Paul B.

I wasn't wash working, I was inspecting near the end of the job and I was offered a beer. I had to turn it down because the worker bees were still at it. I try to lead by example. When I drink everybody drinks. When I buy, everybody buys! After they left, I continued the networking and B.S. session over a 6-pack. We're doing concrete work for the owner and his brother, cleaning a couple other houses as neighbors stopped in on the B.S. session. I'll show you a photo of this mans garage and I'll give you my sales strategy.

There is nothing like fishing in the ocean - never know what you're going to catch not when. Stone Crabs are great appetizers, sweeter than lobster tails. Most seafoods are to die for including mahi, mahi (dolphin), crab shark (prepared properly) and grouper. I'm hungry too and all the ribs and schmokraut was gone this morning. The only thing I can do is lick my fingers to see if any BBQ sauce is left on them? Juuck!!! ...tastes like Sodium Metasilicate! Now I have to go and get a couple of HOT brats and wash it down with a cold beer (the boss lets me drink on the job from time to time). And this is the time, I can't find a better excuse ...Juuck, spit, speuwee!!! Someone start my truck...out of my way!!! ....

Ron, I'm not sure if Citralic will work on the nail head streaks, I know Oxalic will. Sodium Hydroxide is slick (it's a distinguishing feature of a strong alkalyn vs. acids). It will dry out your hands (removes all oils), shrivel them up and makes them shiny. This is exatly the reason I purchased all the M.E.K. that Home Depot had for $1 a gallon. Also, I work on the cost averaging principle. By the week, by the month, by the year. It's too difficult to make good money on every job. Stay patient and Good Luck!

Beth, Is your mom of German ancestry? Pork drippings add a wonderful flavor to a lot of dishes. I use it frequently. Have to watch my mom though, she's had quad. by-pass a couple of years ago and she's starting to forget how to eat properly so I try not to tempt her. The Hungarians are notorious for eating lard, pork drippings, pork rinds - all the stuff that clogs your arteries. My favorite dish with pork drippings is stewed hot peppers and tomatoes with onions. Add a bit of sausage ...Jon, Jon The BBQ is on the west coast. Heck, it costs more for me to fly to Cleveland than to California. Let's see... Cleveland or California, ...Cleveland or California ... It's a no-brainer. Besides, ever since they inducted the Bee Gees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I've been boycotting Cleveland. I can't imagine - disco just about killed R&R and these yahoos induct them into the R&R Hall of Shame. Don't get me started (I'm a pureist). Howard, How do you prepare the pig? In the ground, in a drum? I've done 'em both ways. The fun part is staying awake all night and talking about how good it's going to taste. We always go thru at least a couple of half barrels just sitting around smelling the smoke. Last one we had, there must have been about 250 people there thru the night, the next day, and the following night. Clean-up is a lot of work and not too many people stick around for that. I need about a week to recoup from one of those events. It's tough getting old! My better half taught me how to make black beans and yellow rice (Cuban style with a twist - lots of garlic and bay leafs). Goes well with roasted pork. One of my employers always has a gentlemans BBQ. He owns about 3000 acres south of Lexington. He raises and breeds angus cattle. He has a large hog and all the steak you can eat. Usually has about 400-500 people attending his events. OK, who likes stone crab claws?

Beth, I'm not sure on the name, but I've seen 3 or 4 recipes from different countries that are similar (German, Polish, Austrian, Hungarian). I picked up the recipe from my grandmother and also my mother (both Hungarian born). I fry the caraways without popping or burning, then rinse and fry the sauerkraut in oil (without burning) then add the red cabbage (drain the liquid if using bottled cabbage) then fry some more. (Adding the cold sauerkraut to the hot oils is always dangerous - you have to sneak up on it.) I also add sugar (while frying) to make it somewhat sweet tasting, then simmer it under cover to soften and combine the color. Takes about 1/2 hour for serving of 8-12.

I'm sure Jon would appreciate a QA check.

