john@AEC

To ask what may appear a dumb question, but "what is Australian Timber Oil?" It's not something we get over here? We don't get an "American Timber Oil" either. Does it have something uniquely Australian in it? (Emu & Goanna oil have been used for treating muscle soreness - back in the old days, but it would leak through the glass bottle and make a mess in the cupboard, so it went out of fashion. May be it's "export quality" - too good for us locals.

G'day Simple solution is to use a heat dump valve - or whatever they are called - when the water gets too hot (usually below the maximum that the pump can handle) the hot water is let out of the system. If set correctly you can run the pump all day with no damage. Envirospec North 877-351-1238 It's called a "pump thermal protector"

Top job Ken, and again shows how important preparation is.

G'day Some PM's have a requirement for a certain amount of liability insurance, check with them, and then get a "certificate of insurance" that has your trading name and the type of work you do clearly stated.

G'day I leave the phone in the ute, if some-one really wants me they will leave a message. Most people know that I am working and can't always stop to answer the phone. If some-one is so impatient as to expect me to answer/not leave a message I probably don't want to work for them. The most important client is the one I'm talking to.

G'day I've just replaced my Whirl-Away with a Mosmatic, as Mosmatic make an adaptor plate that fits onto the the s/c and then holds the new Mosmatic swivel. I should have done it ages ago...

G'day I've just bought a long hose and reel and will swap the hose end to end to get longer life (as it is wearing at the nozzle end much more than the reel end). Do it before the steel braiding shows (and how do you know when this is? about a month before the steel shows LOL!!!!)

G'day As an ignorant foreigner.... amongst other things... I find it refreshing that a newcomer is standing for the highest office on the planet. There is nothing worse than old time party "faithful" who believe that it is there turn for president simply because they have been in the game the longest. I would like to see the president of the USA as representative of the people and not of the party, some-one who knows about grocery & utility bills instead of legal "bills", some-one who understands working/professional people because it is where s/he is from. Not some-one who has worked for the party all their life and who's horoscope is an opinion poll. As for religion - I'd like to see a leader who is on God's side, as opposed to the usual "God is on my side" and "might is right" rhetoric. While I don't know much about BO, or how your upper/lower house or party system works, the idea of a young black president, who is not a party hack controlled by the faceless party power-brokers, is appealing. NOBODY EVER SAID THE MAJORITY WAS RIGHT

Got to love the look on the home owners face when you have done what they thought was impossible.

G'day All Thanks for all the comments - this place is always interesting!!! I've received some extra info from the seller, and examined some accounting methods recommended for valuing this type of business. The business has 22 regular clients, with jobs done weekly, monthly, 2,3,6 & 12 monthly. The clients have been using this business for 1 year up to 14 years (half for over 8 years). About half the t/o comes from 3 clients (2 x weekly & 1 monthly), with the next quarter coming from 4 clients (1 weekly & 3 monthly). Most of the jobs are between 45min & 1hr 15min away (but I still need to find out the travel/timing constraints to minimise my travel and maximise the number of jobs done when I'm out). T/o is about $90,000 pa and the seller claims he works an average of 20 hours/week (though I suspect that is charge out time only and doesn't include travel, maintenance & preparation or administration). I haven't seen the Profit & Loss statements, but assume a generous Net Profit of $10,000 pa. The equipment includes; vehicle (14 years old), trailer, 2 x cold water pressure cleaners (3000psi @ 5gpm - Kubota 22hp diesel & 4gpm - B&S 16hp), 2 x surface cleaners (1 vacuum ports), electric vacuum, Oil Separator, Ride-on Scrubber and all the usual reels, hoses, lances etc. and has a "book value" of $20k - $25k. There are three methods recommended to me for valuing this type of service business with regular/repeat contracts. 1. Capitalized Earnings or Return on Investment; this uses a percentage return (usually from 20% to 50% pa) that reflects the risk involved. The "magic" is agreeing with the seller on a rate of return that reflects the risks involved in having the same Net Profit in the future. 2. Cash Flow; use the Net Profit to repay the Purchase Price over (usually) 3 to 5 years. 3. Excess Earnings; the Net Profit is made up of Return on Assets (3% or 4% above business loan rate) and Excess Earnings. The value of the business is Value of Assets plus Excess Earnings multiplied by a risk factor of between 2 (higher risk) & 5 (lower risk), again the "magic" is agreeing with the seller on the risk involved in obtaining the same future Net income. The risks to this business are the usual; clients leave (they may close/sell/refurbish etc - 7 out of 22 clients bring in 75% on income), clients ability to afford the service, water restrictions tighten - reducing allowed frequency (we are on level 6), EPA/city council enforces "nothing down the drain but rain" & "no crap in the creek", equipment problems, vehicle problems, operators health.... So, I says thinking out loud, I feel this is a bit riskier than average (but what would I know?). If I use method 1 and a return of 35%, or method 2 and want to repay Purchase price in 3 years, or method 3 and risk factor of 3, I get selling prices of $29k, $30k & $40k - $45k. But of course, none of this is written in stone, so these figures can only be considered as starting points for negotiation. That's enough thinking for now.

