Paul B.

The man is a doctor (shrink) - he's a bit strange but he's OK. Usually I'm real good at reading people (I'm a gambler Exacta, Trifecta, Black Jack - but I study the game) I get the feeling he'll be doing the work himself. Just needs the estimates for Behr - he doesn't have a lawsuit. Home Depot is helping him out and I guess with all the litigations going on in the northwest, they are being a bit more cooperative than normal. I stopped at his place last night, I was running errands and 5 other estimates, there was a bit of daylight left so I called on the spur of the moment and he was at home (it was 3 minutes from my last estimate). We talked a bit, then he disappeared. My numbers will be high for him anyway. Like I said, I was interested to see what it looked like. I have photos, but today was a long day, I'll try to post them tomorrow.

Tim, Sounds like a good choice. Charging interest only works if it motivates. There are large companies that understand the meaning of paying on time and taking advantage of a 2% discount on quick payment. That 2% for these companies means 100's of thousands per year. The rest are nickel and dime contracts (so to speak).

Beth, I agree with you and I do the CYA. I always work with a signed and dated contract that has all the assumptions and exception. I take photos and I only guarantee workmanship. The product performance as color and life is not something I guarantee. Thanks for the heads up!

For those of you that have never seen inflation / currency devaluation this is the best chance to observe it on television (hopefully non of us will experience it first hand). They have shown videos of the streets and markets in Iraq, as business and trading starts picking up steam after the war. If you look closely, when they show transactions, you will see people with wads of paper money, wrapped in bundles. Paying close attention, you will see that the stacks are not counted, but are weighed by a scale (that's what I call money by the pound / kilo). I assume they will change currency in the near future when a government is established, but for now, whomever has the heaviest stack of Dinar's will be the winner. I would also suspect that prices are going up on a daily basis, the same as in lot of countries around WWII time frame. It was so bad in some countries that every person would get paid at the end of the day and they would have to spend all of the money the same day. A loaf of bread would cost $1 dollar one day, the next day it was $2 dollars then the 3rd day it would cost maybe $5 dollars and so on. If you held the money too long the money you were paid with one day, would buy you absolutely nothing the next day. Eventually, new currency had to be issued and a new system established. Satellite TV is so interesting as you can live history while it's being made vs. having to read about it 5 years afterwards. Any other interesting observations?

The need to strip would depend on the old stains condition. If it was peeling aimlessly for example and it did not have a primer. I believe Cabot solid deck stains call for a primer to be applied for a long lasting application. Even though Solids are OK to be applied over Solids, I believe you will obtain longer lasting results with stripping, priming, then adding a top coat. Seeing the actual condition of the deck would help make the final decision.

H2O Joe, ICI offered me the WoodPride, but am already offering more choices than probably should be. ICI in my area offers TWP for the same price as the WoodPride ($79.95 per 5 gallon pail - contractor rate). I would recommend TWP over WoodPride since it has Consumer Report appeal and good reputation for quality and colors. Let us know what you think if you try it.

For lack of finding a better place, I'll post this one right here: One thing that I have noticed frequently is the level of communication between contractors and the customer. This starts at the estimate and goes all the way til the follow-up call (or lack of it) after the job completion. But just to focus on one portion of it (a key section for your business and profitability) is the initial contact and the actual review of the work for the estimate. When a customer calls do you ask enough details? Who, What, When, Where, Why and How? Is it a one story or 2 story house? When was the last time it was cleaned? Was the surface sealed with anything and when? Do you have mold and mildew or other stains? Are there any special areas that are of concern to you (customer)? Do you have water spigot available outside? Where did you hear about our company? Can I schedule the job for next week? (ask for the job.) ...and of course the list goes on and on. If the questioning does not come naturally, you should have a list until the questions come naturally. I always keep a checklist with me and take notes. A recorder is often handy to make notes while driving. The lack of probative question reminds me of the favorite line in a Pink Panther movie and it goes like this: Inspector Clusoe after seeing the dog next to the man he's expression tells you he's unsure of the dogs intentions and proceeds to ask the man: "Does your dog bite?" "No!" answers the man. A quick nip at Clusoe and growl by the dog is followed by a puzzled look and he states in pain: "I thought you said your dog did not bite!" The man answers: "This is NOT my dog!" The moral to this is: without asking enough probative questions, you may not get the answer you were seeking. Listen carefully, observe, take notes and adjust methodology by applying the learnings.

