Is There Anything Realy New

[jeffex11 121]

In this business? once I learned my techniques they have stayed the same for many years. I liked inovating and perfecting my process but it has leveled off for many years. I'm not complaining since it produces a predictable income stream , just wondering if anyone out there has any NEW methods. I would understand if you don't want to share them!!!! Just let me know how your secret saves you time and increases your $$$$ I get most decks washed and stained in 1 day and have been doing that for 11years now. I know its an unorthodox method but it works for me and my customers.

[PressurePros 249]

I can teach someone how to pressure wash most things and be efficient at it in a week. Where the innovations come is in the business model.

How is your closing rate?

Whats the return on your advertising pieces?

What are your EBITDA and are your percentages in line with simiar businesses?

What kind of customer rewards program do you have in place?

How updated is your mailing list for customer contact?

Whats the CTR and conversion rate of your website?

Whats your acquisition cost for leads?

Do you have systems in place that will allow someone to step into your shoes and stay just as productive as your company is now? Etc, etc.

These are the things that set a business apart. After a year or two doing decks, houses whatever, your not far away from a guy that has been doing decks for ten years in terms of efficency and skill (thanks to these boards)

[Tracy Handl 108]

True, many techniques in this industry can remain the same for many years. If it's not broke don't fix it. A line that makes sense. But as manufactures develop new products, and equipment gets new features, old methods can be made more efficent. I have personally had customers in the biz many years tell me I helped turn their business around with products or equipment I introducted to them. The "wheel" can't always be re-invented, but it can be improved upon. Utilize your dealers and manufactures to learn of these improvments, and keep an open mind. Old habits tend to be hard to break, but if a something would make you more money, wouldn't you want that?!

[jeffex11 121]

YES the innovation comes in other aspects of the business as mentioned. I am a sole proprietor with help from my wife and son. The next true horizon for me is to hire and train crews and step up to that challenge . I opperate my business just like a full time business however, I have a full time job as well and am limited by time. I was just wondering if anyone out there has made any strides in their start to finish times or found a product that seperates them from others. I'm not asking for anyone to divulge thier COCA-COLA secret but to simply say they have a better way. I once saw a online video of a 5-minute fence stain that I bet many homeowners tried. Innovative- yes !It hooked up to a garden hose and splashed the stain on is minutes.I still wouldn't use it if it didn't have a quality finish. I'll bet the stain doesn't last and the finish is blotchey but they probably sold many to cheap homeowners not willing to pay a pro. I see roof washing in it's infancy in my area just like deck washing was 16 yrs ago when I started. Selling new services to existing customers is a warm up sell but not innovative. I am open to any product or technique that will increase profit as long as the quality of the job is maintained.

[bigchaz 157]

I would think the first step for you would be going full time. Your growth and innovation is going to be limited with two jobs.

As a full timer you could be washing 3, 4 decks one day, do some sales the next day, stain 2 of the decks, then the next day stain the rest and start cleaning two more. Do hundreds of decks in a year

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

This is a hard one to isolate as I do not know what the extent of knowledge is with anyone in particular. We have some pretty talented members here on TGS so their input will definitely shed some light on this one.

I think the principles are known for the most part, it is the techniques and methodology that can differ from one company to the next.

We all work in different areas of the country which have various restrictions and requirements which can shape how we perform our services but negligibly at best.

Washing and staining a deck in a day is a good goal but for those who offer sanding as a standard part of their service, this is not feasible while the wood is still wet. The standard service of hammering down nails should be done once the wood is dry as well. This allows for the wood to complete it's dynamic expansion and contraction from water exposure and settle enough to make this service lasting.

I have heard of many using an m-5 or x-jet to apply chemicals but having seen the damaged plants that surround many of the structures we service, this is not an option unless it is a percarbonate alone.

The number of employees on the task is another variant which is decided according to price structures and demographic affluence. Balls up in the air on this one surely.

Types of equipment, setups, and tank usage can vary according to preference and the availability of water supply in specific areas of the outer suburbs where wells are predominant. Some like just cold water units where others incorporate hot water units to increase the effectiveness of the chemicals for cleaning concrete and house washing requiring less in the process.

So, unless anyone is willing to send their head in a box so another can look into it to see what they know vs what the other knows, this could turn into a thread of speculation for all we know. btw, supply return postage if you want it back! ;)

I like the segway into innovation as it involves some of the most interesting ways to apply technology to accomplish various results in wood restoration.

