface cleaning product that is safe, effective and simple to use! Simple Cherry is sold in 10 lbs packages. - CHEMICALS HOUSE WASH / GUTTER / WOOD CARE / MULTI-PURPOSE good luck, rando

to my friends using the little blue jug from walmart...check out the photos. the spout unscrews so instead of putting your hose into the hole you just put a 3/8 barb hose fitting with 3/4 npt threads into each side of the cap. cut off enough of your xjet hose to fit inside the jug and then put the cut hose onto the barb on the outside. if you turn it over there are no spills. if you have a large job and don't want to stop and remix then have two jugs ready and just swap the caps when you are ready. i know everyone thinks i am a genius but i'm not. i'm just a rocket scientist. i got this tip from bob at pressure tek and it has worked really well for me. don't anyone try to strap this thing on your back. rando

i posted this on the pt forums but nobody had an answer so i'll try you guys. being a bonehead i applied oxalic acid to a pool deck that had the slightly beige tint to it. the reason i applied was to remove rust stains. well i did remove the rust stains but the concrete now had a white chalky look to it. i had to go back over it with pressure to remove the top coat of oxalic but it still has a slight white chalk look to it. the surface cleaner would not cut it so i had to use a 40 degree tip. now i also have those dreaded stripes in some places. luckily the homeowner is not complaining but if i were them i would. any suggestions? rando thanks john, micah, and dustin for the telephone help

i was wondering about that. is there a sealant that i can apply that will have a little tint to it? that may be the answer. rando

i was by the home today and forgot my camera. the funny thing about this is that the homeowner is not complaining so maybe i should quit too. it's just that i know that it's not right and i really wanted it to be. i feel like if i leave it alone then maybe the oxalic may just wear off and everything will blend back in. that's what i hope will happen. ken suggests the gsr from eaco chem. i just emailed them to get their opinion since it is their product. as far as the homeowner is concerned i'm finished and everything is ok but i know what i'm looking at and apparently they don't. they are probably the best customer that i have ever had and i really feel like i have deceived them. tomorrow will be a better day i hope. rando hey, thanks for you help

hey ken, tell me more about the gs restoration. eaco chem called me and had me try a couple of products but not that one. anyway, the two (hd80 and efortless) really did not work. also, how much area does a pail cover? thanks, rando