Need Help bidding and doing cedar fences.

[krpalex 14]

I have yet to get a fence job, this is my fourth year in the biz and I think I am bidding to high. I measure the length X 2 (both sides) X 4 (4 feet tall) so 200 linear feet would cost $1600, is that to much. I also never spray stain and the neighbors house is about 10ft. away from one side of a fence that I gave a bid on, what is the best process on this. I use Ready Seal Religiously. P.S. I am posting here because I know you all know what you are doing as I have based my biz around what I have learned here. You guys are all awesome.

[RPetry 564]

Ralph,

Fence is a hard sell. With a clean, brighten, and RS stain, your $1600 is low here. Our labor would be that much plus all material costs and state tax.

If you are using a lot of RS, please get a HLVP Deckster or a Decker 5'er. The cost in labor alone will pay back in spades.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Welcome to TGS - please go into your My Controls and add your signature.

Beth :groovy3:

[krpalex 14]

I have a Deckster but I just use it for spraying HD-80 and Citralic, I am afraid of all the overspray, and it is part of my sales pitch telling the customer that we do all our decks by hand I get a lot of jobs because of that, but I know I wont be able to do a fence by hand. How do you avoid overspray.

[RPetry 564]

Ralph,

We could not be more different. Have never used a Decker 5'er for chems, those go through a Shurflo pump setup. Does your Decker have a PumpTec pump?

These are HVLP sprayers, ie. High Volume, Low Pressure. No fog or overspray, you adjust the pressure and volume flow at the pump and wand. Strong wind can be a problem but we never mask. No need.

[Bugzappers 14]

Hello forum.

I'm looking into fence cleaning as an add on during the slow times in the pest control world. I've looked for a fence cleaner with no luck. There was a mexican gentleman who came to my house about 4 years ago. He had a hand sprayer and sprayed a section of my stockade fence. As he sprayed it, the black/gray color washed off completely. This left my fence looking like it was just installed that day. He told me it would be sealed for two years. It was about two years before it started graying again.

I'm looking for that product. Everything I've found, requires scrubbing or a power washer to rinse it off and work the chemical into the wood. The chemical this guy used required none of that. He literally sprayed it on and the black just fell off.

Please give me any ideas if you will.

Thank you.

Mike

[RPetry 564]

Mike,

Probably bleach mixed with a bit of water.

[Bugzappers 14]

Thanks for the input. This product wasn't bleach. I've tried that with little luck. It barely made a difference to the black/gray status of the fence. This product was in a chemical container I just never got to see it to read it.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike,

Probably bleach mixed with a bit of water.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

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Beth