Low pressure for example. Many are talking about this more and more as it is becoming quite easier to do these days with some of the chemicals on the market that we use. Applying, brushing and rinsing with low pressure is becoming just as effective as higher pressure used to be without the detriments of getting too close to the wood either accidentally or by lack of experience.

Rod!~

[PressurePros 249]

Innovative is, I agree a strong word and thats why I voted "not really". I mean you find the right stripper, you can DS it on and wash it off in a systematic fashion and be out of there before another contractor has refilled his pump up sprayer couple times. That's very time saving and perhaps takes awhile to find the right chems and suppliers but is it innovative? That may be subjective. To the guy with the pump up, maybe it is.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Semantically I guess that would be considered innovative Ken in terms of which is using the best means to accomplish the task; the pump up sprayer applicator or the downstreamer. Each though has it's pro's and con's. But overall, the innovation is in having an alternate means to apply chems with beyond what a novice would understand. Downstreamers are not new but their uses are expanding to a degree.

Innovations are also in the form of other sprayers that have higher volume pumps to apply stain with in order to get the job done quicker. I don't necessarily think it is the best but to some it is a preferred way to do it. This in their eyes is innovative.

I am just waiting for the innovations in chemicals in so much that they do all the work in one step instead of two.

Innovation saves time and money which are two important factors in any business but the one qualifier for me is to not sacrifice quality or user safety.

Rod!~

[jeffex11 121]

I would think a new and improved cleaner or a stain are the only true horizons that could give my onsite time a jolt. I employ a cleaner w/power washing and apply a water cleanup stain[olympic] to achieve an in and out in one day program. beyond that I know that multiple decks in a day or a crew is out there but that is not innovative just more productive.

[jeffex11 121]

one of the ideas I had for improving my onsite time was a scaffold that attached to the deck and gave me a walk way on the outside of decks above 8 ft. I've looked into the possibility of a small cherry picker type hydraulic boom that I could tow with my 4 wheeler to the back yard. $$$ price of that would need me to be full time to make it cost effective. The one thing I might try is pump jacks like the siding guys use . They are portable and cheap. I turned 50 this year and realized I need innovation to make this work easier on my body. I'm just not ready to hire a helper. I currently use portable pressure washers with their own carts. Lugging all the equipment arround back is a chore. I am going to convert my garden cart to a pressure washing cart this winter to mount my equipment to and tow with my 4 wheeler. My homeowners association doesn't allow trailers to be parked outside . I have a landscape trailer for my lawn business that is in the garage that I use to haul my p-wash equip. I plan to store the p-wash cart in the shed and just drive it onto the trailer with the 4 wheeler. Save load time and back stress.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I hear that on the back stress!

We mounted everything in order to avoid carrying lots of stuff to the backs of homes or townhouses. For washing, we only roll off hoses. For sealing though, we still have the Titan sprayer, tarps, plastic and other masking supplies to tote but at least they are lighter in comparison. Nothing innovative here perhaps with the exception of the sprayer which keeps the tarps and plastic cleaner due to less overspray and large droplets from the unit. It may cloud a bit but nothing a spray shield won't help minimize.

Rod!~

[Home Serve 14]

In this business? once I learned my techniques they have stayed the same for many years. I liked inovating and perfecting my process but it has leveled off for many years. I'm not complaining since it produces a predictable income stream , just wondering if anyone out there has any NEW methods. I would understand if you don't want to share them!!!! Just let me know how your secret saves you time and increases your $$$$ I get most decks washed and stained in 1 day and have been doing that for 11years now. I know its an unorthodox method but it works for me and my customers.

I've gotten to feel this way about other service businesses that I have owned in the past only sooner than 11 years. I got to the point of boredom and had done it all and wanted to move onto something else so I sold that business and got going on something else. Thing is that is okay except when you change business then you need to start all over again on the learning curve at least with the work itself. The marketing and other basic skills go on of course. I'd advise sticking with it but try to make it more interesting. You'd probably be the best judge on how to do that. There must be some challange in a man's life or something is not right. If you are not getting it here then you need to find it somewhere else. Does not have to be your work but usually it is.

About the "unothodox" method, care to explain more about those techniques for the rest of us that may use "orthodox" methods? Maybe we could all learn something.

