This long post is only for a few items but most here already know the details given determine the best replies. So take it easy on me I am still learning to navigate well enough to get some of the answers I have needed prior to this post. This will probably create more questions and maybe a drive by comment or two but hopefully this is the proper location and I am not doing something digitally inappropriate here. Get your mind out of the gutter… well until item 3) at least.
So I am a new business owner with a trailer - one that carries our 6.5 gpm pressure washing unit (4,000 psi) with an attached 15 gallon downstream tank(no idea what the ratio it feeds is - see pic) and a heating coil for hot water & 300 feet of hose in 100’ sections. In addition to that we also have a 12 volt softwash unit that flows 7 gpm connected to a 35 gallon tank and 100’ of hose… of course all the guns, surface cleaner, SH, some detergents, etc. we are almost ready to go to for the most part… almost. We have concrete cleaner concentrate, a general all purpose cleaner concentrate called Power Plus, and Astro Wash(vehicle/airplane washing concentrate) - all from Powerline Industries in Utah.
So for us to have an idea of my time on site, the chem/detergent use, qty, dwell time, etc… an at home test run is the low risk one time shot we get before heading out into the real world. This will be my first time applying methods to our expected most important services while also using new to me equipment - on top of that I am a one man band doing it all as the owner/operator.
Our plan is to set high standards as soon as we can figure out how to meet our own expectations. This shake down run at home is planned to confirm or expose problems with our price structure and intended methods while hopefully confirming I can deliver on our promises to future customers.
As a final detail this is our rental home - we live in the pacific northwest where it is often drizzling rain and between 50 to 65° f. during the day in good conditions. When it does get sunny the uv’s here are pretty strong and things dry out in a few days with the coastal winds. As a side note we do not want to make repeated trips going back to properties unless it becomes necessary -so any feedback going that direction would be helpful.
Our first item here - we have a fence with some sort of stain that has a slight red solids tint to it and decks that have dark organoc staining. For our future customers with fencing and decks like this we plan to find a spray on prep application for the surface before power washing is done. If our plan can be cost effective we also want to find a sealer that can be applied the same day to damp fencing or decks as an up-sell.
Fencing/decking:
A) Can this method of applications (sealer, etc) be done with products currently available(?) - beyond just their sales hype promise. I need real world use and feedback here.
B) If available what is a good stripper/sealer for the above noted conditions and situation?
C) What is a good baseline mix of 12.5% SH and detergent here to prep a deck or fence? That is if I can get away with just this method for prep before power washing.
D) Fences and decks without the protection of a sealer - can they have limited organic staining in good circumstances? If so a yearly deck/fence soft wash pressure wash combination… no sealer - is something we have found a potential demand for. It could also help open the conversation to ask for a yearly service contract too.
Roof softwash:
A) Knowing our weather conditions what baseline 35 gallon mix of SH/detergent should I use for 12 volt softwashing this asphalt shingle roof completed in 2010? see pic
(gutters go to a french drain).
B) Does expected rain or a light shower during application change anything about the roof rinse or batch mix?
Gutter brightening:
A) Is it worth doing or should it only be sold with a house wash?
B) Is there a mix for this I can do myself that is better than standard commercial products? ie: T.S.P. mix
C) If doing gutter brightening should it be done before our after the house wash?(when applicable)
There THANKS for the replies and humor that may follow.
Our first item here - we have a fence with some sort of stain that has a slight red solids tint to it and decks that have dark organoc staining. For our future customers with fencing and decks like this we plan to find a spray on prep application for the surface before power washing is done. If our plan can be cost effective we also want to find a sealer that can be applied the same day to damp fencing or decks as an up-sell.
Fencing/decking:
A) Can this method of applications (sealer, etc) be done with products currently available(?) - beyond just their sales hype promise. I need real world use and feedback here.
B) If available what is a good stripper/sealer for the above noted conditions and situation?
C) What is a good baseline mix of 12.5% SH and detergent here to prep a deck or fence? That is if I can get away with just this method for prep before power washing.
D) Fences and decks without the protection of a sealer - can they have limited organic staining in good circumstances? If so a yearly deck/fence soft wash pressure wash combination… no sealer - is something we have found a potential demand for. It could also help open the conversation to ask for a yearly service contract too.
After reading that I will tell you to read the deck 101 thread in it’s entirety. You aren’t ready. If you don’t want to read it, then attend a class. Everett Abrams holds classes in NJ and also takes his show on the road. Some of the companies that sell stains offer classes for free so contractors become familiar with their products (and then buy them).