G'day Ken The reminder to look at the actual figures, and not just the bank balance or 'fridge content, is quite timely and important. I've just done my quarterly accounts, and while t/o is up significantly and my quote/job ratio is about 70% there were quite a few jobs that could have absorbed a 10% - 30% increase (and a few I would have lost - but "so what"). Thanks again

Thanks Terry, Kev & Ken Selling a business is such an emotional thing, it's good to have some maths to get started with. The other thing I had forgotten to ask myself is "how long/much would it take to build up this level of income myself?" If I made 25% in the first year, 50% in the second and 75% in the third then 100% in the fourth year it has taken 3 years and in that time I have grossed 150% or 1 1/2 years income; so it has cost me 1 1/2 years income (that I didn't earn by not buying the business). So, is this what I should pay for the privilege of a full income? In working this out, do I use gross income or net profit? (If I was the seller I know which I would use!!!!!). Taking a big picture outlook - is this the best use of money? what return would I get on my investment if bought shares/bonds/property? Thanks again for your thoughts and wisdom.

Greetings to all Have a merry and special time - remember why we work so hard the rest of the year. NOW GET OFF THE COMPUTER:lgwave:

Good question Ken... We sponsor a child in the slums (India) - so extra $ his way would help with schooling, food, water etc.... My wife is a nurse and works with a lot of people with mental health problems and cancer and sees the effect these have on individuals and their families - there are a lot of charities providing support and funding research that could use a few more $.... Then there is... It can become quite overwhelming trying to solve the problems of the world, wondering what difference can I make. But it really is a case of every little bit makes a difference to someone.

Hi To remove alkali/salts/soaps you need acid. I've cleaned windows of dried house wash/water deposits with vinegar and also bathroom cleaner (for soap scum and calcium deposits) as they are both acidic AND gentle. Of course you could try any other acid. Good luck.

Hi Has the colour come off? leaving undercoat/bare aluminium. What did it look like before? was it covered in mould? perhaps the mould has eaten into the colour coating. I can't imagine that regular house wash mix would damage siding in good condition. At least it's not next to the front door!!

Hi Has anyone tried an infrared heat lamp for paint stripping? It is supposed to heat the paint/timber so that the moisture rises and lifts the paint (same as what has happened over years of being in the sun, but in seconds/minutes) and then you scrape it off. Seems slow, but easy to collect paint. Here is an example http://www.paintshaver.com/heat-n-strip.html Cheers

G'day John To get rid of the gooey stuff try Orange oil (lots of commercially made products available) or if you can get it Eucalyptus oil. Apply straight and lightly scrub, then wipe up with detergent/degreaser on cloth. If acid won't remove the mud stains, an alkali that I've had a lot of success with at removing/bleaching difficult organic stains is Potassium Hydroxide, I get it as a specialist tile cleaner or commercial dishwashing machine liquid. Aren't the worst stains always for an important client!!!! Good luck with it

G'day What is the EPAs' position on washing over water? If it is "nothing down the drain but rain" and "no crap in the creek" what do you do when washing over the water? I've just done a quote for a pontoon/dock (over salt water river) and was told by the EPA that (weak) sodium hypo-chlorite would be acceptable as it will break-down quickly with out leaving/causing any nasties. Any other cleaning solution was unacceptable. I won't be oiling it so I didn't ask about oil dripping into the water. Just curious, as while searching I found a lot of product & service suppliers mentioning "EPA approved method" but no actual description. Cheers

