1 Down 92 to Go........

[Aplus 525]

These are probably the worst awnings I have ever seen. Every single awning has mold growing on it. The one in this photo is close to typical. They are stretched cloth.

Fortunately they are cleaning up real nice, but take a lot of work. Took 3 of us almost seven hours to clean 31 of them today.

All the outside faucets were disfunctional, so we had to get water from a hookup in the boiler room. It was the first time we had to use all 250 feet of garden hose in the trailer. Needless to say, the portable washers were dragged around a lot. Fortunately today was a really nice day, around 73 degrees, lower humidity, partly cloudy, just a great day to be outside.

Two more days and we'll be finished.......ugh.

[Aplus 525]

More, check these out........yech...

[Firedkm 14]

Tony,

What are you using to get them that clean? The picture of the clean one looks awesome.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Excellent as always!

[Aplus 525]

Well, the processes we developed to clean the awnings were the result of MUCH research, MANY phone calls, EXPENSIVE cleaners, and trial & error in the field.

I'm not going to specifically say here how to get awnings that clean, it is up to each person to do their homework as I did. All the information is available via the wonderful tool we call the world wide web.

Basically,

A product needs to be applied for the mold.

A product needs to be applied to clean the dirt, sap, droppings, etc.

A method needs to be employed to agitate and loosen the dirt, sap, droppings, etc.

A product needs to be applied to seal/waterproof the canvas.

Sorry for the vagueness, but this newly developed process is going to provide a lot of options and make me a lot of money. You didn't really think I was going to spill the info did you?

Good Luck.....and get busy doing your homework!

And BTW...the complex manager was blown away. He could not remember the awnings ever looking that good. Considering that they cost $400 each to replace, he didn't waste a second in signing me up to do annual cleanings.

[Firedkm 14]

Sure, why not?:deal:

I have too been looking for some "good stuff" searching the web. Your right about stuff costing alot and My worry is the trail and error. I dont have the awnings to practice on like I did for decks and house washes.

At least you got a annual cleaning out of the guy. Those awnings did look really good.

[Jon 533]

Super job Tony, and considering how badly they looked too.

[paul-uk 500]

. Cleaning Procedures Basically, cleaning is a five-step process: 1. Pre-inspection 2. Pre-soak 3. Scrub 4. Rinse 5. Apply a topical sealant 1. Pre-Inspection Before cleaning an awning it is important to inspect the awning frame and service location for potential problems. If any are identified they should be discussed with the customer and written on the work order before proceeding. Such things may include: Fabric degradation or failure Seam failure Lace failure Colorization failure Lighting outage Missing deflectors Rusted frames, or rust stains Birds nests Truck damage Loose frame at building connection Torn, missing, or deteriorated weatherproof caulking between top rail and building The safest approach is to have the customer sign a work order and liability waiver noting any such defects/problems before you begin the job.....

pre-inspection is v\important.....there are so many sites with different advice, that you would have research and go with what you feel is right.

dale shoot me a email.

tony another top job :-)

[Aplus 525]

Well said Paul!

Excellent.

[Aplus 525]

I'll post the after pics for all the dirtys later. I don't feel like walking to the truck now to get the camera.

I didn't really expect to be getting a job like this, it just presented itself. When I got there to do the estimate, I knew I had to do the research before offering any service.

I told the site manager that I needed a day or two before I could present him with a proposal.

I did my homework and found out exactly what had to be done to clean those awnings, and presented it to the site manager the next day.

He awarded me the job that day.

With the impetus of the first big awning cleaning opportunity, I learned everything I could in one night, and the next morning. Orders were placed for products I'd never heard of.

Armed with all the research, and some expensive chemicals, we jumped in feet first, hoping that other experiences and gut feelings make up for a lack of on-the-job experience.

Mission Accomplished.

Here's one of the guys hamming for the camera.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

I'm not going to specifically say here how to get awnings that clean, it is up to each person to do their homework as I did. All the information is available via the wonderful tool we call the world wide web.

Sorry for the vagueness, but this newly developed process is going to provide a lot of options and make me a lot of money. You didn't really think I was going to spill the info did you?

Now isn't that the purpose of all the boards out there? You do all the homework and the trial and error, then share your wisdom with all the folks who are to lazy to use the search function. You mean we actually have to do our own research and possibly fail before we figure it out? Now I am not sure that is fair, you are being greedy with field proven techniques. You meanie!!!

Just kidding, they look great!! So whats it gonna cost me to get your secret?

[Chappy 138]

The first pictures make them look so much bigger. I love those results.

