With the way the economy is looking in the United States there is going to be an influx of people searching for ways to supplement their income or maybe even try to start their own full time business because of a corporate layoff.
The pressure washing business is an ideal choice for someone with low capital because the overhead is low compared to most other businesses. If you know where to look and what to look for you can buy all the equipment you need to get started with your own pressure washing business for under $1500. After that the only recurring expenses you will have is your business insurance which you can procure for around $100-150 dollars a month. You will also have equipment maintenance expenses, but that is inexpensive if you know the right equipment to buy in the first place and you take care of your equipment when out on the job.
You may be thinking, well what about marketing expenses? There are many ways you can advertise your pressure washing business for free or for a low cost. Simply by putting your business cards in local businesses and distributing flyers around the neighborhood should result in some calls from new clients. There are also a myriad of different ways you can advertise online for free.
Let's say, you get a call from someone needing their home pressure washed. The average price charged for pressure washing is around $350-400 dollars per home. Many times prices can range up to $600-800 if they want their driveway or patio done or a roof cleaning. Many of these jobs you can finish in 4-6 hours after you have had the experience of completing a few of these jobs on your own. This is residential work we are talking about here; the commercial work is even far more profitable.
What about the learning curve? Anyone with a physically able body and some common sense can do pressure washing work. It's not that hard and it's not rocket science, however there are ways you can make mistakes costing thousands of dollars and it helps to have someone that's been through the trenches show you what to do.
For a step-by-step guide on how to start your own pressure washing business by a professional pressure washing business owner check out the [http://www.pressurewashingmanual.com]Pressure Washing Business Guide.
A small handful of "in-the-know" business owners are
watching their Yellow Pages Advertising response EXPLODE - to the tune of
300%... 500%... and more in a single year. They're putting their competition to
shame winning one new customer after another.
What do they know, that YOU don't?
Starting A Pressure Washer Business; Learn the Basics
Having been in the pressure washer cleaning business most all of my life, I have been asks on numerous occasions; What is a good Book to buy to learn how to run a power washing or high-pressure hot water cleaning business? Well I know of such a book and of course would recommend it to anyone interested in getting started in the Pressure Washer business.
Consider this; On the first day God made dirt and ever since then it has been getting all over what ever mankind makes. Thus washing is a great business and a re-occurring service that is much needed. Now then I recommend this book;
“Marketing Magic, A Marketing Book Designed for Your Success as a Pressure Cleaning Contractor;” By Steve Stephems
To buy this book go to ==> http://www.hydrotc.com
First off Steve is a professional pressure washing guru and does training located in Raleigh/Durham, NC. He has been in the Pressure Cleaning Industry for over 20 years. The book is only $30.00, it is worth the cost, especially if you do any deck, house, concrete washing and wish to increase sales through grass roots marketing and media source techniques. The book is great and the marketing ideas are wonderful. This book is an easy and fast read and very to the point with no BS. I recommend it to everyone but our competitors. Steve spoke with such rhythm and knowledge at the recent PWNA Pressure Washers of North America Association meeting in Orlando that he memorized the crowd. This book has those elements in it as well. Consider this in 2006.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
Consider this; On the first day God made dirt and ever since then it has been getting all over what ever mankind makes. Thus washing is a great business and a re-occurring service that is much needed. Now then I recommend this book;
“Marketing Magic, A Marketing Book Designed for Your Success as a Pressure Cleaning Contractor;” By Steve Stephems
To buy this book go to ==> http://www.hydrotc.com
First off Steve is a professional pressure washing guru and does training located in Raleigh/Durham, NC. He has been in the Pressure Cleaning Industry for over 20 years. The book is only $30.00, it is worth the cost, especially if you do any deck, house, concrete washing and wish to increase sales through grass roots marketing and media source techniques. The book is great and the marketing ideas are wonderful. This book is an easy and fast read and very to the point with no BS. I recommend it to everyone but our competitors. Steve spoke with such rhythm and knowledge at the recent PWNA Pressure Washers of North America Association meeting in Orlando that he memorized the crowd. This book has those elements in it as well. Consider this in 2006.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
The Industry of Pressure Washing
The industry of pressure washing or power washing has never been considered, by most, to be a serious profession. With typically low start up costs, many fly by night companies come and go leaving a bad taste in the mouth of many unsatisfied customers. It happens in all industries, but the pressure washing industry seems to attract almost anybody out of a job or sick of working for the man.
A couple hundred dollars and a trip to the local home improvement store to purchase a pressure washer, and they are in business. They hit the road running with the attitude that they are going to be the next millionaire. On a shoestring budget, they print up their own fliers to hang on telephone poles and go knocking door to door asking for work only to be let down by an enormous wave of no's.
To combat their lack of marketing and sales knowledge, many of these companies fall into the trap of offering a lower price than the competition, or low balling in a desperate attempt to get work. They offer ridiculously low prices and then have to take short cuts in order to make a profit. Many of them can't afford general liability insurance or workman's compensation insurance so they operate without it.
