Yes I did heavily too and it was diluted a lot the mix
Just used a 5% mix on this house (SAME EXACT WOOD!) different color. Nothing has happened and it’s exposed to sun!
this was my test spot area
Nothing for nothing, but an xjet isn’t softwashing.
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Always gotta knock the young bloods hustle smh
Nothing to do with hustle. Folks are here to learn and share what they know. I shared and know he knows.
What is your definition of soft washing then? Booster pump? While an xjet might suck big butt for any professional it is still possible to get the same results with it that you would out of a 12v or booster
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I believe hes referring to the xjet not being very soft (low psi) I’ve personally never used an xjet so i dont know but i believe the original xjet was just a zero degree nozzle that shot at a pretty good psi nothing like what we downstream with… or he could just be calling it unprofessional who knows
You’ve lost me. I don’t have booster pumps or 12v pumps. I ds. There is nothing wrong with an Xjet. They have their place and I’ve built thousands of them. But, xjetting is not soft washing. Too much pressure.
I gotcha. Just wondering. Doesn’t the xjet use the same m5 tip that a lot of ppl on here use to downstream though?
The M5DS uses a larger orifice, which lower the pressure enough to draw soap. The 5 in M5 represents Mike, Mary, Christina, Michael and Julie, just in case you want the back story 
That doesn’t mean anything. It’s not the wood that’s the issue. It’s the paint. Some paints contain organic pigments and it will do pretty much exactly what your picture shows.
@marinegrunt Brian, do you follow this procedure on every house, or just the ones that are painted? Do you have a 5 or 10 minute dwell, then rinse and wipe dry to see the results? Wouldn’t 4% also hurt some materials that would normally be fine with 1%? Sorry for all the questions, I just see how this could be very helpful and feel like I need to implement this from now on.
I’m not sure which procedure you mean. I don’t think I ever mentioned one in this thread. 5% is way too hot for almost every painted surface. If I’m washing a painted house I’ll always test in an inconspicuous area with a spray bottle of a strong mix. I then know it’s safe for my regular house wash mix. There’s really no need to use a strong mix on any house unless it’s brick or stucco with some bad organic stains. If I notice that the SH does affect the paint I’ll just use surfactant. I only do test spots on painted houses. Don’t ever wipe a house dry by hand. If it’s oxidized it’s going to show. That mainly goes for vinyl but can also happen with some older paint.
Yes, 4% can hurt a surface that might be fine with 1%. If you’re not careful you could etch glass with a 4% mix. If you used 4% on a painted house and, there were any cracks or pinholes in the paint, it can get underneath and cause the paint to come loose. This can happen with only water too but the SH definitely causes it to happen more. A lot of guys won’t even mess with paint. You definitely have to be careful.
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@marinegrunt I was just referring to doing a test spot. I don’t think either of us ever mentioned 5%, but I did post about a 5-10 dwell time. Very good to know about wiping it dry. That makes sense.
Follow up questions then. Do you have the notice about walking away in a wavier/contract? Also, do you set some kind expectations about only surfactant not washing as well and not washing off mold, etc.?
When I do a test spots on paint I do go strong just so I know my house wash mix has no chance of hurting it.
I don’t currently have any kind of waiver/contract. I do most of my estimates by looking at houses online so I just make sure to ask questions about the house. If it’s something I’m worried about I’ll go in person to look at it. I don’t get all that many painted houses anyways. Most of the painted houses are older homes and I just don’t get many calls from them.
If a house has a bunch of mold or mildew and, the paint is affected by my test, I just don’t wash it. If there isn’t any organics I’ll just use surfactant. If you have any concerns about a house just politely tell them you don’t feel comfortable washing it. I did a house the other day where a different company told them the sh would ruin their siding if they washed it. It was just a high end composite siding that you don’t see very often. I didn’t think SH would hurt it but did a test spot and it was fine. Before I started she kind of sounded upset about the other guy but I told her he did what he thought was right and you want contractors like that. You don’t want the one that will do anything to make a buck and possibly damage your property. Be that guy that knows when to take a step back.
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No truer words than that! I’ve passed on at least 5 houses this year that were either cedar-clad or just out of my league. I explained my strengths and was honest with the clients, and every one of them couldn’t thank me enough for my honesty. Two of them actually referred me to friends of theirs that needed things more up my alley. I don’t think that passing on a job is a bad thing at all; it shows self awareness and that you actually care about the client
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@marinegrunt Brain, I appreciate you taking the time to write all that out. Some good ideas I’ll implement for sure. I definitely don’t want to be “that guy” who ruins things!
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Passing on jobs should be practiced a whole heap more, every job I’ve ever had that I was 50/50 on there was issues, it always works out like that for some reason.
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Walk away is my personal mantra
