Paul B.

He is recuperating!

There is a fair amount of vagueness when folks talk about 2 hours to wash a house. First, there are different shapes of houses with different landscaping. Some are surrounded by asphalt, while others have grass all around. Some have driveways that slope into the street, and some that have driveways, and patios that slope the wrong way. Some reclaim or dam from having waste water enter the storm drain, while others do nothing. Some have wrap around porches with cobwebs and concrete, while others have deck type wood porches and oak or mohagony doors that require protecting from water. Second, how many peoeple are doing the wash - one person or 2 people. Third, do you count the time from when you roll up to the driveway or from the time you pull the trigger. Do you count unloading and packing up. Fourth, do you mix your chemicals on site, or do you pre-mix the night before. Some count mixing into the equasion while others don't. Fifth, some include cleaning the gutters into the equasion while others do not. Sixth, on some houses there are problems with weeping - some folks stick around and wipe down the weeps, while others do not and sometime they get call-backs. There are a lot of things that go into washing a house and while some are a breeze, others can be time consuming to achieve a quality cleaning on. Until everyone talks apples to apples or describes their process completely, all effort hours at best are ambiguous (no insult intended, it is just fact).

You are welcome!

On top of the tarp, we also like to staple cardboard on the inside of the railing (to run about 12-18" above the rail). This also helps to keep overspray under control.

That $25 shipping is an estimate, the actual will be much less - you can call to confirm it. Most places that sell the Makita (on-line) will also carry the backing pads. Check out: www.mytoolstore.com/makita/mak08-02.html They have the backing pads and lock-nut. They also have the Makita 9227CX3 Kit on sale for $169.95 (good price).

Phosphoric acid based products such as Prosoco's Ferrous Stain Remover or Oxalic acid based products such as White-Ox (Rust-Away) will remove rust stains from vinyl and brick. Rust will be orange color on brick also - it's most likely mold & mildew or slight chance it could be carbon deposits. Pool Shock/Chlorine (liquid) will remove mold mildew. "No" - chlorine will not stain materials (it will whiten or bleach some materials) 1st pic shows "Rust on Brick" 2nd and 3rd show "Mold & Mildew on Brick"

Very nice work Rick!

We've been in decent shape this year (lot of threats but no follow thru). It would be tough to have another year like last. Having a variety of work type also helps offset things.

CLASSICPW, Could you please explain your comment "Your fault." If you have info that could help C&T I'm sure he would appreciate it along with many others (including myself).

Mike, used incorrectly it can discolor vinyl (fabrics). Here is a bit more info on: Lithium Hypochlorite (LIOCl) Lithium hypochlorite is a newer entry in the field of chlorinating agents. It cost more than other hypochlorites, and it provides only about 35% available chlorine (vs. Calcium hypochlorite which provides 65%). It comes in granular form and is fast dissolving and totally soluble in water. It has a pH of 10.7. For reference: Sodium Hypochlorite has pH value of around 13 Lithium Hypochlorite pH value around 11 Calcium Hypochlorite pH 8.5 Dichlor (Stabilized Chlorine Granules) pH about 7 Trichlor (Chlorine Tablets) pH value below 3

With the X-Jet, when you add the chemical, you are adding volume to your output therefore your pressure is reduced. For example, at 2:1 with a 4 GPM, 3500psi machine, your total output (water and chemical) would be 6GPM but now you lose pressure because of the added volume (plus turbulance, drag, etc.), hence the loss of distance. With upstreaming, you add your chemical prior to the pump, so you would always pump the same amount of fluid and your pressure is controlled by your nozzle size. You could use a SureFlo pump to increase your volume, however, you need to be able to shut off your flow at the tip, otherwise the chemical would keep pumping out. I seal brick with a Titan airless, and they have an extension pole (550-SC) 3-12ft that has a gun and nozzle at the end of the pole. The only problem is the low volume under .5 GPM. (I believe the pole and gun are rated at 3600psi.) If you could find a small, high volume, lightweight gun that could be mounted to the end of an extension pole and operated remotely, you could tie it in with a Shurflo and it would make certain types of roof cleaning a breeze.