With their less than mediocre equipment and knowledge, they damage your property and give you a horrible service. Some of the horror stories my customers have told me about their past experiences with one of these types of companies are disturbing to say the least. From blowing out people's window screens to leaving wand marks all over their vinyl siding or scarring up their expensive decks to putting an inferior sealer on it.
I've heard it all and the scarier part is; what have these kinds of companies done to their property that they didn't see? Things like forcing water in behind the vinyl siding by using too much water pressure or using only water to clean the home, meaning the mold and mildew would return in a few months because it was never killed and because they did not apply a protective wax to prevent re-growth. I've heard of some unethical contractors cutting their customers deck stain 50% with mineral spirits to cut down own their costs.
Some even skip the important step of wood brightening or neutralizing during the wood restoration process. All this boils down to giving the pressure washing industry a bad image, which breeds more fly by night companies with the misconception that pressure washing is easy and that anybody can start up with a few dollars and do it. It also forces a lot of homeowners to result to doing their own pressure washing which can be dangerous and definitely painstaking.
The pressure washing industry, in my opinion, is in need of an organization or association that could require contractors to become licensed. Such an organization could set in place rules and guidelines and offer testing and membership opportunities. This would help homeowners in choosing only a reputable company that would meet these guidelines or that were licensed. There have been attempts by organizations in this industry in the past, but their focus has gone off course and contractors have turned their backs on them.
There is a ban of reputable pressure washing contractors, spread out all over the country that I believe are the future and possibly only hope of this industry. They network by internet, phone, informal meetings, conventions, and round tables during all times of the year. They provide free information to each other and to new contractors interested in pursuing a career in pressure washing.
Many have participated in what they call "labor for learning" where they invite a new, inexperienced contractor to come and work with them, and unselfishly show them the ropes in trade for some labor. This is a great concept because there is no better way to learn something than by hands on experience. Others have also given away free valuable information through formal and informal presentations at round table meetings, helping to shave years off of the learning curve of newer contractors.
Many also give away their knowledge by participating on message boards on the internet, helping others on a daily basis. They network together to hone their own skills and to teach others the correct methods and techniques that are involved in providing a quality pressure washing service. This is all in an attempt, by people who are passionate about what they do, to solidify the professionalism of the pressure washing industry in the eye of the public.
Shane Hester helps website owners increase profits through exclusive web design and marketing at WebFirstCreations. Newest client: [http://www.midwestprowash.com]Pressure Washing or contact him directly at [http://www.webfirstcreations.com]Web Designs
A couple hundred dollars and a trip to the local home improvement store to purchase a pressure washer, and they are in business. They hit the road running with the attitude that they are going to be the next millionaire. On a shoestring budget, they print up their own fliers to hang on telephone poles and go knocking door to door asking for work only to be let down by an enormous wave of no's.
To combat their lack of marketing and sales knowledge, many of these companies fall into the trap of offering a lower price than the competition, or low balling in a desperate attempt to get work. They offer ridiculously low prices and then have to take short cuts in order to make a profit. Many of them can't afford general liability insurance or workman's compensation insurance so they operate without it.
With their less than mediocre equipment and knowledge, they damage your property and give you a horrible service. Some of the horror stories my customers have told me about their past experiences with one of these types of companies are disturbing to say the least. From blowing out people's window screens to leaving wand marks all over their vinyl siding or scarring up their expensive decks to putting an inferior sealer on it.
I've heard it all and the scarier part is; what have these kinds of companies done to their property that they didn't see? Things like forcing water in behind the vinyl siding by using too much water pressure or using only water to clean the home, meaning the mold and mildew would return in a few months because it was never killed and because they did not apply a protective wax to prevent re-growth. I've heard of some unethical contractors cutting their customers deck stain 50% with mineral spirits to cut down own their costs.
Some even skip the important step of wood brightening or neutralizing during the wood restoration process. All this boils down to giving the pressure washing industry a bad image, which breeds more fly by night companies with the misconception that pressure washing is easy and that anybody can start up with a few dollars and do it. It also forces a lot of homeowners to result to doing their own pressure washing which can be dangerous and definitely painstaking.
The pressure washing industry, in my opinion, is in need of an organization or association that could require contractors to become licensed. Such an organization could set in place rules and guidelines and offer testing and membership opportunities. This would help homeowners in choosing only a reputable company that would meet these guidelines or that were licensed. There have been attempts by organizations in this industry in the past, but their focus has gone off course and contractors have turned their backs on them.
There is a ban of reputable pressure washing contractors, spread out all over the country that I believe are the future and possibly only hope of this industry. They network by internet, phone, informal meetings, conventions, and round tables during all times of the year. They provide free information to each other and to new contractors interested in pursuing a career in pressure washing.