Thanks,

Dave

[jeffex11 121]

hey I'm back from vacation!!! well rested and sore legs from standing up on a jet ski jumping waves!!! My unorthodox method is simple. I ignored the directions on the can 12yrs ago that said let the wood dry before application. one sunday I just washed my own deck and as soon as I had put away the pressure washing equipment I stained it with a water based stain. The sun had dried the surface and I figured the rest could still get out from the back. Tured out to last as long as the ones I waited to stain. So for 11 yrs that was my method. simple! I have considered the hose reels and a trailer mounted rig but I would need a remote on-off ele.start since we turn our machines off several times in some opperations. WE run 2 machines and some houses won't run them both due to low restriction water pressure on energy saver homes or wells. I usually bring 200ft of hose to connect to a neighbor if I can. My plan to create a cart to haul my stuff is just more efficient but not innovative. On vacation I watched a home show where these knuckle heads were going to wash and stain a deck they just replaced the railings on. I think they tried to copy American Chopper with their kidding around with each other. Anyway, they use cabbots deck wash and a scrub brush to clean the deck. Some spots looked fairley clean but maybe 35% got clean to my satisfaction. THAT would be nice if we could spray on a cleaner and skip the every square inch pressure washing time but that stuff wasn't it. What they showed as the finished stained deck was horrible. Blotchy stain and obvious areas where the dirt was still under the stain.

[Littlefield 65]

Jeff, just a few notes on procedure. Forget the remote start, plumb the washers bypass back into the tank. Forget the 200 ft of hose connecting to a neighbor, get a trailer with a tank. I set up both my washers with a 500 gallon tank, which kept me washing this summer during a drought where people were concerned with their wells going dry. I hauled water for a few days, but kept working.

Last, give Wood tux a try, its a penetrating oil modified to work on wet or damp decks. I think you'll be impressed.

[jeffex11 121]

I hear you on the tank!!! My problem is storage of my equipment in my neighborhood. I also have a lawn business[14 yrs] and that trailer fills one side of my garage. I diversified many years ago and in a drought year like this ,deck cleaning saved us. I also have a full time job as a mailman and can see the light to retirement on that job. Then I can ramp up to full time at my business. Then I will rent a storage unit to store surplus equipment but I can't justify the expence in my current situation. Don't get me wrong, I run my business as if I were making a living soley on its income. I price my work at the mid to upper end of the spectrum and have been doing decks for 16 yrs. I should probably know this already but does WTW clean up with soap and water or is it a mineral spirits clean up?

[Home Serve 14]

hey I'm back from vacation!!! well rested and sore legs from standing up on a jet ski jumping waves!!! My unorthodox method is simple. I ignored the directions on the can 12yrs ago that said let the wood dry before application. one sunday I just washed my own deck and as soon as I had put away the pressure washing equipment I stained it with a water based stain. The sun had dried the surface and I figured the rest could still get out from the back. Tured out to last as long as the ones I waited to stain. So for 11 yrs that was my method. simple! I have considered the hose reels and a trailer mounted rig but I would need a remote on-off ele.start since we turn our machines off several times in some opperations. WE run 2 machines and some houses won't run them both due to low restriction water pressure on energy saver homes or wells. I usually bring 200ft of hose to connect to a neighbor if I can. My plan to create a cart to haul my stuff is just more efficient but not innovative. On vacation I watched a home show where these knuckle heads were going to wash and stain a deck they just replaced the railings on. I think they tried to copy American Chopper with their kidding around with each other. Anyway, they use cabbots deck wash and a scrub brush to clean the deck. Some spots looked fairley clean but maybe 35% got clean to my satisfaction. THAT would be nice if we could spray on a cleaner and skip the every square inch pressure washing time but that stuff wasn't it. What they showed as the finished stained deck was horrible. Blotchy stain and obvious areas where the dirt was still under the stain.

So Jeff, is the product you are talking about Olympic Maximum? Do you use the clear and semi transparent or both or what? And the product holds up well?? What do you apply with? I was thinking of using an airless but not sure what size to get? I may use a pump up too just to start with. I have some decks on my rentals that I am going to practice on and then go out to the 'real' world to do some decks.

Thanks,

David

[jeffex11 121]

yes ,I use olympic max 3 yr semi. I have not tried the 5 yr or a solid stain. I use a sprayer to apply. I can't say about how well it holds up since april 07 was the first time I use it. The april decks still look good though!