help me with gutters please

[mas3372 14]

HELLO,

I am using gutter zap from sunbrite and it works well. I have been brushing it on with a brush on a 24 extention pole. I had some homes today with 3 stories on the back and could barely get the brush up there and not get enough cleaner on or leverage to get really clean gutters.

Is there a better cleaner to use, a better method.

This stuff is expensive so I don't see x-jetting it to be cost effective.

Is there a house cleaner that will also clean those annoying black marks off?

Any help would be great

Thanks

[bforbis 14]

I haven't had experience with G. SHock, but I have seen G, Zap burn the finish at the recommended dilution rates. Have used ESPECS Ripper, which is the same as their Power Stroke (as far as I can tell), and it works well, but can leave areas on windows etch or streak glass.

I have since stopped using thier products.

For gutters, usually my house cleaning mix will do, but if not...I carefully mix a sodium Hydrox, dilution and brush on with a fine, tight bristled brush (12" to 18" wide)

[mas3372 14]

Thanks for the help brent.

I have been using a short bristly brush from lowes that only lasts a few houses before it is ruined. But today I found a auto brush with much longer bristles. I am hopeing this will cover more gutter faster and last longer.

I mixed my gutter zap with 2 gallons h2o as told. I just think my method of getting it on the gutter is what is killing me. Hopefully the new brush will work. I am sick of spending an hour cleaning gutters and an hour doing the rest of the house. I also have a lot of aluminum trim in my area that the house wash dosn't seem to touch.

what do you use for a house wash?

[Mike Williamson 198]

mike, how do apply the shock? x-jet, brush, sprayer. thanks

Same way I applied the Zap when I used that...with a pump up. I mix it about 50/50 with water, spray it on, and then rinse it off with about 1000psi. Sometimes I need to respray a few areas, but I RARELY need to brush. One thing I have found though, with Shock AND with Zap, is that it WILL take the paint off of some aluminum fascia wraps very easily...the paint isn't baked on in many cases as it is with gutters, so it naturally comes off much easier. I've had it come off with just spraying the cleaner on and rinsing almost immediately.

I've gotten to the point where I'm very hesitant to use it on anything but gutters, which is a problem here, since so many houses don't have gutters, or have gutters only in the traffic areas in the front and back of the house.

[mas3372 14]

can you reach 30 ft with a pump up. A lot of the houses I wash have a walk out badement with 30-35 foot high gutters.

[Mike Williamson 198]

can you reach 30 ft with a pump up. A lot of the houses I wash have a walk out badement with 30-35 foot high gutters.

Nope, but I don't deal with much of that here. At worst, I have a 2nd story house, and to be honest, I don't believe I've ever had to use Shock on any of the 2nd story houses I've done. Most I do here are single story.

In your case, I'd Xjet straight from the jug.

[mas3372 14]

the only problem with x-jetting zap or shock straight out is i will easily go thru a gallon or more per house. I am thinking to try all-brite x-jetted in a fairly high concentrate scine that comes out to 2.30 per gallon vs. 12.oo per gallon.

[Sun Brite of Maryland 14]

From what I've been told by some contractors that use allbrite and power house, both of them can be used at higher concentrations for cleaning gutters. Others swear by Gutter Zap though. I guess it just depends on what's comfortable for you that counts, some prefer using a product that's specifically designed for what they are cleaning.

[mas3372 14]

Nichole,

Thanks for the response. How is all brite in regards to aluminum trim such as the raker boards and bump out windows.. They seem to get the same black streaks that the gutters do and clean the same way the gutters do.

I am hoping to find an affordable product I can x-jet on to clean the gutters and other black streaked aluminum that is safe for the house. Then I can simply switch to my house wash and finish it up. Leave the ladder, brush and pole in the truck.

[Mike Williamson 198]

the only problem with x-jetting zap or shock straight out is i will easily go thru a gallon or more per house. I am thinking to try all-brite x-jetted in a fairly high concentrate scine that comes out to 2.30 per gallon vs. 12.oo per gallon.

If allbrite works as well, great! If not, why not just add that extra $10.00 or so into the price of the wash? If it doesn't work as well, you'll wind up spending more time getting the results you want anyway!

[mas3372 14]

Mike,

Thats the point I am at now. I think I will order the 10 gall kit, its only about $30 and see where that takes me. My next option would just what you say. Increase the price a bit go from there. I know the time I save can make me more money by doing more jobs.

thanks

[Sun Brite of Maryland 14]

Nichole,

Thanks for the response. How is all brite in regards to aluminum trim such as the raker boards and bump out windows.. They seem to get the same black streaks that the gutters do and clean the same way the gutters do.

I am hoping to find an affordable product I can x-jet on to clean the gutters and other black streaked aluminum that is safe for the house. Then I can simply switch to my house wash and finish it up. Leave the ladder, brush and pole in the truck.

For many of our clients All Brite is used as an all purpose cleaner for houses, awnings, cars and numerous other surfaces. Some guys swear by gutter zap and others look for alternatives. What matters the most is what works best and fastest for you. You can always raise your prices if the quality is there and you can sell the client on your quality instead of playing pricing games.

[PLD 14]

In this business, wasted time is far more costly than cleaners.

Pete has taught you well :)

$12.00/gallon still sucks... Gas is $3/gal, Milk $3.29, bleach $2.00, stripper $3.45, AllBrite $2.80/gal and somehow gutterzap is worth $12.00? Nope.

I've had this same discussion with everyone here at SunBrite in Atlanta. As a businessman I realize that you guys have to make a buck. But, you do need to re-evaluate your impact on the contractor. Just because a product saves $20 worth of labor/expenses, does not mean that I'm happy to pay $15 for it.