For those of you that have not left your heart (or stomach) in San Francisco, I have something to elevate your adrenalin and blood pressure. Cedar Point Amusement (theme) Park in Sandusky, Ohio has a new ride this year, called the Top Thrill Dragster. It's a screaming machine that rises 420 feet tall and accelerates you (and all your attached body parts) to 120mph, then drops you (without stomach and brain) at close to that same speed (36 per ft, per second squared). Have I had lunch yet? - Better wait. From an accelerating horizontal launch pad, you rocket up the huge vertical hill (42 story buildings don't look this tall) , rotate 90 degrees, crest ("dwell" to all you pressure washers) at the apex to give you a brief look and feel of the height (they want to make you think about what you signed on for - then smile ...before you scream), then plummet STRAIGHT DOWN while spiraling 270 degrees. ...That's it! The vertical deceleration is unnoticeable as everyone is trying to remember how to breathe and are repositioning all internal organs (never mind the few that are looking forward to a change of underwear). Are you ready to go again? Only the true thrill seakers are. Safety First and Make It Last! See you in line !!!

Jon, Even the light eating 93 year old ate extra portions. That is the best compliment a chef can have - when all the food disappears. I'm all out of good ribs for now. I usually keep 1/4 of the freezer stocked with special baby backs - it's grill season in the north (but I grill all year around). I'm waiting for my next good batch at a reasonable price. I don't like to pay $6 per pound (normal price around here). I will put you on my list and will try to do that this year. Until then, keep licking your chops - you'll enjoy it that much more. Also make sure you have some saratoga chips for dipping in the BBQ sauce.

I don't know about anywhere else, but winds were between 35 and 45 mph here in Southwest Ohio for Mother's day. I didn't think hurricane edges moved up this far north. Trees were trying to lay down and take a nap and pool was covered with leaves and leaf fragments (literally tearing new leaves off the trees). Saturday was similar, and today is between 18-28 mph. Kind of makes tall house/building work "iffy". Best stay close to the ground for another day or so cleaning decks and concrete, etc. No stain spraying for sure - Who's got a Hurricane brush?

And they strack up real well. Although there never seems to be enough room on a plate. By the way, the meat falls right off the bone if prepared properly.

Thanks!

Happy Mother's day! Mothers are not thanked enough for all the different hats they wear in the process of raising children, so I raise my candy box and flower pot in celebration of motherhood. May it be a proud and happy day for all mothers today. Thanks you!

Steve Gunn, I was thinking that we need to create a low quality / low price contractor business. All the customers that think that the prices are high can be referred to this company. The company would boom and the high quality companies would boom also. The low quality business would thrive from the high quality referrals and the customer would go to the high quality business for the repairs. The low quality company would change names after every season, but would consist of the same workers. I'm sure we could get all kinds of employees and all kinds of customers. The company would use the lowest cost materials and speed would be more important of a qualification than quality. All bids would be sight unseen based on square footage. We could advertise the 1/2 day deck or the 1 hour house-wash (no chemicals, just pressure). The company name would be "Brute Force Cybernatics Pressure Cleaning." (BFCPC) Our motto would be: "We create a need and then fill it." We would have a lot of competition, but we can underbid everyone by at least 10%.

OTP It's a 2 story house. The deck looked like it was never cleaned. My masonry partner's brother builds and repairs decks (this may be an opportunity for him for future work). ;) Let me share some points, as that answer was just too short. I've found that most folks can clean the ranch style on their own (to a level that's acceptable for them), but they don't know how to clean one that is taller than that. They don't invest in a ladder to clean gutters and even when they do, they are too scared to climb that high. (Never heard of an X-Jet.) Most use strictly pressure because that's how they think it was designed to be used. Some rental places are getting a bit smarter on the accessories they provide. The other issue with 2 story jobs - most customers I deal with don't know how to remove even simple stains and contaminants such as mold & mildew. That's why I said earlier that I don't even attempt to go after 1 story/ranch cleaning unless the bricks have efflorescence, oxidation or other stains. The nische for me is with hard to remove stains, 2 story homes and brick with difficult stains and of course cedar siding. I go after jobs I think others will turn down because of the difficulty factor and because of that, I get simple jobs and referrals at a higher price also. The theory is along the lines that if they do did a great job with that, think what they will do with mine. I also tell customers how to clean smaller jobs on their own (during the estimating stage). I tell them that WE are too expensive for that piece of work, they should do it on their own. The majority of the time we end up with the other work also as an add-on, about 1/2 way thru the job. Quality sells for itself. My theory is to spend time with the customer to build a bond and long term relationship (get to know them and let them get to know me/us). If the customer is home, they get a preview of the cleaning about half way thru which is the door to a business relationship and add-ons. Everyone is trained in the finer points of suggestive sales. Zig Zigglar, in my opinion, was the best with that technique. If I was in the P/Washer rental business, I would rent extension wands, extension poles and I would sell lower pressure nozzles. I would also provide pressure washing service out of the store front along with a few other services. I have a feeling that most tool rental stores are franchises and are held back from expansion. For that reason, I would never own a franchise. I remember a few years back the ice cream/yogurt (TYCB?) joints were popping up everywhere in the north. I was dumb-founded as a quick 5 minute number crunch would tell me that a specialty ice cream shop can't survive the winters up north unless you also sell coffee, sandwiches, cakes, cookies, etc. I would see these places open in the summer and by December be out of business.

