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john@AEC

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Posts posted by john@AEC

  1. Posted · Report reply

    Hi

    I estimate the time it will take and apply my hourly charge. Most jobs I can do with the leaf blower and some hand cleaning.

    Last week I did a large house with full gutters in 3 1/2 hours, though most are about 2 hours.

    My record is 7 1/2 hours sitting on the roof and cleaning by hand. These gutters had leaves and sticks etc piling up on the roof, there were plants/grass growing in the gutters, the roofers had left only a small gap between the roof line and the gutter edge so half of the mess was actually under the roof metal, and, it was a wet sloppy mess.

    I have passed on quite a few jobs recently as they were high and the owner was obviously not going to pay for the time/safety gear.

    Cheers

  2. Posted · Report reply

    G'day Rick

    I do a lot of places with old timber window frames, and have decided it's better to be safe than sorry. So I tell the owners that the windows and doors will leak (around the frame and around the glass pane/putty). I prefer the owners to be home to wipe up leaks as they happen and then open windows to let frames dry, or, if they can't be home, then at least put old towels on inside window ledge. I've had no problems as owners all understand the joys of living in a home with character and history.

  4. Posted · Report reply

    G'day Mike

    I clean a lot of acrylic paint over timber and it can also oxidise badly. The only way to remove the oxidation is with physical pressure, I use a soft broom and brush every panel by holding the broom steady and walking the length of the wall. Somebody mentioned car paint oxidising and the only way to remove that is with physical pressure (polishing).

    While brushing the vinyl will remove the oxidised layer and it will look clean & bright, it also exposes a fresh layer of vinyl ready to oxidise because it has no protective coat.

    Once the paint (and it seems the same with vinyl) is so badly damaged it is a case of learn to live with it, or spend up big and repaint/replace. And the lesson is - use the best quality to start with and wash often.

    Sorry not to have better news....

    Cheers

  6. Posted · Report reply

    G'day

    We are about to to level 4 restrictions (water storage is at about 27%) although the proposed restrictions still allow me to work, BUT there is, I feel, a community reluctance to get the house/driveway washed. Domestic hose use is banned and we are being encouraged to have shorter showers etc, fit water saving taps/washing machines, install rainwatwer tanks (will the gov't subsidize the price of beer so we don't waste water by drinking it?????).

    Business has been quiet, but still getting by.

    Cheers

  7. Posted · Report reply

    Hi Guys

    I've had a few locals ask me to turn the pump off over the years, once was at 5 am on Sunday LOL!!!! The most recent has been at about 1 am on a week day in an area that was commercial/industrial, but as it is near the CBD has become residential.

    I'm glad to read that the pump can be made quieter with a new exhaust, may be a motor bike system would be better as they have a lot of packing and are designed for small single/twin cylinders?

    Or next time I'll just say "At least it's not a two stroke!!!"

    Cheers

  9. Posted · Report reply

    don't ya just hate the way digi cameras eat bateries!!!

    5 days will allow the oil to soak in quite deep, how deep depends upon the the surface finish etc....

    keeping the stain wet with (citrus based?) degreaser and water for a day or three will help the oil rise to the surface (as oil floats on water). thoroughly wet the stain and about 12" around, then place a wet (old - or ugly given by mother in law LOL) towel over, then cover with plastic to stop drying. after a few days soaking do the usual, as you did at start, to wash off the top layer of oil. repeat this until no more oil rises.

    All that stuffing around should remove oil, but as for angst/rage - tell builder to find person/vehicle who dropped oil and pour sump oil on drivers seat/steering wheel/glove box, this should calm rage/bring on theraputic laughter - especially if videoed

  10. Posted · Report reply

    Hi Kory

    Any chance of a photo?

    Is it just the oil stained area that is discoloured, or the area that you cleaned?

    Is the concrete weathered, with exposed pores, or steel finished and smooth?

    Do you have hot water?

    How long was the oil there before you could clean it? How many times did you degrease and p/w?

    My guess is that the discoulouration is deep in the concrete, more oil will rise over time, so cleaning again in a week or two may be useful. If the discolouration is still obvious then ReKrete (or similar) may be helpful.

    Failing that... tell them to learn to love it.

  12. Posted · Report reply

    G'day

    I'm in the process of putting together a large quote (my largest by a long way), and am considering asking for a deposit to cover most of the up-front chemical/equipment hire expenses.

