plainpainter

Barry - I charge $0.75/sq.ft. to clean trex. And about $1.60+ to strip/ph-balance/stain wood. Which seems in line with what most guys do. And I the russell cissel estimation - so that just isn't sq. footage of the floor either. Hands down - this hourly-rate-mentality - painter makes more money on cleaning trex per hour than restoring wood. And with wood - you just never know what you're gonna get sometimes. And painters have been around for a long long long time - pressure washing is relatively new - enjoy the money while you can, new enterprises usually make good money. I'd like to see you restore a 2400sq.ft. colonial with 10 layers or lead paint in 400 man hours, and explain to a customer that you're worth $100/man-hour. And if the illegals can bring down the painting trades - I am sure it's a matter of time before they do the same in pressure washing, enjoy while you can.

Why don't you get one of those porter cable tungsten/carbide paint grinder - it would make short work of that deck in a day.

Barry - who cares - what are you, the caped crusader? If people want composite decking - let them have it - there is great money in cleaning it. I personally think it's ugly as sin, and would never entertain the thought of it on my deck. But who cares - loads of money to clean it - I like money.

Honestly you'd think by this point in time that technology could beat mother nature - I don't care what they have - as long as they pay me to clean them. I am a painter - and every house that has vinyl is a lost customer - that's ok - cause I make money cleaning them.

So Alan, me thinking you are totally crazy, because afterall one fluid oz - defined to be in the dictionary as 1/16th the volume of a pint - when filled with water basically defines the weight of an ounce. So I went thinking I would go to the dictionary and my textbooks of standards and measure and prove this to you. But then the 'experimental' side of my physics undergraduate training convinced me to do a small experiment - as you can see - I placed a '2-cup' measuring cup on a scale and zeroed out the meter - and then poured in water to the very top. And voila - presto! Like magic - the needle is pointing at 1 lb!!!!!!! Yay whadd'ya know - hell didn't freeze over afterall and pigs still don't fly...freakin' moron.

Where do people get these crazy weights for a gallon of water, 8.34 lbs? Hello, a gallon of water is exactly 128 ozs. That's 8 lbs, have you ever bought a gallon of milk - again 128 ozs.

Hey Rick, 30 more days before evaluating the oxalic vs. citric on longevity - any observations to date?

That rainbow effect is referred in the physics world as 'thin-film' interference. I.E. oils are leaching out and causing that effect. Ready Seal is a seal type oil, non hardening - I think it takes an honest 2 weeks before you can use such decks. That's why lots of guys prefer curing type woodstains for customers.

Looks like you left your washer overnight with overnight freezing temperatures.

it's either called, chained or unchained.

Kevin - a few years ago, I went into this house that was being totally restored - a 130 yr. old victorian - and decided to blast all the wood with walnut hulls blast media. As long as I followed with a hand sand of 100 grit - it came out beautifully - the only problem, was that my gun kept getting gunked up - as if, as long as there is humidity - the moisture collects in the tank and screws up the process. It worked great in the middle of winter, So I gave up on it.

John, you live in a seperate reality. You should do something like fishing or hiking to occupy your thoughts. You think too much about washing.

Not to mention, guys, most dealerships wayyyyy overcharge for vehicles. There was this private dealership - more like a lot, that was selling new '07 GMC 3500 cargo vans - completely outfitted with shelving, and all the windows had the 'caging' to protect the glass from flying parts. And that was all for 18-19 g's. The next guy, without any shelving, nor the protected caging for the windows was up around 26 g's. Fine go ahead by a nice shiny new rig - but just know - there is an honest car salesman out there with one of those 'no-service' lots who will sell you the same thing for 8 grand cheaper. Do your homework - those guys overcharge like the dickens.

I miss the little pretty secretaries. But that's ok - I've noticed that the hair salon stylists in my town filter in mid-afternoon for a coffee at starbucks. My god - they are freaking hot!

