So I posted last week about cleaning the exterior of a bank. I wonder if I got myself in over my head for a first job. I stopped in over the weekend and used some detergent to test some areas. It got some of the quartz cleaner, but not what maybe it could be if you used stronger chemicals. I’m wondering if maybe they would be better off to hire some type of restoration company. This is a decades old building with custom stone work. I hate to turn it down, but I’m a one man operation and I really don’t want them to look at it and think, “Well, it’s cleaner than it was, but…”. I was thinking I could offer to do the walk ways and drive thru instead. Does anyone have limits on what they clean? What’s a good way to turn a job down without looking incompetent? Maybe I just have to chalk this up as a learning experience and move on.
Pictures would help.
What are you trying to clean off the building, if its just mold then SH should clean it right up. What does the surface material consist of? Is it brick, stucco, stone? They take a stronger mix and a little more pressure to come clean sometimes. How strong is your mix? what your gpm?
Set the expectations on what will be cleaner and what wont come off with the agreed upon price. Let them know you use a pressure wand not a magic wand, it will be cleaner but years of neglect will still show.
If they dont like that, then just be honest and say it looks more like you are wanting more than just a basic cleaning but more of a restoration which at this time i dont provide. I can refer you to a company that can do that. As for the concrete i am still more than able to get that cleaned up and looking nice.
Here’s a link to the original post that contains the picture of the bank.
Going based off what the president told you, I would turn down the job. Thats just me because Ive never done a stripping or stain job my self and that is more of a restoration project that cost some $.
Unless he can say for sure that they did use a sealant, and the name and brand of what was used.
The biggest problem I currently see is that you did a test spot and it kind of worked, but then if you get the job and as your working you run into a spot that is still stained. Now your having to strip the rest off to clean. Can be a huge headache if your not prepared.
As for testing to see if it sealed, im not a 100% on siding material but with concrete or pavers just throw some water on it and see if it gets absorbed into the material or beads up and runs.
If you take this job i would raise your price just for any unforeseen PITA issue that come up.
Those are some good points. He does want it sealed again, and if that’s the case, my thought is that it will need to get more deeply cleaned than I’m experienced to do. I don’t want to knock off the first layer only to have them hire a restoration company to finish the job. I used to work of rate bank and I have a lot of respect for the president there. I know he offered me the job as a way to help get my business off the ground and I am appreciative of that, but at the same time, I don’t want to damage the relationship with them. I live in too small of a community to be known for doing shotty work. I may offer to do the walk ways and drive thru as a consolation job.
all veteran pressure washing guys have been in nightmare situations . Most of these nightmares -we bit off more than we could chew. We were seeking the big paycheck .We didn’t know what we were doing but thought we could “wing it”. If you don’t know the material you’re cleaning and what cleaners to use, I wouldn’t use this bank as an experiment. and then the sealing part - could end up a real nightmare if it doesn’t adhere correctly. Tell the President you really appreciate his offer to get your business off the ground , but also tell him, you’re saving him from a possible disaster at his bank because it’s something you’re not familiar with. Once you pre-warn customers that it might be a disaster, they don’t care about anything else except squirming back to their calm peaceful life. I use this technique sometimes when I want out of a situation that’s going to cause me a major headache or a possible disaster . Or I just over bid the job hoping I don’t get it.
Thanks everybody. I really appreciate the input. As much as I’d love to do this, I know that it’s the right thing to walk away. Better to have a little disappointment than a big disaster.