There was dog crossing the railroad tracks one day. He didn't pay much attention to what he was doing and was slow in his crossing. A train came by and and ran over his tail. He yelped as he lost his tail and turned his head around to see what happened. As he did this, he lost his head to the train. The moral to this story: Don't lose your head over a piece of tail!

By the way, What has worked best for you folks to remove oxidized paint runs from brick surface?

I suppose some of those chemicals can also be in the first aid kit.

As with other items, I offer a variety. Probably too many choices, so I will most likely reduce by one this year. Up to now the selection has been Cabots, Wolman F&P and Cuprinol. Used Penofin from time to time at customer's request. It's not readily available in my market at this time, otherwise I would push it more even at the premium prices. This year I picked up TWP - got a good price from the only distributor in town. He's giving it to me for $79.95 per 5 gallon pail. I was ready to try ReadySeal this year, in fact I have a sample kit from Tracy sitting in the shop, but the coverage rate and shipping has made me shy away for the time being. At 75-100 sq ft per gallon the only way it will compete with TWP is if I need damp application one-day type sealer. So far that has not been an issue since deckwork is not the majority of our work. TWP will be the main sealer and I will use it to also leverage a price on Cuprinol.

Commercially, to tie electrical to high pressure water line would not be inexpensive to manufacture or sell. Even with low voltage, the longer the distance, the bigger the wire has to be. If you are running hot water thru the hose, the low voltage wire will pick up the heat and overheat and trip/burn the fuse, etc. Think along the lines of the RF (radio frequency) transmitters and receivers. Garage door opener types. Allied Automation 4 channel transmitter w/2 plus mile range ($500); their 1500ft plus range 4 channel unit runs $100; 4 channel receiver runs $130. Dimango has 4-channel 150 ft range unit for $40 Remote Control Technology sells the "Bandit" 1 or 8 channel wireless transmitter/receiver - www.RemoteControlTech.com www.Abacom-Tech.com has 300ft range units. The electric switch or relay for the Burner ON/Off is real simple but you have to decide if its 12VDC or 110VAC. (You want a relay that is Normally Open). You would most likely want a manual back-up in case your switch, transmitter or receiver fails or keep spare relay. The soap (if you are switching between soap and water) needs to be fluid over electric solenoid valve - position "A" is water; position "B" is soap (or vise versa). A 3-way multi-porpose solenoid valve by Skinner or Parker (AC or DC); Select seal type based on chemical resistance needs. You can find at www.ValveStore.com You could also do this with a 2-way On/OFF Solenoid Valve (turn soap line ON/OFF). Again, I would add a by-pass for manual mode in case your transmitter, receiver or solenoid valve failed. Probably can be made simpler and less expensive, but I'm not familiar with the controls/system you are targeting to incorporate this into.

There are several brands and types available 3M, North and AOSafety are 3 that come to mind. My recommendation would be a half-face mask and the appropriate cartridges for the materials you are applying. Most vendors are helpful in selecting filter cartridges. You can order thru the internet or your local paint store (like Sherwin Williams) can take care of your needs. www.DirectSafety.com or www.SafetyPlus.com are a couple among the host of vendors that can supply these masks.

I don't need the wood stretcher, (Thanks!) I have an elastic tape measure.

I would think that any time that one sprays chemicals (especially contractors that do it on a regular basis) a respirator would be the wisest investment for your health. Chemical mist will get into your lungs. Wind can stir the mist also. Some chemicals have short-term and others have long-term effects. Every person reacts differently to chemical exposure. Just because you are not seeing short term effects does not mean that your internal organs are not being damaged (kidneys, liver, heart, and brain, etc.). The disadvantage I would see with down-streaming is the use of high(er) pressure then a pump-up or Shur-flo system which has an impact on the way some chemicals react with certain substrates. Example: acid should be applied with no more than 60 psi pressure to keep it from penetrating too deep into the surface. Remamber: "Safety First and Make It Last!"

Tim, I'm also in the market for a "vanishing point" (mostly used in perspective drawings). I'm looking to get my hands on one to convert for other uses.