Here are a few other places: www.Mettam.com www.MSCDirect.com www.DirectSafety.com www.Galeton.com You can also request a hard catalog from most of these places.

Travis, Sorry to hear about the problem you had. Hope all heals properly without long term effects. It can never hurts to wear a respirator along with other protective gear such as goggles, gloves, etc. Always read your MSDS and understand the effects of each chemical in the solution you are planning to use. Also, carry the MSDS with you on each job. Makes diagnosis and treatment easier and quicker if an accident does happen. Remember: "Safety First and Make IT Last!"

Two most common high vapor acids used in rust removers are Hydrochloric (Muriatic) and Phosphoric. Oxalic acid is also used but it does not fume as much.

I'm not sure I completely understand what you mean by: "If the injector was before the gun and not at the nozzle I think the distance would be maintained at 50 ft and I like being able to turn off the chems close by.."

Dale hit it on the head when he said someone got up on the left side of the bed. "Passing the responsibility" hit a LARGE nerve and of course the rest is history. It's hard to put this and "THE ROB HISTORY" into inperspective for someone that pops into this BB from time to time. Oneness you hit it on the head: "you say you're not ego driven...From what I've seen, you very ego driven...You are the only contractor I know of on any board who consistently posts how much he's making, how busy he is, how stupid others are for not charging the same, etc etc etc ad nauseum..." If I may ad also that he has been "the flavor of the month" as he has been learning this trade (be it house washing, deck work, concrete work or anything else). Always wanting to charge an arm and a leg for something he may not be able to command control of (an example was the gutter cleaning - $5 a linear foot. We can't forget how last year he couldn't get anyone to pay $1 a square foot for deck work until he read one of my posts, from then on he's been getting $1.50-$2 a sq ft). Speaking frankly, the problem here is not the irritation he causes to most, but how he may impact others as they may be starting out in this business. I don't want to ad any more distractions to this BB than I already have, so I will stop respond to his posts. All of you good folks can deal with him or ignore him (as you chose). I can't say I dislike him, I just don't care for his business practices. Jay and everyone else: Let me make it clear one more time - My post(s) were not intended to slam ANY product, be it Aquapel by L&M or V-Seal. I have used and am using a variety of good concrete treatment products including Tamms, ChemMaster, Prosoco, L&M and V-Seal. They all have a place and some are apples, some oranges and while others are cherries (no lemons in the group). My question: Is Aquapel better than V-Seal? (In context of the post)...was not a challange of quality but actually about one company being in business longer than the other not necessarily being a gage of the quality of the product or their service. The original statement was that 3 companies with combined 150 years experience chose V-Seal hands down by reading the specs. (If they have so much experience why have they not used it or known about it before? You can twist anything many different ways - and certain people are good at it.) It didn't take me 50 years to figure out that V-Seal is a quality and contractor friendly product. I like and use both products - my customers have also liked both products. Keep in mind: - The selection of a sealer, albeit important, is only one part of the process that a contractor goes thru when working with a customer and their substrate in question. Other items are sales and estimating, inspection, contract points, pricing, scope change management, cleaning and application of sealer. Thanks!

Nothing else like it on the market that will get you the 1:2 ratio. Curious: Why the injector before the gun? Some put the injector at the hose reel. No extra hose to lug around.

I've run across it several times - where the mold & mildew penetrated deep into the wood and it takes several applications to kill it. You can continue to soak the area with liquid pool shock, but you will kill wood cells. Hydrogen Peroxide is the safest alternative for killing mold & mildew on wood (and if you get any cuts in the process, you can be sure it will be disinfected). ;-) You can also add mildewcide to your stain. Packets of mildewcide can be purchased at Sherwin Williams, Home Depot and other places.