Many have participated in what they call "labor for learning" where they invite a new, inexperienced contractor to come and work with them, and unselfishly show them the ropes in trade for some labor. This is a great concept because there is no better way to learn something than by hands on experience. Others have also given away free valuable information through formal and informal presentations at round table meetings, helping to shave years off of the learning curve of newer contractors.
Many also give away their knowledge by participating on message boards on the internet, helping others on a daily basis. They network together to hone their own skills and to teach others the correct methods and techniques that are involved in providing a quality pressure washing service. This is all in an attempt, by people who are passionate about what they do, to solidify the professionalism of the pressure washing industry in the eye of the public.
Shane Hester helps website owners increase profits through exclusive web design and marketing at WebFirstCreations. Newest client: [http://www.midwestprowash.com]Pressure Washing or contact him directly at [http://www.webfirstcreations.com]Web Designs
Cedar Home Cleaning Tips
In late 1979 I was in the cedar sun room business. We use cedar because it was one of the few natural products that could take the weather year round. We made each room from scratch (this is before all those kit sun rooms came out), I would design it, sell it, and build it and I love doing it.
As you can imagine a sun room should be on the south or southwest side of the house to be able to catch the most sunlight. The only drawback when doing this is the ultra-violet rays from the sun would bleach the cedar wood out. I want to point out it takes several years before this bleaching effect really get noticeable.
After a while I started to get calls from homeowners that I had built these cedar sun rooms asking was there anything they could do (they met I could do) to restore the natural color back into the wood. I did a little research and found a product that work great (it's not on the market today because of environmental issues) and lasted for a long time,up to ten years.
This was really easy work and did not take long to do and besides the money doing it wasn't bad either. Everyone love the results and other homeowners in the neighborhood were seeing what I was doing wanted me to take care of their cedar home. Yea, I'm not so dumb I created a business for restoring cedar homes.
Getting down to the process of cleaning a cedar home is really simple but you are going to need help and that help is a pressure washer. Second which is optional but I would highly recommend would be to use a cedar cleaning solution when pressure washing.
The cedar cleaning solution can be purchase from any paint store. Let the person at the store know what you are trying to do,which is restoring your cedar siding. They will suggest a product that they are familiar with because they deal with painting contractors everyday. Have them go over the direction with you before you leave the store with the product and if you have any questions ask them before you leave.
Now for pressure washers. You will most likely will have to rent a contractor grade pressure washer from a rental store. It should be at least 2500 psi and no more than 300 psi. The psi is the pressure that's is coming out of the machine but it is not the real pressure coming out of the cleaning tip of the wand.
Pressure washers that you rent from rental stores are generally not in the best condition. They have a lot of wear,a lot of hours on the machine and cleaning tips. Which means what ever psi you think you are are getting will really be less. Which is O.K. because cedar wood is very soft and you won't need as much pressure to clean it.
Make sure the rental store starts and stops the pressure washer so you know its in working order. Also ask about any safety instruction that you might need to know. Safety glasses, not to point the wand at someone while operating, etc. Have them also go over the different cleaning tips and how they are use.
The first thing you want to do is play with the pressure washer for a while to get the feel of it. Even if its to clean your side walk or driveway. Experiment with the different cleaning tips to see what they can do,if you have a piece of wood try pressure washing that with the different tips.
Now,one more thing before you start to wash your house. Lets find a place that is out of the way maybe the side of the house where no one goes. We want to start here because if you decide you can't do the job or I might mess up. Its best to do it where no one will notice.
The secret of pressure washing cedar siding is do one complete board at a time. Start on the left and work to the right. With the pressure washer turn on, move toward the cedar slowly. When you see the dirt and mold start to disappear start moving to your right. You don't have to get the board clean the first time. You can always go back and pressure wash it again. Take your time you are not in a rush and after about thirty minutes you'll notice you're getting faster.
It takes me about thirty minutes to show a new person hoe to clean cedar siding and most of that time is verbal instructions. Within several hours they can work on there own, they might be slow but they can get the job done.
As far as using cedar cleaning solution, I only use them if the cedar is very dirty or has mold. Follow the instructions on the container and what ever the sales person suggested at the store you purchase the product from. I generally soak the cedar wood with the pressure washer using the largest (40 degree tip) cleaning tip. Then I'll change to a fifteen degree tip to wash the cedar.
Soaking helps the pores of the wood to swell up making it easier for you to pressure wash. Also I soak the cedar wood before I applied any cedar cleaning solution.
Take your time, do a couple of test and you'll do fine.
Earl Adkins has clean and seal cedar homes for over twenty years and author of Homeowner's Guide How to Maintain Your Cedar Home,Deck and Roof. Get your free copy at http://cedarrestoration.com/ Learn the best deck cleaning practices from a professional.
As you can imagine a sun room should be on the south or southwest side of the house to be able to catch the most sunlight. The only drawback when doing this is the ultra-violet rays from the sun would bleach the cedar wood out. I want to point out it takes several years before this bleaching effect really get noticeable.