And then the financial penalty is applied! The financial penalty will hopefully serve as a teaching tool. Some folks are just too stubborn to learn fast. I have a customer that is having his siding cleaned by my company and his wife asked him if I should look at their deck for an estimate also (how come are women are so much smarter than men when it comes to these kind of decisions?). He assured her that his friend will lend him his pressure washer and show him how to use it to clean his deck. Needless to say I could not stand by. I resisted and did not offer my services, (as this would have insulted his manhood) but recommended a product that would perform the needed task and offered to take any of his calls for advice without cost to him. I also informed him of the possible damage potentials to his deck using high pressure vs. the proper cleaning chemicals (and of course a short safety speal including my motto: Safety First and Make It Last!"). I gave him information on different nozzles that are available to reduce pressure (that most homeowners do not have) and the proper pressure required and the distance he should keep from the wood, etc. It was a quick lesson. I could see the gears turning. That was the day of my siding estimate. Two days later, I received a call to proceed with the siding cleaning and I asked if he had any questions on the deck cleaning procedures we talked about. We re-hashed some of the same and again I could see the wheels turning, but there was no asking for the job (by me) and no asking for an estimate (by him) - YET! When he is ready, I will gladly provide the service he (so manly) denied. There will be no penalties, unless damage has already been done. Like good wine, this process must ferment for the proper amount of time. I will be there (making a stop) the day the siding cleaning starts. I will look at his deck and ask if he's found the product I recommended and may even offer to sell him a small sealed container of it and will ask how close he is to doing the job. We'll see if there are any teeth left on those gears. News at 11:00!

Beth, Your point pertaining to the use of Sodium Hydroxide based products are on target - BULLS-EYE!. The only thing I would disagree with is that neutralizing would only have minimal effect, as applying and dwell time has already done the damage to degrease the asphalt shingles (neutralizing would, in my mind, only stop it from further damage). I have considered roof cleaning as a potential expansion to my business, but do not feel I have a safe application and chemical at my disposal at this point in time. I am researching (and have found) other chemicals that are much safer (than Sodium Hydroxide) for asphalt roof shingles and people. I have also been researching better methods of application and have designed a piece of equipment that can perform safer than presently offered to contractors at this point in time. Of course this is another subject that I will address in another thread in the future - stay tuned. Ron, I think you and I agree that there needs to be a more common language established when talking about the X-Jet and other application tools using suction or venturi effect or equipment that creates a mix ratio other than full strength (up-stream/down-stream/X-Jet/V-Jet, etc.). I think we have expressed our frustrations regarding this matter time and time again. (You have been a true champion to this issue.) Without knowing the exact performance of a person's equipment (that's posting info about how they are applying chemicals) the chemical mix in their pail or drum is somewhat useless and misinformative to reader/potential user and mis-application and even safety issues could result. Therefore, we must all strive to raise the bar of quality communication on this subject. The X-Jet as any other tool can be used safely or dangeriously as I think we all agree. I think about the only thing that people disagree on is where that line gets drawn in the sand. The number of years of experience does not make you an expert (as we assume it should), as I have seen too many people with said 20 years experience but it has only been the same 1 year experience applied over and over during that 20 year period of time. No specific people were in mind with that statement but let your conscience be your guide if the statement fits you! We must learn everyday as new information becomes available to us. As "professionals" we must excercise caution and safety when using every single chemical in our reportoir. When we have a customer, their family, pets and plants and their neighbor's family, pets and plants are always to be considered the highest part of the safety equation - regardless of desired speed and income potential. When each of us "professionals" become employers, we have elevated the bar of safety responsibility to another level. Then finally, when we post information on BB's, the level of safety responsibility is taken to the MOST EXTREME level based on opportunity for misinterpretation and the quantity of people (professional or not) that have access to the information. "Safety First and Make It Last" should always be the motto we stand by!