If you are interested in learning more about exposed aggregate, I recommend this web site: www.exposedaggregateconcrete.com/menu.htm

Beth, Based on his comment, V-Seal was not applied to the surface. Alan, Thanks! Many folks disagree with my comments and that's OK. If folks don't want to take any of my information and use it as a starting point of their research, that's OK also. My information is FREE and I ask nothing in return. I like to speak my mind, and often it's percieved as arrogance. OK, I'm arrogant - I like to think of it as being confident. Confident because I do spend time researching before I use a product. I researched V-Seal for a good period of time before I used it, and I have applied it FIRST HAND as I have many other products. I've spread my money around in this business to try a lot of different products personally. I get out often enough and work on many jobs throughout the year (I've got Cabot stain on my hands as we speak). I normally don't ask someone to do something or use a product if I have not tested or worked with it myself. Being over 50 has given me many years to do many things and I strive for variety and excellence. OK, so much for my resume... Now let me say this: Penetrating sealers can and are used on exposed aggregate surfaces. V-Seal 101 is my GO TO penetrating sealer because of its quality and contractor friendly applicability. However, I do not believe that penetrating sealers provide the best overall protection for the exposed aggregate surface as the aggregate is normally not penetrated (unless it was acid etched or is of a porous type). My strong opinion based on experience and LOGIC. My main issue, which I don’t want lost (behind CAN V-seal be used or not) was the fact that a GOOD contractor checks the surface close enough to know that there is a sealer already on it (especially if it is acrylic on 10-15% of the surface and you plan on applying a penetrating sealer). This is a critical step. I believe my reaction was to the fact that this contractor didn’t do a good job of inspecting the surface and did a CYA to pass the responsibility on to the customer. I DO agree that if a customer changes their mind, they should be charged for the change of direction. Statements like this are obviously exaggerations: “…anyway, since the exposed aggregate was a 60-40 mix, and after consulting with 3 concrete contractors before bidding, on if this, this was the right sealer, and each one said absolutely, after reading the spec sheet on 3 choices, they hands down chose V-seal,…” “…Yes, at least 3 concrete contarctors All cant be wrong, ? or does Paul know more than their 150 years in Family owned concrete business's...? They would have no reason to lye to me, they are friends,…” I’m wondering how Rob can tell what the composition of the concrete is by visual observation and not see that there was an acrylic coating on it. How can you tell the composition of concrete by sight. Is the concrete: 1:2:3 - 50% aggregate (1 part cement: 2 parts sand and 3 parts aggregate), 1:2:4 (60% aggregate) or 1:3:5 (55% aggregate). If Rob is so confident in the experience of any ONE of the concrete businesses, why would he need to go to THREE. Can a concrete contractor be wrong? SURE! Can I be wrong? SURE! How does a concrete contractor know if a product is good if they have never used it in the past? How does 150 years of concrete experience help you in deciding about a product that has been around less than 15 years? Can reading the specs and flyers tell you how great a product is? Is Aquapel by L&M a better product than V-Seal? They have been around for many, many years (many more years than V-Seal) and are experts in the concrete field. I think you get the point.

You are supposed to put the stain on the wood, not your legs! I'm with Dale on this one. Lava also works but requires a bit more rubbing.

Any guesses as to what caused this effect? It's 2 coats of water based stain. 2nd coat is about 1 year old. We didn't do the work - we are going behind a contractor to fix it. My guess is it's poor quality prep work and adhesion problem.

The existing surface was cleaned before the top coat was sprayed on. Looking at other areas, I would agree that it was sprayed on unevenly and not back-brushed. Amazingly this was done twice with the same results.

Another option: Most trucking companies have depots where you can pick up your shipment. Have the distributor provide you with the trucking co. name and phone number where you can make contact and find out the nearest depot.

No problem - we did a couple last year that were similar (one with Vana Trol and one with D600)