G'day A friend of mine had a deck built around the pool over summer (that's winter to you) and .... The builder coated the timber, some parts twice, soon after laying it, with Linseed Oil - a vegetable oil, from the seeds of the Flax plant. Being a vegetable oil it is great food for mould. And guess what... is that mould growing in those boards? or is it tannins etc reacting with the Linseed Oil? But wait there's more... the decking boards are splintering, and I mean SPLINTERING. Not those annoying little ones, these are more like spears that get stuck in the soles of your feet (1/4 to 1/2 inch long and very painful, especially when the last piece won't come out). Does anyone have any clues as to what could be causing the timber to split/splinter? This last summer has been drier and milder than average, although there were still more than a few hot days (100F +) and heavy storms, the deck faces north (into the sun - that's south to you). The timber is "Yellow Balau" - a hardwood from South East Asian rainforests (http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/hardwoodsqld/13214.html). Any help will be appreciated, as it is a shame to see such a great deck ruined.

Thanks for the thoughts and replies I'll try and get out there during the next week and have another good look at it - especially the splintering and how deep the mould is. Yes, the builder says it was just straight linseed oil, so no additives. Thanks for the tips on resealing products - I was thinking a film product might help, or at least keep applying oil untill no more will soak in. Sikkens looks great when new but it doesn't last well (our climate would be similar to Texas), would Flood's Spa'n'Deck work? Thanks again:lgbow:

Hi Shane That's correct, building started last Sept/Nov and the decking boards were completed in mid December. The owner wants the builder to replace the worst of it... BUT... he's too busy with the next big job to even complete this one, let alone do fix ups. As for stains and oils... there is Cabot's, Feast & Watson, and Intergrain (all made by Orica) plus a couple of others made by the other big international paint company, and a couple of small time independants. Flood have recently started pushing Spa'n'Deck - and some of the pro's are using it. I've started using a locally made product, it's great to be able to meet the owner & scientist - the company only does timber protection products. Thanks for the thoughts

Hi Alan & Liz I had a look at the data sheet for "Good As Gold" - the important line is the last one "Disinfectant - Quaternary Ammonium Chloride". You should get the MSDS to see if there are any other potentially dangerous chemicals. "Quaternary ammonium chloride (didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) - A flammable liquid. Corrosive. An irritant to the eyes, skin, upper respiratory tract. May cause central nervous system depression. Ingestion may cause pain, swelling, breathing difficulty, convulsions. Ammonium chloride is harmful to aquatic life in very low concentrations." Your expending chemical tank is possibly due to a reaction between the Sodium Hypochlorite and the ammonium in the "Quaternary Ammonium Chloride". This is listed on a data sheet for similar products. "CHEMICAL DANGERS: The substance decomposes on heating producing toxic and corrosive fumes including ammonia, chlorine and nitrogen oxides." "Forms irritating cloramine gas when combined with chlorine-containing products. Fumes can cause irritation of the eyes, respiratory tract." "Chlorine (including sodium hypochlorite,Clorox) - Strong oxidizer. Produces toxic chloramine gas when mixed with ammoniated cleaning products." I wouldn't be mixing them together again, too dangerous. They do the same job - kill living things, so there really isn't any need to. Stay safe

Hi Jeffery I've cleaned several hardcourts that have been unused for a long time and then became covered in mould etc. They are easy enough, but don't expect miracles. Try and find out what type & brand of coating has been used, as well as how old it is. Then check with the manufacturer for cleaning methods, but the ones I have contacted only have regular maintenance guidelines. Some coatings have a very limited life span. The surface is probably an acrylic paint or similar - just very thick, and like all acrylic paints will break down in the sun. The pressure from your surface cleaner will tear away the broken-down/oxidised acrylic - you will see the particles in the rinse water. It is very difficult to get an even finish, there will be lots of overlap marks. You could try using a broader tip (and smaller oriface to maintain pressure) to reduce this. To help remove the mould and dirt apply your usual driveway mix. I find breaking the court into quarters keeps it manageable. Rinsing is the big time killer; as the court is (meant to be) flat there is no natural drainage - just random flows. You will probably end up rinsing several times, as dirty water always flows to where you have just cleaned and rinsed.

Hi I have seen many houses covered in ivy, but have not found a way to get the dead bits off. Physically scraping them off doesn't work very well as they get into the paint, which is OK if the building is going to be painted. I've not had a problem (so far) with home owners expecting miracles - after all, they are the ones who let the plant grow feral.