If I “was ready” I wouldn’t be back here asking questions.
Ok so I went there and read the post and what he suggested for his situation - it answered a few questions I noted in my post. However I am in the same spot everyone else gets to still - time to start mixing and figuring out all the options. Someone in Florida for example in 80°f weather and different availability of product is different than our small coastal pacific town where a chlorine booster may help in cold weather etc. Maybe I am taking this too far in searching out details but my water chemistry background has taught me details matter - especially in cold damp rainy weather.
Thanks for your previous support given but I really hope someone will take the time to reply with specifics to my post.
Best regards
Your 35 gallon roof tank is only going to give you 5 minutes of spray time, that’s going to get old real quick, especially in the PNW where you’re going to be dealing with heavy moss growth. 3-5% SH or more for what you’re dealing with. If it’s going to rain in the next 24 hours, you better make sure the gutters are draining somewhere that won’t kill grass and landscape. Moss will take a couple months of rain before it washes away, even once it’s dead; set that expectation.
Your surface cleaner doesn’t look like it’s as effective as it should be. What tips (and how many) are you running? Pre and post treat, that concrete still looks dirty.
Jake thank you so much for the reply - that is thee kind of feedback I hoped for. Knowing my SH consumption will be as high as 3-5% … that was really very helpful. I have a large ballast tank that is 100 gallons but I am pretty sure I dont want to run SH through the pump etc. I planned to have it for the pressure washing.
I may have to reconsider doing roofs with this current setup. Housewash etc okay but maybe not roofs until we get a second rig better set up for roofs - no free space right now to add anything else. As for the surface cleaner I am having the whole trailer exchanged in a couple days, long story. But once the trailer and equipment are changed out Im sure our results will be better when everything works properly. When I did what you see in that pic it was without heat and other issues as well. You help has been very appreciated
You want a roof pump setup. A 12V, AODD or Gas Pump which will let you apply that 3-5% mix. Downstreaming with a pressure washer will not be strong enough for roofs.
Well this will be something to put on a future wish list. Man Im glad none of our marketing or anything had roof washes. It has just been coming up with people often when I am doing local customer research - so I was planning on exploring roofs as well. I figured the 7 gpm 12 volt setup would be fine since the sales person knew our business model. Oh well my bad I didn’t realize the 35 gallon batch tank would be best suited to house washes. The best lessons are those learned before money or time are wasted, so thank you for helping me out here.
I have a supply line coming from my 100 gallon tank that also feeds my 2 battery 12 volt 7gpm softwash setup - it by passes the 35 gallon tank. I had to check it out before going to sleep so hopefully this roof wash option is still on the table. I at least know I have enough capacity to supply a roof wash now. Hopefully I can move enough product I am not standing around forever soaking roofs.
Yes I know that… the conversation above was regarding my 35 gallon tank and I thought it was all I had to softwash roofs with at 3-5% SH. All this mess is why I posted under newbie. Your patience has been appreciated
So post a picture of your full rig. It will help us see what you have.
Secondly it sounds like you bought this stuff before you researched? I recommend learning how it all works, interacts, and more about the industry before you accept any jobs. It will go smoother, cause you less headaches, and help prevent you from damaging someone’s property.
You should have a buffer tank that supplies everything. Then a chemical tank. Maybe more than one. Pics will help.
What I am saying is that you don’t know what you are saying, it is either that are you are thinking things in your head and quickly typing them on here, but not supplying all the relevant information. I’m not busting your chops. Plenty of people on here have answered many questions for me. I frequently hit up people on here in messages that know things I don’t.
Here is an example of what I am saying:
“Our first item here - we have a fence with some sort of stain that has a slight red solids tint to it and decks that have dark organoc staining. For our future customers with fencing and decks like this we plan to find a spray on prep application for the surface before power washing is done.”
So, if you read the deck 101 thread, you should now know that there are several chemicals available to clean and/or strip wood. You want a spray on prep application before power washing wood. What is that going to be? Are you cleaning it or striping it? How much pressure are you using on wood? What degree nozzle? THis fence is stained already, so what type of stain is it? Is it oil based or water based? How do you test to see the difference? How would you attack each if you were stripping it? If your just cleaning it will it get out the “stains” as you said.