After a while I started to get calls from homeowners that I had built these cedar sun rooms asking was there anything they could do (they met I could do) to restore the natural color back into the wood. I did a little research and found a product that work great (it's not on the market today because of environmental issues) and lasted for a long time,up to ten years.
This was really easy work and did not take long to do and besides the money doing it wasn't bad either. Everyone love the results and other homeowners in the neighborhood were seeing what I was doing wanted me to take care of their cedar home. Yea, I'm not so dumb I created a business for restoring cedar homes.
Getting down to the process of cleaning a cedar home is really simple but you are going to need help and that help is a pressure washer. Second which is optional but I would highly recommend would be to use a cedar cleaning solution when pressure washing.
The cedar cleaning solution can be purchase from any paint store. Let the person at the store know what you are trying to do,which is restoring your cedar siding. They will suggest a product that they are familiar with because they deal with painting contractors everyday. Have them go over the direction with you before you leave the store with the product and if you have any questions ask them before you leave.
Now for pressure washers. You will most likely will have to rent a contractor grade pressure washer from a rental store. It should be at least 2500 psi and no more than 300 psi. The psi is the pressure that's is coming out of the machine but it is not the real pressure coming out of the cleaning tip of the wand.
Pressure washers that you rent from rental stores are generally not in the best condition. They have a lot of wear,a lot of hours on the machine and cleaning tips. Which means what ever psi you think you are are getting will really be less. Which is O.K. because cedar wood is very soft and you won't need as much pressure to clean it.
Make sure the rental store starts and stops the pressure washer so you know its in working order. Also ask about any safety instruction that you might need to know. Safety glasses, not to point the wand at someone while operating, etc. Have them also go over the different cleaning tips and how they are use.
The first thing you want to do is play with the pressure washer for a while to get the feel of it. Even if its to clean your side walk or driveway. Experiment with the different cleaning tips to see what they can do,if you have a piece of wood try pressure washing that with the different tips.
Now,one more thing before you start to wash your house. Lets find a place that is out of the way maybe the side of the house where no one goes. We want to start here because if you decide you can't do the job or I might mess up. Its best to do it where no one will notice.
The secret of pressure washing cedar siding is do one complete board at a time. Start on the left and work to the right. With the pressure washer turn on, move toward the cedar slowly. When you see the dirt and mold start to disappear start moving to your right. You don't have to get the board clean the first time. You can always go back and pressure wash it again. Take your time you are not in a rush and after about thirty minutes you'll notice you're getting faster.
It takes me about thirty minutes to show a new person hoe to clean cedar siding and most of that time is verbal instructions. Within several hours they can work on there own, they might be slow but they can get the job done.
As far as using cedar cleaning solution, I only use them if the cedar is very dirty or has mold. Follow the instructions on the container and what ever the sales person suggested at the store you purchase the product from. I generally soak the cedar wood with the pressure washer using the largest (40 degree tip) cleaning tip. Then I'll change to a fifteen degree tip to wash the cedar.
Soaking helps the pores of the wood to swell up making it easier for you to pressure wash. Also I soak the cedar wood before I applied any cedar cleaning solution.
Take your time, do a couple of test and you'll do fine.
Earl Adkins has clean and seal cedar homes for over twenty years and author of Homeowner's Guide How to Maintain Your Cedar Home,Deck and Roof. Get your free copy at http://cedarrestoration.com/ Learn the best deck cleaning practices from a professional.
Labels:
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Pressure Washing; How to Bid Concrete Cleaning Jobs
Remember the cleaning business is all about time ratio to money. You want to be making at least a $1 a minute when doing concrete work at a minimum and aim for $100 to $200 per hour if you can get it. If you are not achieving this income level then you work too slowly or you did not bid correctly on the accounts you are taking. You need to have a work order form. This form should have an area for time it took to do the job, how many people were on the job, gas to get to the site and mileage to get to the site. If you need a sheet like this the trainers we believe the best program to create this in is the new Microsoft Word, it has some incredible new features which make the formatting so easy you might think of yourself as a graphic designer.
For your pressure wand you need to use a green tip for steam and a yellow or 15-degree tip for breaking up dirt from an area or pushing the dirty water from an area so you can see what you are doing. You need to have an extra one hundred feet of pressure hose with your work truck or trailer mounted set up. This extra hose needs to be available when you are at a job site where there are many contract workers and space is limited. More then two hundred feet of hose will be required to get to places like the back yards of houses. You will also need two hundred feet of garden hose.
More often than not you will have a job that requires more than 200 gallons of water or multiple jobs on a single day that will use more than 200 gallons of water. You have to remember that hard water is not really all that important when doing concrete. Soft water is good for doing vehicles to help prevent hard water spots but is not necessary for concrete. Plus, it is not worth the time to refill your water tank just do concrete. If you have a regular concrete cleaning customer you may just want to tell them you will use their water and you will decrease their bill by about three to five dollars a month to help cover their water bill.
