andrew hartigan

Just curious if anyone has any good ideas on how to sell a trailer setup. I need to sell quickly. I already listed it on the big pwashing discussion boards. The listings on ebay dont seem to sell. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. andsurf25@yahoo.com

I bought one of the replaceable cartridge masks from pressure wash store and seems like it works ok. Was pretty cheap so i didnt expect much. However I feel a strong desire to buy a really nice mask that filters out everything to go along with my rain suit, gloves, and boots. Might get some weird looks here in florida but nothing is worse then getting chem soaked clothes , smelling like an indoor pool all the time, getting chem burns, and worst of all is inhaling chems. any advice on which models filter the best and where to get them?? Remember everyone: Keep cleaning, no pressure.

I definitely rinsed the housewash off completely before I started using the oxalic. I went back today to touch it up wtih the xjet using 4lb to five gallon mix with no proportioner and it worked perfectly. Completely got rid of all the streaking. The customer came outside when i first got there and was soo excited that I got the rust stains off in the first place and thought it looked great. He couldnt beleive i was going back through to even things up. Worked out good cause he owns a mortgage company and is going to give free housewashes etc to clients who purchase/refinance. Told me that he was going to get the house painted but there is no need now. Felt good , another job well done. Thanks again for the advice/help. andy

I did a 2500 sq foot stucco house today. It had bad rust stains on stucco from irrigation. I went through and xjetted my house mix on the whole house/gutters etc etc I then went back through with a pump up sprayer and spot treated oxalic acid on all of the rust stains. Then i sprayed off with water. It got rid of most of the rust stains but it still doesnt look like i want it to. There is a little bit of streaking on both sides of the house from the oxalic. (strong stuff) I told the guy i would be back tomorrow morning to put on another coat of oxalic to even everythig up. Question: Can I xjet oxalic acid or is it too harsh???? I have m5 xjet with proportion kit. I ordered pure oxalic acid from the chemistry store. Need to know what ratio to mix (water/oxalic) in the xjet pail and if i should put it on with a proportioner or not?? I really appreciate the help cause i dont think doing another coat with the pump up will help as i cant cover rthe whole side evenly. ps when you say 4lbs to 5 gallons oxalic, how do you measure the pounds??? any other ways of figuring it out. thanks again guys andrew

Yeah i decided to go ahead and order it which for my last job i just used as an open container cause I was in a hurry and really couldnt figure it out. I just stuck the screen end of the xjet hose in the opening and carried it around. Anyways, i still really cant figure it out unless you take the screen/filter out of the bottom and run that pvc hose into it or something any help would be great andy

I really appreciate all your help. I really like the examples sent and will definitely go to a individual pricing system. I like the idea for the discounts cause around here that is what everyone looks for. Quick question. Do you think i should put something on there about how i use low pressure and industrial strength cleaning compounds etc just to show that i use professional methods and that im not going to blow off their shingles and bust the seals out of their windows??? Or would you just explain that in the bid. thanks again guys

file is attatched in word format thinking of buying carbonless paper (2sheet) and printing this on there for my estimates also if anyone has any good invoice examples i would love to look at them andy whitewash estimate sheet.doc

I am just starting out in the business(just ordered equipment) If anyone in the area would be willing to let me come work for the for a day or two I am always available on mondays and fridays and would really appreciate the chance to work with and learn from some pros in the area. thanks again andy hartigan 904 728-6879 andysurf25@yahoo.com

im a newbie to the board and i must say that its is probably one of the best discoveries i have made. I really appreciate the seasoned pros out there that take their time to educate us. Just had a quick question on naming my business i am kind of caught between ________ powercleaning or ________ exteriors. Just curious what everyone out there thinks about the advantages/disadvantages of each maybe im overthinking eithere way i apprciate any feedback andy

yeah i have done some research and roof cleaning seems easy to sell with all the mold and algae in florida and the damage it can do seems most people around here use chlorine right?? or a chlorine/bleach mix seems the most cost effective and from what i heard it does a great job low pressure with teh shurflo and then rinse off with the gun on low pressure or even a garden hose dont think xjet would apply a strong enough mix any advice on how to bid roofs????? thanks again for any feedback oh also anyone have any tips on insurance companies in florida area that offer cheap liability i would think 500,000 should be sufficient for residential andy

good question on the roofs, probably just use my wheel, or take the sq footage of the house and try to figure in pitch somehow, ive heard that adding a 1/3rd will usually get you close for the house wash you think 10c a square foot would b e too much???? what about second story and gutters thanks for the feedback on deck and driveways

We are just starting out in the powercleaning field and I have done alot of research(books and online) as well as done a couple jobs for friends etc. I have come to the conclusion that: a.) first of all I dont want to list my prices in advertisements(will lose phone calls) b.) housewash 10-15 cents sq ft(depending on material and 1st or 2nd story) c.) driveways (flatwork)10 cents sq ft d.) roofs 13-15 cents sq ft e.) deck cleaning and refinishing (not sure yet) f.)windows(not sure yet) do these prices sound about right??? I want to sound professional when i do a bid and at least want a baseline for what I charge do most people charge for chemicals and setup etc or is that usually all included? I know this is alot but i just want to be competitive, our selling point will be quality of work and excellent personal customer service so i want to be right in the middle of the pack pricewise thanks for any feedback andy ps do most of you offer window cleaning as an add on???? seems like it would be an easy thing to do and could make you some good $$$$