Scott - that whole thread was aimed at customers that will 110% never pay for a $1,200 pressure washing job - so my whole idea was just give a $400 pressure washing job and call it a day. It would involve the same cost and materials as my other $400 jobs. It just wouldn't be absolutely the best prep in the world - but for someone who won't pay for the prep - I don't care. Anyways go buy an expensive truck - I will keep gettin my POS's.

Truck envy....never heard of that one before, LOL! Heck, I think all the newbies - just go out and buy 30+ grand new off the lot 3/4 ton trucks. Y'all be too busy scrambling for work, and eventually lowballing just to insure you get work, constantly worrying about Mr. Repo Man. I paid $2800 for my '95 Astro over 2 years ago, with 130k on the clock. I do all the repairs and she runs like a charm. And I like knowing it's been close to 28 months since I've owned her - and will have cost me just $100/month based on initial sales. That $2800 has paid me back since a multitude of times - not to mention, all the homes I bid really cheap, because I didn't know what I was doing - didn't hurt me as much, because I wasn't paying a huge loan each month. And it left me more money for advertizing, getting a tandem axle trailer, and nice 5 gallon machine from Bob. And it still pulls baby!

You have a cush job with the government, lots of free time off and benefits? Why would you give all that up? Who knows when the $99 house washers roll into town - and now you're breaking your back, wishing you kept that cush job. Man I'd take a cush government job - preferably a night shift one, and do this part time - that would be cat's meow!

Anyone who does the math alongside an accountant - will come to realization that leasing only works for larger companies who lease cars in fleets of hundreds - they just have the most complicated write-offs. We're small time guys - leasing doesn't work for us. I'll add to Ken's thoughts - buy two used vehicles, garage them in rental space, drive one - while the other is getting fixed. You'll still be money ahead - and don't have to worry about reliability. EVerything breaks down - even new - you guys just like to pad your egos with shiny new trucks - and my AstroVan tops off at 55mph - so I just cruise in the 'slow' lane - and so far have gotten to all of my destinations. I am much more worried about my stopping force, more than anything. And at 55mph - I am much less likely to get in an accident. And as long as your trucks are well taken care of and clean - I doubt most customers really care how new it is. They'll like all that advertizing, though, that Ken talks about!

Man you guys just love spending money, if I had 25k saved up - it would be going into my IRA growing and ready for me when I am too old to work.

Put some of that poly-glass granulated roll roofing - that's what I would do!

Hey - you guys look like a painting crew in those photos! I got a colonial coming up with 36' peak - interested? LOL.

that pooch cracks me up.

I would like to see a sample business plan, other than saying to myself I Want to do 25 house washes this year, and a gamble on classified advertizing would bring me that business - I have had no real business plan. I think I have an evolving business plan in my head when it concerns painting - and it has something to do with things like, I won't take certain exterior painting jobs if the house is older than 50 years, has more than 15 coats of paint, requires 40 foot ladder work - or needs more than 200 man-hours. Is that a business plan? Without knowledge as to how many advertizing dollars spent will bring in certain amount of work - I don't know how to incorporate that into a business plan - I am trying to figure out what parts of the year I will get my most pressure washing work - and not accept painting jobs during those times unless they fall within a rigorous set of requirements - such as I can boogie anytime I feel like it. Could that be considered part of business plan? Perhaps my business plan is as simple as - I won't take any painting work that will interfere one iota with my pressure washing. As well I am on an interior job from hell - new renovation, blueboard and plaster walls - and as much progress as I make initially - the job is dragging - I might decide to no longer be the 'first' painter anymore. And certainly these veneer plastering jobs are a nightmare along with poplar trim wood - which is turning into a nightmare.

I think for metal it probably is the bomb - but really expensive equipment - I think the only thing it really buys you is not worrying about sand getting everywhere in your neighbor's house and cars and stuff.

Don't buy Werners anymore - they fired all their american workers and moved operations over to mainland china. Louisville ladders are still American made - Greenbull ladders - are american maded - and bauer ladders. I also have a local ladder company near Boston that makes an excellent ladder - lynn ladder. Those are heavy duty beasts!