You need a push broom or hand brooms to help move lose dirt before starting the job. On larger jobs you may want to consider a blower, the type that are used for lawns. This will help move more dirt faster. You need a floor squeegee for helping push water out if you are in a garage or other area where water should not stand very long. The half-moon shaped floor squeegee works best. Plus it helps identify an area that you may need to go over again or chemically treat to get the stain out. A flat-ended shovel is important to have if you have concrete that has spilled on the flat slab already or small rocks that have accumulated on the concrete. If you spray the concrete when these little rocks are still on there and you hit them just right; they may catch a nearby window and cause damage. You could break up the excess concrete with the pressure wand but once again this is wasting time and money that you could be making at your next job.
A very important item to have is some type of cover plate. This plate will be placed in front of doorways or floorboards when you are using the wands to get around the edges of the concrete. A lot of the competition does not make this additional effort when doing a job. There is nothing worse for a customer then when you flood their business with excess water or cause an alarm to go off and a security guard has to run out which they might be billed additionally for. I hope these tips help you. Think about them.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
For your pressure wand you need to use a green tip for steam and a yellow or 15-degree tip for breaking up dirt from an area or pushing the dirty water from an area so you can see what you are doing. You need to have an extra one hundred feet of pressure hose with your work truck or trailer mounted set up. This extra hose needs to be available when you are at a job site where there are many contract workers and space is limited. More then two hundred feet of hose will be required to get to places like the back yards of houses. You will also need two hundred feet of garden hose.
More often than not you will have a job that requires more than 200 gallons of water or multiple jobs on a single day that will use more than 200 gallons of water. You have to remember that hard water is not really all that important when doing concrete. Soft water is good for doing vehicles to help prevent hard water spots but is not necessary for concrete. Plus, it is not worth the time to refill your water tank just do concrete. If you have a regular concrete cleaning customer you may just want to tell them you will use their water and you will decrease their bill by about three to five dollars a month to help cover their water bill.
You need a push broom or hand brooms to help move lose dirt before starting the job. On larger jobs you may want to consider a blower, the type that are used for lawns. This will help move more dirt faster. You need a floor squeegee for helping push water out if you are in a garage or other area where water should not stand very long. The half-moon shaped floor squeegee works best. Plus it helps identify an area that you may need to go over again or chemically treat to get the stain out. A flat-ended shovel is important to have if you have concrete that has spilled on the flat slab already or small rocks that have accumulated on the concrete. If you spray the concrete when these little rocks are still on there and you hit them just right; they may catch a nearby window and cause damage. You could break up the excess concrete with the pressure wand but once again this is wasting time and money that you could be making at your next job.
A very important item to have is some type of cover plate. This plate will be placed in front of doorways or floorboards when you are using the wands to get around the edges of the concrete. A lot of the competition does not make this additional effort when doing a job. There is nothing worse for a customer then when you flood their business with excess water or cause an alarm to go off and a security guard has to run out which they might be billed additionally for. I hope these tips help you. Think about them.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
Pressure Washer Concrete Cleaning Equipment
Cleaning concrete is tough and there is an easy way and a hard way. There is one thing you need to understand when you are pressure washer cleaning concrete; the concrete cannot always be made to look brand new again after it has been stained. You can always get stains lighter or bleached but completely removing it is very difficult, sometimes you get lucky, but if you are looking for perfection, chances are you will be underwhelmed. So when talking to customers let them know up front and explain this to them otherwise they will be asking for a job that just can't be done unless the entire concrete slab is ripped up and re-poured.
Let’s talk about equipment that is needed for this type of work. Remember safety is always important when working with a pressure washer. Some times there are chemicals involved in cleaning some stains. Thus, you should always use some type of eye protection. Also, when you are using chemicals you need to wear jeans to protect your legs. Chemicals made for concrete are very strong and should not be toyed with. Would a person rather work with dry feet or wet? It is recommended that you get rubber waders or some type of rubber boot. They will keep your feet from getting wet and keep them from getting burned by the 250 degree water.
Orange cones are also important to have for this job. These help make people visually aware that you are there if you are in a high traffic area or where there are a lot of contract workers at say a newly constructed house that needs the concrete cleaned. This makes everyone around you safe and you are helping prevent accidents. Of course you are going to need a Hydro-Twister for this job. You can technically do the job with a wand but it will take a lot more time and water, not to mention you can cause streaking if you are not using even strokes across the slab of concrete. Most of the new hot water pressure washers have an option of a hydro twister type unit but if you don't have one and or you need a second unit we recommend that you go to buy one. When buying a hydro twister buy the larger of the two. There my be only a 5 inch difference in surface coverage but it is well worth it when you are trying to save time without cutting corners. Especially if you are cleaning concrete at a construction site or a large retail type box store, there is a lot of concrete and the faster you clean it the more money you will make. Think about it.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
Let’s talk about equipment that is needed for this type of work. Remember safety is always important when working with a pressure washer. Some times there are chemicals involved in cleaning some stains. Thus, you should always use some type of eye protection. Also, when you are using chemicals you need to wear jeans to protect your legs. Chemicals made for concrete are very strong and should not be toyed with. Would a person rather work with dry feet or wet? It is recommended that you get rubber waders or some type of rubber boot. They will keep your feet from getting wet and keep them from getting burned by the 250 degree water.