EnviroSpec has a very nice write-up about the two types of Unloaders (Pressure & Flow type) and their advantages and disadvantages (It's in their catalog - I have not checked for the same info on-line). I think this will explain why a Pressure type unloader would benefit from an Accummulator. In a nutshell, the Pressure type unloader has a check-valve that keeps the water between the gun and the unloader under pressure. The Flow type unloader relieves most of this pressure in the bypass mode. They also state that the Flow type unloader (K-7 & K-5) do not allow the operator to down-size the high pressure nozzles because it senses flow - reducing flow at the nozzle causes the unloader to cycle repeatedly (this would also account for a possible shorter life of the Flow type unloader). Also the Flow type unloaders should not be used with a weep gun, as leaks will cause it to cycle. I believe a bladder/dampener installed between the the Actuator type unloader check-valve and nozzle will reduce the shock load sensed by the operator. The check-valve should protect the pump (depending on its restriction of back-flow). Hose length will effect pressure - longer the hose the less pressure at the nozzle (mostly due to friction while water is running). However, in my opinion, depending on how quickly the unloader goes into actual by-pass mode will determine how much pressure will be in the hose between the check-valve and the gun-valve in the by-pass mode. (I'm not familiar with the components of a weep type gun, but assume that it's a valve that weeps off pressure in the valve closed mode. I know it's key advertised feature is for use in cold weather situations to keep water flowing to protect the gun from freeze-up.) Bottom Line (my opinion): The safety concern would be mostly to the operator from the built up pressure in the hose (especially if the operator is on a ladder). Remember: "Safety First and Make It Last!"

Ron P. was asking where he could find one like A-Plus. I think your question "...If they are truly needed wouldn't they be installed by the manufacturer." ...deserves some pondering. - Four disk brakes on a car are better than two - why don't all cars have them? - The cab of my truck keeps rusting out behind the door (it's a typical problem and fairly easy to eliminate) - why has that problem not disappeared? Shortened equipment life is not necessarily a question of liability - only if it's a safety issue. It's sort of like a direct drive vs. a belt drive. A dampener should extend the life of a pump.

This is a political editorial. It burns me up to hear peace protesters ask "What has Sadaam done to us?" I'd have to say - GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SAND! Sadaam and his regime killed over 180,000 Kurds during a 5 year period in the late 80's and early 90's. (Ethnic purging - because he didn't like the color of their skin.) They have continued to kill and torture anyone that disagrees and is even slightly suspected of being a threat to them. They have killed hundreds of thousands of Iranians and thousands of Kuwaitees, and harbor terrorists who kill anyone that supports Israel. People disapper in the middle of the night, never to be seen again (same as the communists had done in their days). Look around in that area, how many true democracies you see - not many, as most of these countries are dictatorships of one form or another. That's why they stick together - they don't want an uprising created to lose their control. Would we not want someone to come and help us if someone was treating us that way? I would! Thanks for letting me express my opinions in this free country!

Xterior shows dampener in their catolog CAT has some in their on-line catolog Dultmeier has some in their catolog

Ron, What is the cylinder (piston) for? Small electric solenoid would work. The Clapper would work if you added frequency scrambling/coding.

I'm looking for a "SKY HOOK" - something that will hover in mid-air that I can hang 500 pounds onto and move around when I rearrange things for the 300th time. (Tired of cross-braces, cantilevered arms, head-bangers, stiffeners, etc.) Willing to pay big bucks!

The polls are a good idea, especially if focus is on what works vs. what does not (this reinforces OTP's thoughts). I think with enough votes, the rest will automatically fall out (well...sort of). Chemicals can be like employees - The one you let go is not a bad employee, they just didn't fit the job (I'm sure everyone / thing has something they excel on.) Seems like every time I stop at one of my distributors, they throw another catolog at me (each with 30-40 products in it). I have to tell them to circle the top 5 quality products on the index pages and put prices on them otherwise I don't want the info.

A camelback is what you get on when you want to get from Baghdad to Syria.

I wouldn't necessarily call it a stumbling block, a challange definitely, to streamline the following (these are not in any specific order): - The sales packages / presentation packages - Organizing and keeping things organized - from files to equipment and supplies. - Upgrading equipment and procedures. - The estimating / bidding process (finding ways to reduce effort hours and getting a higher percentage of bids). - Finding ways to reduce the Overhead costs. - Sorting thru ALL the different chemicals, solutions & sealers to find the best quality for a reasonable cost. - Finding enough time in a day.