I realize that everyone has to make a buck here, but were are not talking about major manufacturing expenses. Anytime $1-2 worth of chems is being compounded and resold for $7-12 you cannot help but look for alternatives. Personally, I think the commerical products are generally better, and hence your experience/IP has value to me. Just not the 10% of gross revs that most chem suppliers seem to think is appropriate.

[Mike Sullivan 15]

Philip, I found a 10% Butyl Degreaser from Soap Warehouse called Mighty Max Plus. Costs about $8 per gallon if you order 5 gallons. $6 per gallon if you order a 55 gallon drum kit. 1-800-SOAP-911.

Mike Sullivan

Pressure Washing Pro, Inc.

www.pressurewashingpro.com

[Dan Stapleton 14]

I use the regular mighty max which is 6%. The thing that sucks is they use to be very reasonable but have gone up in price by as much as 40%. It is hard for me to keep buying from them when 55 gallons went from $115 to $180 plus shipping overnight. Good product though,for housewash and gutters.

[Dan Stapleton 14]

To add to my post above: Mighty max plus is 280 for 55 gallons. Like Mike said is 10% butyl. It also has <1% Sodium hydroxide like G.S. A discount if you are used to paying for gutter shock. I would be SHOCKED if they were'nt pretty much the same.

[mas3372 14]

Mighty Max, I will have to check that one out. For now I decided to go with powerhouse. Compared gutter shock to powerhouse and the same concentration of key ingredients. Powerhouse also has great reviews. 5 gallons with shipping was about $75 so still 15 per gallon however, it appears it will be much stronger than the gutter zap I was using. The 5 gallons also needs to be diluted so it will go much further. I will let you all know what I think once I try it.

[Sun Brite of Maryland 14]

Let us know what you think of it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how well it works. I've had contractors call and say they were amazed how much better it works than what they had been using.

[Howard 50]

I've used Sun Brites all brite for gutters now for about 5 years. Straight out of a pump up on the gutters when I can reach them, which isn't often here. When I can't reach them I spray a soft auto brush from Lowes and with either a 16' or 30' extension pole brush it on and rinse it off. Been working great for me for 5 years. But, Do Not, use it on the aluminum facia or around windows without diluting it. It can and will (read has) stripped the paint from them.

thanks

[Sun Brite of Maryland 14]

Thanks for sharing that Howard. Just another use for All Brite. Quite a few people use it for different things, it really is an excellent all around cleaner.

[geta911 14]

I use (believe it or not) FANTASTIC full strength. Mist it on and let it sit for 15 seconds then blast away. The end result in my experience is nothing short of amazing. Fantastic can be bought in bulk from stores such as Costco.

[blackjack21 14]

Pete has taught you well :)

$12.00/gallon still sucks... Gas is $3/gal, Milk $3.29, bleach $2.00, stripper $3.45, AllBrite $2.80/gal and somehow gutterzap is worth $12.00? Nope.

I've had this same discussion with everyone here at SunBrite in Atlanta. As a businessman I realize that you guys have to make a buck. But, you do need to re-evaluate your impact on the contractor. Just because a product saves $20 worth of labor/expenses, does not mean that I'm happy to pay $15 for it.

I realize that everyone has to make a buck here, but were are not talking about major manufacturing expenses. Anytime $1-2 worth of chems is being compounded and resold for $7-12 you cannot help but look for alternatives. Personally, I think the commerical products are generally better, and hence your experience/IP has value to me. Just not the 10% of gross revs that most chem suppliers seem to think is appropriate.

I'm with you; $12 a gallon sucks. I've just hooked up with a chemist to try and find an alternative to some of these overpriced cleaning agents. I buy oxalic acid by the 50lb bag for $50 bucks. If I didn't do it that way I would be unable to remove well water stains in concrete for my customers. If I tried to charge the $12 gallon my supplier charges for ox, my customers would laugh.

blackack

[PLD 14]

FWIW, I tested fantastic straight today just for giggles. Spray, wait, rinse. Every bit as good as the contractor grade products I use now. For cost reasons, this will not likely be a replacement product but it will certainly stay in my bag of tricks for future reference.

I have also tested Wesley's Bleach White (for tires) with the same results.

[blackjack21 14]

I read in one of my competitors flyers that the black streaks are electrostatic bonding caused by the asphault and tar in the shingles. Am I being dazzled with brilliance or baffled by bull!@#$?

blackjack

[Mike Williamson 198]

I read in one of my competitors flyers that the black streaks are electrostatic bonding caused by the asphault and tar in the shingles. Am I being dazzled with brilliance or baffled by bull!@#$?

blackjack

That's exactly what they are. Well, I'm not positive about WHAT the substance that bonds to the aluminum is, but I do know it is electrostatic bonding. That's why you can't simply scrub them off. It takes the proper chemical to break that bond.

Same way truck washers can make an entire truck shine without scrubbing it at all, by using the proper chems to break the bond between the dirt and the truck, usually hydroflouric (sp?) acid.

[blackjack21 14]

That's exactly what they are. Well, I'm not positive about WHAT the substance that bonds to the aluminum is, but I do know it is electrostatic bonding. That's why you can't simply scrub them off. It takes the proper chemical to break that bond.

Same way truck washers can make an entire truck shine without scrubbing it at all, by using the proper chems to break the bond between the dirt and the truck, usually hydroflouric (sp?) acid.

Thanks Mike.

Is hydroflouric the active ingredient in most of these gutter cleaners?