Orange cones are also important to have for this job. These help make people visually aware that you are there if you are in a high traffic area or where there are a lot of contract workers at say a newly constructed house that needs the concrete cleaned. This makes everyone around you safe and you are helping prevent accidents. Of course you are going to need a Hydro-Twister for this job. You can technically do the job with a wand but it will take a lot more time and water, not to mention you can cause streaking if you are not using even strokes across the slab of concrete. Most of the new hot water pressure washers have an option of a hydro twister type unit but if you don't have one and or you need a second unit we recommend that you go to buy one. When buying a hydro twister buy the larger of the two. There my be only a 5 inch difference in surface coverage but it is well worth it when you are trying to save time without cutting corners. Especially if you are cleaning concrete at a construction site or a large retail type box store, there is a lot of concrete and the faster you clean it the more money you will make. Think about it.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
Setting Up a Pressure Washer Rig to Clean Concrete
Maximum efficiency in the cleaning industry is a key to survival and higher rates of income. The trailer or tuck unit needs to be set up so that you can use a garden hose and external water supply, because you never know when you are going to need one for concrete or other types of jobs. Any new rig should also come with quick releases between the tank and the intake tube to the pressure washer. There should also be a valve that is turned so the water is running from the black tank that now holds the external water that comes in if you are running thru an unmodified hot water pressure washer skid unit with a float tank.
There needs to be a connection for a water hose that is on top of the black small tank. The inside of the tank has a floater in it so water will not run over when you are not depressing the trigger and letting out water. When cleaning concrete always use 3000+ PSI and 180+ degree water. These two elements are key to cleaning concrete effectively and correctly.
Now let’s talk about chemicals for a minute. To clean rust there is a product made by Simonize that can be ordered from Howard at AAA Pressure Washers in Arizona that is called “Concrete Cleaner and Etch”. Delco Cleaning Systems in Texas has another chemical that works quite well; www.DCS1.com . This chemical is an acid and can be very dangerous, but they sure work well. To apply this chemical you can spray it with a metal hand held spray canister. If you use a sprayer that has plastic parts to it, the sprayer won't last more then a one or two times before the parts melt and it is useless. The chemical should be mixed 50-50 with water. If you are using it on colored concrete try a test patch first because this stuff bleaches and lightens so it might make it lighter than the original concrete.
For removing oil or grease stains Simonize SC-260 can be used. It is a granule type chemical that looks like kitty litter. To apply it you need to wet down the area to be treated first then spread a thin layer of it over the spot. Take a brush and agitate it to work it in. Let it set about fifteen to twenty minutes before removing it. Make sure you are very through in removing the granules. This next chemical should be used for emergencies if at all possible. This stuff is very thick and should be applied with a roller brush that is an adhesive type roller. Let it set for fifteen to twenty minutes and then remove it being very careful not to get it on you or any of the other chemicals for that matter.
To develop the most efficient use of time at a concrete job site one person should be sweeping up loose debris from the work area while the other is setting up the equipment. Be sure all the corners are swept well because this is the area where most lose dirt seems to end up. Remember that when you hydro twist an area that you are simply lifting the dirt and stains. You need to go back over the areas afterwards to move the dirt away from the concrete. After you have used the hydro twister on the area you then need to cover all siding up with your cover plate or what ever guard you find works best and proceed to hand wand any trouble spots and the outer edges of the concrete.
Finally, when working where a lot of contractors are working be sure to be polite and try to work around them. You never know who they have contacts with. They may refer you to some one else. Concrete is a great "filler" account if it happens to be raining and you have been specializing in other types of pressure washing like truck washing. You can always do concrete in any type of weather and it pays very well for what you to do for the job. So remember, concrete work is always good to have. I hope this helps you in your pressure washer business.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
There needs to be a connection for a water hose that is on top of the black small tank. The inside of the tank has a floater in it so water will not run over when you are not depressing the trigger and letting out water. When cleaning concrete always use 3000+ PSI and 180+ degree water. These two elements are key to cleaning concrete effectively and correctly.
