plainpainter

Waste their valuable free time? What about our valueable 'free' time, Lance? Isn't our time worth something? This is what I don't understand - if people don't want to commit to meeting me - then aren't I just part of the problem of folks getting multiple estimates for a few hundred bucks house wash???? Guys who give free estimates without commiting the homeowner to a meeting - that's the origin of the whole problem of lowballers. Not to mention - if they are too busy to meet - then that must mean they aren't very concerned with what service they are getting - that anyone can perform the service - therefore it's a 'commodity' service - therefore, the cheaper the better. I disagree - I am selling a service - I can understand if some of my customers are too busy to meet with me, but in the case where they don't want to meet - then I think I will be charging a fee for my estimates. It will be deductable from the estimate if they choose to go with my proposal. But I have wasted far too much energy and time competing with every other hack under the sun that submits a 'mailbox' estimate. I might as well be the cheapest guy if I start that back up.

Beth - because of your suggestions over the phone with me and another guy on the net, Brian Phillips, I am only quoting folks who will meet with me. If they want a 'free' estimate - they're going to have to commit to time out of their day. Imagine if every contractor insisted on this? Folks may stop getting 6-7 estimates for a lousy house wash. And about bottom feeders calling contractors milking for information - that's the total epitome of scum! Whatever happened to working for other companies and learning the 'ropes'? I must have worked for perhaps 10 years with other guys, spending years getting good and then making notes how long projects take - getting hints here and there from a boss, neighbor, paint store clerk as to the 'going' rate. And then doing a few 'weekend' jobs on the side. These idiots that come out with a home depot unit - and think all they do is spray water, is absolutely ludicrous! Charging $125 for a home wash when I gave a $375 estimate for the same thing - makes me look like an idiot.

To be honest Jeff - I think 1 in 3 is where you should be for closing. Guys that get the 80% closing rate and don't advertize are in danger of falling behind the times in terms of pricing. 1 in 3 is my goal this year - so far 0 for 7. The quality of the calls I have been getting are extremely poor lately - but I've taken advice from others and have met with all my potential customers explained my services, the whole 9 yards, and all I am getting is what questions should they ask when they call up all the contractors that left estimates in their mailbox! So that tells me - that they just want a deal - and don't care about building a business relationship. Nobody ever called me up when I left an estimate in a mailbox to reconfirm what my services actually are.

Things have really slowed down - and the few estimates I am getting are now from y.p.'s - and they're always calls for less than a half day's work - and they're getting multiple estimates.

I can pretty much agree with this assesment Ron - I've been fortunate enough that most of the deck work is up against a vinyl siding home. A painted home I did - I taped plastic to the whole side of the home to prevent getting stripper on the paint - I haven't had much of a problem with shrubs and I have rinsed off some nasty heavy duty stripper straight off the sides with some shrubs sitting there - and no problems - just did copious amounts of rinsing.

Scott - how will you approach re-doing that deck? Is this a full strip/brighten/stain - or is this just a wash and restain?

I don't know Rod, I haven't had any bad luck downstreaming NAOH products.

Scott - I thought I once saw you say that messmers got the best longevity on hardwoods from what your customers said?

yeah - I am dying to know as well!

Celeste - one year old ipe is certainly not a candidate for this type of finish - I am thinking more along the lines of well aged pressure treated that stands to soak in alot of stain.

That would be great - I'd like to give it a go - judging from what you have said already. I think that's an important product in our arsenal - we should all be using it more - I guess it's time to raise awareness?

Scott - I suggest you reinstall the 200 series. Any chance of more samples? I'd like to do a bunch of test boards with the different colors for customers - I believe that 200 series is going to be my 'goto' stain with the results I am seeing there. I'd like to abandon any curing resins for the 'softer' wood species decks, I like the properties I am seeing - yet haven't quite had the quality that I am seeing in the photos.

What I like best about the picture is that the knots are dark. I've stained my pressure treated deck two years in a row with timberoil, twice the first time - and the second year's coat back sometime in October. And for the second straight year - all the knots are bleaching out white again!

Holy mother of God!!!!! I could build a business off that stain right there! I haven't seen results like that with anything I have done - what line of stain was it?

I was being attacked on pricing for pressure washing services on a painting forum - a couple of the guys are also visitors to the *****. And they thought I was riding a high horse wanting more than $50/hr for my services. One guy went so far to ask me if he could sub me out and prep 15 homes and pay me $50/hr for an automatic 40 hours would I do it - and I told him there was no way I was going to wash homes for paint prep for a lousy $133/pop. And they got real disgusted. So my vote is no, our 'customers' which can include other companies that sub our services - do not take us seriously. I told the guy I would do it for $75/hr. And gross $200/house 15 house minimum - and he said that was way too much in this economy - and proceeded to bash me online how he wouldn't contract me to wash out a dog house. At this point the only folks I think take us seriously are high end clientele that responds to very professional marketing.

A little 'birdie' told me that he had done same 'maintenance' deck work last season - whereby he used Armstrong Clark on some railings, and for some reason blended in the drips on the boards with woodtux of the same color. I forget exactly why, perhaps was out of A.C. and had some wood tux on hand? Or was only doing the railings as opposed to the decking - I forget. But he had a chance to look at it recently and the A.C. patch looks brand new while the W.T. looks markedly worse. I am hearing very very good things about A.C........

Man - what a saga it has been these past few years. Even the parafinnic line of stain, which in theory shouldn't support mildew growth, supported it just fine on my deck. I have a 5'r ready to test on my front steps. I hope it's a 'pretty' stain as well. I saw some work this past summer from a major competitor and it was a lot prettier than woodtux work.

Pump-up? Dane, please don't tell me you were self torturing yourself like that? Mix up 10 oz. per gallon and downstream - you'll never go back!

F-18 downstreamed is the bomb to clean that stuff up!

My ride of choice is one that starts up in the morning when I turn the key.

Well - that's a very good reason why when someone asks you why it's so expensive - tell 'em it's close to $150 in chems alone!!!!!! We're in business to pass off the costs to our customers. I could care less how much a gallon of bleach costs - or a gallon of paint - or a pound of concrete cleaner. It's all overhead, and if folks want your services - they either pay your price - or pay some other schmuck who will go into bankruptcy.

Who Cares????

Yeah, Lance, I basically came to this realization a month ago, I did a quick look at some population statistics and realized my area wasn't as nearly densely populated as I thought. I now advertize for over 10+ surrounding towns - so we'll see if my 'service' area can bring in decent numbers.

Jeez - you guys are really backing websites to the hilt. I only got online in early December - I paid these SEO guys for an online landing page last year - that never got me one job. My website now really ranks well for many local search terms. This is the first season that my website is online - I hope to god it performs like some of you suggest. But I have been let down before - poor returns on mailers - next to no phone calls from the yellow pages, tire kickers galore from classifieds, etc, etc. I really hope the website is different. I need a little luck right now.

I love the idea!