Second example:
“we also want to find a sealer that can be applied the same day to damp fencing or decks as an up-sell”
Yeah, ok, me too. So you cleaned/powerwashed a deck/fence and want to seal it the same day while it is still “damp” Everett abrams makes a water based stain that you can apply to damp wood. From the information I have gathered on this forum from the memebers, Stain and seal is now selling a water based stain, and so is wood defender. Most paints/stains/sealers need the wood to be dry before applying or they don’t adhere to the surface and will prematurely peel/fail/pick your word.
I can give you and dirtboy my past history here so it makes more sense as to why things are the way they are - maybe I could even get some consideration to the misplaced assumptions or “not ready” comment in dirtboys reply.
The items and questions I noted were in addition to what we already planed to offer our customers - I never had intentions to run a business solely on PWR feedback… in order to be “ready” for business - that would be a disaster jaded locals at PWR have probably already viewed - I am NOT that guy. We just needed some help with understanding our weather conditions/effects, product line, and some loose ends to see if we could offer what people wanted in our local research.
At PWR it already feels like don’t bother with the newbie questions section - unless I liked being told where to go with a cut n paste of what I wrote. It looks like Dirtboi had more time invested in his reply than the actual considerstion of answering to what I wrote in my original post - but at least he gave me an actual direct answer at the end of his reply, thanks for that nugget dirtboy. Either way I didn’t come here to be told what is wrong with my questions - its why I posted as a newbie.
There are reasons for where I landed in life with some things out of my control - trailer/training issues, people who promised and under performed, bad online feedback, PANDEMIC, etc. I needed a little help and direction in this new venture so here I was. Apparently I misplaced my own expectations in the search for feedback. With this early perspective here it looks like PWR is a good place to read and see what other people are doing - but if you have questions wait until you don’t have to post in the newbie section. Beyond that we now know we are better off looking for positive people elsewhere - that is not a personal statement on you just the experience at PWR’s site after my introduction post. No I didn’t mention recovery from a near death experience, or the training/trailer fiasco, delayed opening or the timing that led us to where we are - but I didn’t feel this was going to turn into a defense of why I am asking the questions I am asking. Thanks to my first PWR experience it is easy to see our efforts are now better invested elsewhere. Another life lesson and thank you for help in that regard.
Hey man, don’t sweat it. Don’t leave yet, this forum is a perfectly fine place to ask questions and find support. There’s almost an overload of information on here, so much that sometimes when you just search “roof cleaning” you’re going to be confronted with over 100 topics to dig through. There’s plenty of times when I get frustrated as heck because I need to know something quickly; I know it’s buried in the archives here and I don’t have an hour to dig for it. Sometimes the people on here that know the most forget how hard it is to sift through wandering threads to maybe find an answer that’s close to what we want to know.
I do have something that can help you though! I’ve noticed that people with questions often get much better replies on here if they take them one at a time, and ask them in short form. This isn’t me bashing you for putting multiple questions into one paragraph, it’s just that trying to reply to them all at once is about as hard as writing a research paper lol. Sort out the priority of your questions, and then if you can’t search/find an answer in a decent amount of time, hit the forum with that one. Something like this:
“I’m in the pacific northwest. I’ve done some research on here, and can’t seem to come up with a concensus. Does anybody offer gutter brightening as a stand-alone, without washing the house too?”
Well I am sorry you took honest feedback so harshly.
Your reasons read like excuses (personal opinion) and that’s not an attack. I wish you luck and if I didn’t care at all I wouldn’t respond. I am glad you’ve recovered from your accident and are pursuing this as a career. I like it myself and I imagine a lot of people do too.
Your read time is low and your knowledge seems to match that.
The reason I said learn and research is so your comprehension is on the level of the explanations given. This isn’t paid training, school, and you’re not my child. I’m taking time away from my day as is anyone else to help out. If I feel you need to read some more and share that you can heed my advice or ignore it.
Best of luck to you. Customers are going to grind your gears FAR more than strangers on a forum will.
Last question did you read my 101 guide? Because I put hours and hours into that to help guys like you. For free.
The forum owner and the moderators want people on here asking questions. They like it. I thought I would try to help you out, but you didn’t like my answer. Sorry about that. I was trying to help you but I guess you wanted me to tell you exactly what chemical to use to strip it with (there are several), what chemical mix to clean it with (there are several) and to tell you what a good baseline mix of SH and detergent to use. I can’t do that. I still don’t know what you are attempting to do. Are you just cleaning it or stripping it or paint prep.
I stand by my prior statements, there are several chemicals used to clean and/or strip wood. Which ones you use depends on what you are doing. You can always just lite it up and get it done though.