Now let’s talk about chemicals for a minute. To clean rust there is a product made by Simonize that can be ordered from Howard at AAA Pressure Washers in Arizona that is called “Concrete Cleaner and Etch”. Delco Cleaning Systems in Texas has another chemical that works quite well; www.DCS1.com . This chemical is an acid and can be very dangerous, but they sure work well. To apply this chemical you can spray it with a metal hand held spray canister. If you use a sprayer that has plastic parts to it, the sprayer won't last more then a one or two times before the parts melt and it is useless. The chemical should be mixed 50-50 with water. If you are using it on colored concrete try a test patch first because this stuff bleaches and lightens so it might make it lighter than the original concrete.
For removing oil or grease stains Simonize SC-260 can be used. It is a granule type chemical that looks like kitty litter. To apply it you need to wet down the area to be treated first then spread a thin layer of it over the spot. Take a brush and agitate it to work it in. Let it set about fifteen to twenty minutes before removing it. Make sure you are very through in removing the granules. This next chemical should be used for emergencies if at all possible. This stuff is very thick and should be applied with a roller brush that is an adhesive type roller. Let it set for fifteen to twenty minutes and then remove it being very careful not to get it on you or any of the other chemicals for that matter.
To develop the most efficient use of time at a concrete job site one person should be sweeping up loose debris from the work area while the other is setting up the equipment. Be sure all the corners are swept well because this is the area where most lose dirt seems to end up. Remember that when you hydro twist an area that you are simply lifting the dirt and stains. You need to go back over the areas afterwards to move the dirt away from the concrete. After you have used the hydro twister on the area you then need to cover all siding up with your cover plate or what ever guard you find works best and proceed to hand wand any trouble spots and the outer edges of the concrete.
Finally, when working where a lot of contractors are working be sure to be polite and try to work around them. You never know who they have contacts with. They may refer you to some one else. Concrete is a great "filler" account if it happens to be raining and you have been specializing in other types of pressure washing like truck washing. You can always do concrete in any type of weather and it pays very well for what you to do for the job. So remember, concrete work is always good to have. I hope this helps you in your pressure washer business.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
Pressure Washer Business; Cleaning Composite Decks
There is a new trend in the way wood decks are constructed; composite decks and railings. Recently had the opportunity to go on a bidding job with a deck cleaning contractor to bid on cleaning and treating a large deck. When we got there we found out the deck was not made of wood at all; it was made of composite. There was nothing to treat unless of course you want a spray with armor all. It did clean rather nicely kind of like washing a plastic fence. The new trend in composite railings has come about because the final railings do a better job facing down the elements and therefore owners and contractors often decide to put in the composite railings even though there are slightly more expensive because they look great for much longer.
Composite railings that are built too long between posts generally have a problem with separation so the posts seem to be closer together, when they are not debris gets inside any between the spaces often bugs crawl and it makes a general mess, when cleaning composite railings you may notice quite a bit of dirt coming down between the cracks and therefore it takes a lot more Flushing Power to clean the deck than it would a wood only deck. When using more water you have twice the chance of flooding the vegetation below if there is any in this case there was, one of the most beautiful flower gardens I have seen in any middle-class neighborhood. We would need to cover the flowers and find proper drainage for the excess water or actually uses squirt bottle and do them by hand. We imagine that if the lady watched us use a squirt bottle, that she would probably throw our butts out in the cul-de-sac.
One of the composite railings that we've been most impressed with has been from Crystal White Corporation. Their weather best natural wood vinyl is sturdy and attractive and very easy to clean, almost too easy almost like we should not even charge for clean Crystal White also makes docks which attached to concrete walk ways. The “U” beam construction makes it very easy clean and just in case we screw up is guaranteed for 10 years. Although I would say is very hard to screw up since you not need chemicals to clean it, therefore it is nearly impossible to damage wall washing. Crystal White Corporation has post every 6 to 8 feet therefore the expansion and contraction of the composite does not seem to be an issue or cause separation. Unfortunately we have also noticed that is very low maintenance and is not need to be cleaned every year, so we're losing a few sales but it looks magnificent when completed in since it is not made of wood but rather a composite wood polymeric substrate capped with co-extruded PVC it never needs sanding, painting or coating.
It will not fade and it never yellows, like we have seen some plastic fences do. It is guaranteed against cracking, peeling, insects, warping, rotting, and water damage. http://www.weatherbest.lpcorp.com/win.html .
The railing comes in several colors; Pacific Cedar, Western Redwood and driftwood gray and what we saw was White and looked very real. The plastic even has a wood grain texture to it. And although we did not see Crystal White's docks, their composite decking is truly incredible. We understand that Crystal White Corporation has recently licensed their product to Strandex Corporation for other wood grains. Another good thing about weather best composite decking is that it contains no copper, chromium or arsenic in its material like many pressure treated woods to.