    The job total is about $10,000 and I was thinking of 40% ($4,000) to be paid 14 days before I start, the client is a large national company who will probably take 30 days from end of month to pay (at best), so even if get an account with suppliers it will be due before I receive my payment.

    Has anyone done this before? were there any problems?

    Thanks, John

  17. Posted · Report reply

    G'day Wally (or should that be Wally's master...)

    I clean gutters as part of my ALL EXTERIOR CLEANING business - hadn't intended to when I started, but people kept asking me to....

    Some days it's easy money... and other days... my record is 7 1/2 hours to remove leaves etc from gutters, they were full and piling back up the roof, it was all wet & decomposing, with plants growing in the gutters.

    But, back to your question,

    You need - waterproof/cut resistant gloves; a scoop that will fit inside the gutter; a scraper and a brush (all available from Bunnings); also need a garden blower (get a Stihl as they have the best warrantee for commercial use, but can be hired for first few times); have access to a safety harness etc (usually called a "roofers kit"); you may also need a large bucket and/or (stock feed) sack to put the rubbish in if you have to scrape it out by hand and the owner doesn't want you to throw it over the edge (because of gardens, or may be it is very wet and muddy).

    If it's dry - get on the roof and blow it out with a blower, there may be sticks in there which need to be removed by hand.

    If it is wet - get on the roof (though some prefer to use a ladder, just don't try and reach too far) and use hand in glove, scoop and scraper. Either dump over edge for clean up later (my preference) or place in bucket or bag. The water and mud that is in the gutters will make a mess on edge of roof and face of gutter, so you will need the hose/broom to clean this.

    There are many types of "gutter guard" available, while owners hope that they are no maintenance the best are "regular maintenance" and the worst are "worse than useless" as they trap leaves in the gutters and/or need to be removed to clean the gutters. Find out what types are used down your way so that you can explain to owners what is needed and why it is going to take so long/cost so much.

    There have been a couple of jobs recently where I've had to pass as the roof was too high/steep or no safe harness tie off points. I don't like just leaving people in the lurch, and I want them to remember me as someone who knows his stuff and is helpful, so I directed them to a company called "gutter vac", they specialize in gutter cleaning with an enormous (truck mounted) vacuum cleaner. I don't worry about giving jobs away as it's a job I can't do and gutter vac is expensive for the jobs I can do, and I still get to clean the rest of the house, as well as be remembered for solving the owners problem.

    Gotta go, time to cook pancakes for breakfast...

    John

  18. Posted · Report reply

    G'day Brett

    As Mike says- just push the s/c wheels over the edge, it will happily ride on the brush/skirt.

    or should I say

    G'duy Brutt

    Us Muke suys- just push the s/c whuuls uvur thu udge, ut wull huppily rude un thu brush/skurt.:lgwave:

    How's the weather over that side of the puddle? good weathwer for fush & chups LOL!!!:sinister:

    Cheers

    John

  19. Posted · Report reply

    Can't believe it, but I did it...

    Last week I did half a shopping centre walkway (the end with the water tap!) and this morning I went back to do the other half. Got myself up early, drove 35 min across town and on site at 4:30 am (and 8 oC - it's winter down here).

    It's a good job, not big, but no hassles and PM accepted my price straight up - and the last job I did they paid quickly! An easy, stress free $100/hr gross.

    But there's no tap at this end of the building. 20 minutes of walking through the gardens, upseting the neighbours' (large, loud) dog, pacing out the distances from the other tap, shivering, swearing, more walking through the gardens, shivering.... and back in the ute... and drive 35 mins home and back into bed.

    Not enough hose! I've been planning to buy a long, large diameter water hose.... and extra HP hose.... and a brain.... I can't believe I didn't check for enough taps....

    D'oh

    :lgbonk:

  20. Posted · Report reply

    G'day

    I've been concerned, as many of you have, about how well surfactants mix with sodium hypochlorite, so, after putting my clever cap on, I searched for "surfactant" & "hypochlorite".

    In amongst everything else where products from

    * Dow Chemicals

    * Mason Surfactants

    and a few others.

    Does anyone have experience using these specific surfactants?

    Does anyone know of off the shelf products that contain this type of surfactant?

    Thanks

    John

  21. Posted · Report reply

    G'Day Dave

    I've cleaned a few of these (shade cloth is a woven/knitted synthetic, quite open so that lots of water>dirt>mould>plant sap>bird droppings can get in and stay in....).