When you say it that way, it does become obvious that you can't apply a product full strength when using the X-Jet. Maybe that's why some products are designed extremely concentrated. I thought I read somewhere about a 20% Sodium Hydroxide solution - maybe this was the reasoning behind it?

I took a photo of this pine (I believe it's Norfolk Pine) at a customers residence. It has an interesting shape. The supposed history is that the Hosbrook brothers (local to Cincinnati) brought a bunch of seedlings back from Virginia after the Civil War and planted them on their farm (Hosbrook farm). A pump well also remains from the farm (no picture). The farm is no more but there are a lot of pines in the area that are from that era. Good to see some history and trees are still with us as too many trees and other items of historic nature are being cleared for the sake of developments.

If I may join the ranks - please share my thanks and gratitude also. It is hard not to worry as a parent. It starts from the day they are born and never ends. May GOD protect our military and all our children from the wicked and evil. GOD bless!

OK, I'm with you now.

I bought that bike brand new in a crate - For some reason it sat in a crate unassembled for three years in the warehouse of this dealer I knew. The salesguy at the time thought he was lucky to unload that bike. Thirty years later I know a lot of guys that would give a left (arm?) for this classic. (Hard to ride with one arm.) Yes, I WILL regret it - especially this one. It's helped me burn off a lot of anger and sorrow in the past. Hey, I retain visiting rites! And if I get the fever, who knows what may show up on the garage floor. She's real good about stuff like that - she's not materialistic so it may cost me another vacation (I can deal with that as long she keeps me out of the jungle).

OTP $3K for a rebuilt 20hp V-twin?? In that case, I have a couple of 275hp Chevy engines that we could mount on a skid. I also have access to a 400hp 4 cylinder motor if you need something a bit lighter. That one runs a bit more (closer to abut $20K). I was thinking more along the line of wearing out your vehicle engine a lot sooner since you're increasing its run time maybe 3x-4x. Where as a separate unit is used for a specific application if it breaks down, you can sub something else, but if your vehicle breaks down, you have possibly a whole rig out of operation (depending on the set-up of course - trailering or not). My thoughts were along that line.

We don't have anything less than a 4 GPM machine but the X-Jet does not seem to prime when used in the elevated mode above say 14-16 feet. It's OK, I was expecting it, but if it's not the norm for most, I'll keep searching to find the solution. Everything on the machines check out (PSI, GPM, no leaky hose or fittings, etc.). The other scanerio that we have with the X-Jet is when we go from the open position to the Close-up attachment, the ratio doubles. I've been told that the close-up nozzle should be a 4030 to avoid the problem I'm experiencing. Well it is a 4030. I may need to go to a different nozzle size to match the open position. I haven't called Ron since it's not a top priority at this point (we've made adjustments). Thanks!

Earl, I can appreciate it! Believe me, I've learned a lot in the past. ;) Mostly I try to learn from other's mistakes - less painful for me that way. As for dawn, I would want to say that it may or may not help since it's more of a surfactant to help hold your chemical in place to allow it to work better, and may actually hinder the rinsing process. I don't know the exact chemical contents so I won't guess on that. The pH could be an issue, but most likely not in a smaller amount. I would say a rinse aid or rinse additive would be a much better choice for this application - Clear Rinse Cascade could be a good choice. Then again you may have to experiment a bit. I haven't tried mixing a neutralizer because for me it's really only pennies per sq. ft. to purchase commercial mixed products and I don't have a whole lot of time to experiment and test, re-test, etc. And if you do run into an issue like you have, it can blow all the savings and more. I personally leave the chemistry stuff to the specialists. But each must do their own thing. Beth, or some of the others may have a comment on a rinsing aid for you. Take Care!

Sounds like you used a very high grade/concentration of oxalic acid without the benefit of a rinsing agent/surfactant that would make rinsing easier. Without the blending your rinsing may be 10x to 20x more difficult unless hot water is used. Too bad we didn't start the discussion here. I know its less expensive to by it that way but look at how much more it cost you? Let me recommend that you purchase a commercially blended product like the neutralizer / brightener offered by Beth. It's a mix of oxalic and citric acids with the addition of surfactants, etc. I'm glad the litmus paper helped you hone in on the problem. I hope this was good education on purchasing pure vs. blended products as it is important to know your chemistry if you are going to provide professional cleaning service to your customers. Best Wishes!