I did a lot of awning research, went out knocking on doors, did a couple with what I had available, that turned out great, then ordered the starter kit from one of the companies that specialize in awning chems. Started handing out professional flyers, showing the pics of my work, and.... havnt gotten one job since. I think I over knowledged myself. Too much research. Que sera!

[Jon 533]

Tony do I read you to say you have not done awnings before so the reason you told them it will take a day or so is to do a quick study to know what you are up against?

[Aplus 525]

Jon,

I had done a few awnings before, but nothing like what I was up against at that complex. I had never encountered that much mold. I knew bleach was out of the question due to the particular surroundings, so I had to find an alternative.

I was upfront with the manager in telling him those awnings were in severe condition, and I had concerns about employing methods I had used in the past. I told him that I needed to do some research specifically aimed at his situation. He was very appreciative of my honesty and told me two other companies had bid, and neither of them explained anything to him about how they were going to approach the job. In fact one company said they were going to apply Thompsons as a water proofer. The manager even knew Thompsons was not the correct product for canvas awnings. I went to HD yesterday and checked out the Thompsons closely, and no where did it say it is OK to use it on canvas or cloth. In fact the label said, wood, cement, brick, etc, hard surfaces.

When I created my proposal, I included some product information of the products I was going to use. It added credibility I think.

Some may say to never reveal your weaknesses to a customer, to always portray you are an expert in the service they are requesting. But I think in certain situations, you can use it to your advantage. Once the manager saw that I fully grasped what had to be done, and understood exactly how we were going to restore the awnings, he only saw me as a professional, not as inexperienced in awning cleaning.

Sit back and think about how you can employ different techniques in your sales presentation. The idea is to demonstrate that you are the right guy for the job, not the other outfits that didn't take the time to educate the customer.

[Jon 533]

Tony I don't see any weakness here, just being honest and to me that speaks loudly of a person.

That also had a lot to do with you landing this account.

I have been in those shoes on a couple jobs, even bid to low the first time and made it clear I did and would re-bid next time hoping they accept it.

If not I learned, if so I gained just like you gained a new account and I bet he gives your name to others.

[Aplus 525]

Jon,

I was concerned about underbidding the job. Sometimes things can turn out to be a lot more work than first meets the eye.

Often times I'll do a test clean before bidding a job, but in this case I didn't have the specific products on hand, so it wouldn't have been an accurate test with different chems.

The products I used were expensive ($35-52 per gallon) but everyones happy, and I bid accordingly so it really doesn't matter what the chems cost. I plan on keeping some on hand for future demonstrations, however.

[Aplus 525]

A couple more....

[Gavin 14]

Nice work Tony. Looks great!

[Mike Cappa 14]

the chemicals to clean those awnings shouldn't be too expensive at all. Unless you are using something different than I am thinking. You should be paying about 40 dollars for a 5 gallon pail of dilutable chemical. You can get about 200-300 awnings done with 5 gallons. hope you aren't paying too much more than that.

[Celeste 341]

So, Mike, are you gonna share the name of the company or product at least since Tony is being stingy with information (;))

Celeste

[One Tough Pressure 580]

So, Mike, are you gonna share the name of the company or product at least since Tony is being stingy with information (;))

Celeste

Mike is not in this business anymore, so he may not reply to this.

Mike has been notorius for saying that a certain product works great and then not sharing the name. A good example of that was when he was still a washer and used Bob's products from Pressure Tek.

Mike also mentioned on quite a few occasions that he did not care for the XJet as he had a better way, but would never say what. That better way was also attributed to Bob and it was an Adams downstreamer, and a larger orifice 0°.

[Celeste 341]

oooooooooo.

[Degraffreed 21]

Hey,

Gents, I hope this does not cause any waves. But I think if you guys are wondering what A+ is using go to Delcos site and I think you can get the same cleaning compounds that his is using to clean the canvas awingns, is AC22 or AC11. Delco have chems to clean these type of awnings. I attended the powerwashing school back in Feb04 and went out on site with a guy that does this for a living. I will go and find the packet of info that Delco gave me and I will double check the product numbers. Its a shame a+ is not sharing the info. I have learned so much from all of you guys that provide this type of info to us newbies. I feel like I can help you guys on this one. I get back ASAP.

Degraffreed

[One Tough Pressure 580]

I spoke to Tony about the chems and while I did not get the name, he is a very sharing person. What it comes down to sometimes, is that if you find a new way to corner your market and out do the competition then you do not want to spill the beans for all your comp to see and then copy you, while you employ your newfound upsell.

These boards are great, but sometimes we have to do a little extra homework on what works and what does not. We can not be told everything straight out. I like that there is still some mystery in how people accomplish things. It keeps us alert and on our toes.