What we like about washing it is they cannot splinter, check or come apart using a normal pressure washer with hot or cold water under 3000 P.S.I.. So it cleans very fast, needless to say if your bidding a job on the phone for a five-star resort, golf course or Marina and then you show up and see that it is composite you'll make a ton of money in a very short amount of time, be sure to bid by the job and not by the hour. So when you're completed you'll feel like God and say “…and it was Good.” I almost feel like calling up the composite deck, Dock, railing and fence manufacturers and dealer reps to get a list of all commercial buildings which have installed their product because I know that is some high profit cleaning.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
Composite railings that are built too long between posts generally have a problem with separation so the posts seem to be closer together, when they are not debris gets inside any between the spaces often bugs crawl and it makes a general mess, when cleaning composite railings you may notice quite a bit of dirt coming down between the cracks and therefore it takes a lot more Flushing Power to clean the deck than it would a wood only deck. When using more water you have twice the chance of flooding the vegetation below if there is any in this case there was, one of the most beautiful flower gardens I have seen in any middle-class neighborhood. We would need to cover the flowers and find proper drainage for the excess water or actually uses squirt bottle and do them by hand. We imagine that if the lady watched us use a squirt bottle, that she would probably throw our butts out in the cul-de-sac.
One of the composite railings that we've been most impressed with has been from Crystal White Corporation. Their weather best natural wood vinyl is sturdy and attractive and very easy to clean, almost too easy almost like we should not even charge for clean Crystal White also makes docks which attached to concrete walk ways. The “U” beam construction makes it very easy clean and just in case we screw up is guaranteed for 10 years. Although I would say is very hard to screw up since you not need chemicals to clean it, therefore it is nearly impossible to damage wall washing. Crystal White Corporation has post every 6 to 8 feet therefore the expansion and contraction of the composite does not seem to be an issue or cause separation. Unfortunately we have also noticed that is very low maintenance and is not need to be cleaned every year, so we're losing a few sales but it looks magnificent when completed in since it is not made of wood but rather a composite wood polymeric substrate capped with co-extruded PVC it never needs sanding, painting or coating.
It will not fade and it never yellows, like we have seen some plastic fences do. It is guaranteed against cracking, peeling, insects, warping, rotting, and water damage. http://www.weatherbest.lpcorp.com/win.html .
The railing comes in several colors; Pacific Cedar, Western Redwood and driftwood gray and what we saw was White and looked very real. The plastic even has a wood grain texture to it. And although we did not see Crystal White's docks, their composite decking is truly incredible. We understand that Crystal White Corporation has recently licensed their product to Strandex Corporation for other wood grains. Another good thing about weather best composite decking is that it contains no copper, chromium or arsenic in its material like many pressure treated woods to.
What we like about washing it is they cannot splinter, check or come apart using a normal pressure washer with hot or cold water under 3000 P.S.I.. So it cleans very fast, needless to say if your bidding a job on the phone for a five-star resort, golf course or Marina and then you show up and see that it is composite you'll make a ton of money in a very short amount of time, be sure to bid by the job and not by the hour. So when you're completed you'll feel like God and say “…and it was Good.” I almost feel like calling up the composite deck, Dock, railing and fence manufacturers and dealer reps to get a list of all commercial buildings which have installed their product because I know that is some high profit cleaning.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
1 Secret Tip for Pressure Washing Companies
Filling up the water storage tank on your pressure washer trailer rig is time consuming. If you use a garden hose it can take forever, yet if you use a garden hose 1” or 2” it can be relatively easy and you can continue working while filling. There are some secrets to doing this of course as the garden hose under than much pressure can get away from you like a python on “Meth” so you need to be cognizant of that otherwise you will be soaked and could get knocked in the head by the brass hose ending. Ouch.
Well, here is a secret tip for those of you that fill up with water from fire hydrants with a water meter and a garden hose. As you know forcing the pressure of a hydrant down a garden hose can be a handful to keep hold of. One thing we have found to be very helpful to hold the hose in your tank while you are filling up is to push the hose in the tank about 2-3 feet and then wrap the string that holds your lid to your tank around the hose twice.
This makes for a very secure hold on the hose and then you don't have to worry about the hose flying out of the tank at mach 2 looking for something to pelt. Another option that works okay is to use one of those Stanley Vice Clamps that you squeeze to tighten and clamp the hose onto the opening on the tank. This works most of the time although sometimes with some of the more powerful hydrants even this will come loose. Think on this in 2006.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
Well, here is a secret tip for those of you that fill up with water from fire hydrants with a water meter and a garden hose. As you know forcing the pressure of a hydrant down a garden hose can be a handful to keep hold of. One thing we have found to be very helpful to hold the hose in your tank while you are filling up is to push the hose in the tank about 2-3 feet and then wrap the string that holds your lid to your tank around the hose twice.
This makes for a very secure hold on the hose and then you don't have to worry about the hose flying out of the tank at mach 2 looking for something to pelt. Another option that works okay is to use one of those Stanley Vice Clamps that you squeeze to tighten and clamp the hose onto the opening on the tank. This works most of the time although sometimes with some of the more powerful hydrants even this will come loose. Think on this in 2006.
"Lance Winslow" - Online [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for [http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/]Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
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