    They are usually stretched very tight, so would not take down as very difficult to put up again, also would need a very large and clean area to wash/rinse on.

    I have used a stronger than normal house wash mix (cloth is all synthetic so won't bleach) and high pressure wand from underneath, but I would love to try hot water.

    Examine the condition of the material and edge stitching before you do anything, as some are made (much) better than others and they do break down over time - esspecially the stitching. If they are looking faded and stretched, with loose/undone stitching be very cautious/gentle/quick to leave.

    You need to be carefull with the pressure as too much will stretch the cloth, and if the pressure is uneven the cleaning will be uneven, leaving light/dark patches. I found, with 15 l/m @ 3600 psi and 15 degree tip that I needed to get quite close - about 30 - 40mm from the cloth. I've used a ladder to get close, but it is very slow, so I'll invest in a couple of extensions next time.

    Don't use a turbo nozzle as you can't get even pressure all over the cloth, and the vibrations from the pulsing (from the piston pump) can loosen/tear the stitching when you do the edges.

    Oh, and be prepared to get very, very wet!!!! and don't promise to get every stain out - I'd rather leave a stain than a hole in the cloth from too much pressure.

  22. Posted · Report reply

    Crikey, the courtesy of connection is cancelled.

    Crumbs... Moriarty, confound this clan of chivalrous and clever cleaners, they are in cahoots! their campaign of calumniation has climaxed in our canny, callous and catty career of chaos culminating in our own catastrophe... :sinister:...

    Come old chum, let us clamber a circuitous course to our citadel of chicanery and closet ouselves to coalesce our copious collection of crafty, curious, corrupt and contemptuous characters... :hmmm:...

    Capers of our cantankerous cabal will continue to call :sinister: , to circumvent the clandestine claque with a capricious caricature, a courageous charlatan - to collapse and control this cheap caucus.

    Comprehend! we will circulate this club and I certify that our continent will be chronic!!!! :seeya:

  24. Posted · Report reply

    G'day Don

    I've read some of you other posts about this (and that and the other) and must say thanks for being so open about what works. (Sucking up complete so onto question LOL).

    I'm putting together another electric pump setup (for sodium hypochlorite - about 3 to 5%) and am having trouble finding out what is the best material for seals etc. Both Shurflo and Flojet have some models with viton/viton, is this what you use? is there something better? Teflon is extremely good, but nobody makes seals with teflon (too brittle), have you (or anybody else for that matter) tried spraying seals with teflon ?

    Thanks in advance

    Cheers

    John

  25. Posted · Report reply

    G'day Dave (if you thought you post was long, you should read this reply!)

    I live in the sub-tropics and all nearly all my houses are painted (acrylic) weatherboard or champherboard (sp?) which has some (or a lot of) oxidation. Comparing it to leaving a car in sun for years and seeing the faded paint which needs polishing helps.

    I've got into the habit of telling people the worst - lots of oxidation and it will need to be brushed/hand washed. If it's an over the phone quote I ask the home owner to check if there is any white powder on their fingers if they rub them over the paint, or if I'm there I check in several places around the house and show the owner the white powder amongst the other dirt and mould. The exception is the house that is so covered in mould that the paint hasn't had any sun/oxygen to break it down.

    But how to get it off.... as Jarrod says - you need a brush, a soft long bristle brush and a long pole (I have a painters extendable pole - about 4m) and a large ladder. It can be a long, slow, back breaking job but it's the only way to get it off (of course now that I've said that there will be lots who have an easier way.... ). Brushing the paint is like polishing the car, only a physical rubbing will do it. This is the same for a colorbond steel roof, high pressure water will get some of the oxidation of but not all.

    I'm not game to use high pressure as I'm too worried about damaging the paint and shooting water up between the boards which usually have gaps between them because of warping over the years (many of my houses are over 30 years old and not very well kept, some are 80 to 100 years old).

    Use the same house wash mixture you would normally use and rinse as you normally would.

    I've lost more than a few jobs explaining that it will take a full day to hand wash - to remove the oxidation - but as always, some people care about their home and others don't.

    Now, what was your question...?

    Should you charge more? of course! how much more? if it takes twice as long, then twice as much is a good start. May be a bit less as there's less driving around, only one quote etc.

    Cheers

    John

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