Debris from Sidewalks

Steve,

I did not mean to come off so strong, I have not been around the boards very much at all. I was just looking for a little in-site. When is the convention in Tampa? The PM Expo went very well in Orlando. We generated a lot of quality leads. It was well worth the money.
 
After only 11 posts you cannot expect a lot of help, you need to do a lot of reading, those that help themselves get helped a lot.

There is a lot of great info here, read all you want, don't expect to get baby-fed or people will not help you out or just ignore you as we are all adults here and have read months and months and months of info. If there is something that you cannot find from a lot of searching, ask and we will help you out. People get tired of answering the same questions all the time, that is why we tell people to do some searching in the different forums as more than likely your questions have been asked many times before and answered at length.

There are a lot of great contractors here that will help you with what you need, just do a little bit of looking yourself first and then ask for help and you will get it.

There are some great and very long posts about shopping centers, use the search button and start reading, Ron has posted a lot of great info that will help you a lot.
 
GEPW4 said:
Not saying your half ass at all. This is my truck and trailer and I am very happy with it. I have invested a lot of time and $$ into it. I have a Hydro Teck 9 GPM , 3800 psi, hot water machine, dual operator with a 8 gpm recovery unit, a 4 gpm gold water machine is attached as well. I have also invested on surface cleaners that range from 38" to 12". I am just in the process of ordering a second duplicate truck and trailer. I am just getting tired of these guys coming in and low balling jobs that ruin it for all of us out there. I am here for the long haul, and will stick it out. All I am asking for is a little support and advice. I post on this forum as a professional but I never seem to get professional answers, just a bunch of shit talking or joking around. I am really trying to develop my business and would appreciate any advice rather then ball busting. I know this sounds like I am being an a-hole but my time is limited. Thanks




View attachment 17229
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I wont even answer this as it may incriminate me !!
 
Ken with all due respect, you wont get much help here taking shots at the way some do business, I have a 20 foot and a 16 foot rig with multiple units as well as a (half ass) truck mounted rig (LOL)

Point is, I probably clean as many shopping centers as most people here combined and we do it with several different applications, some require very little thus the truck mount, its easy to get in and out and much less liability than a 20 foot goosneck with multiple 8 gpm machines.

I am in it for the long haul as well since this is our 16th year but like Steven said you need thick skin somedays, Somedays not so much. Chill out and enjoy but stepping on toes will get pot shots thrown at you every time. Good luck with the centers.
 
Well,

I'm going to take this back to the start of this topic.

Why would you think it is the sweepers job to finish your job. Did you call the sweeper and offer to pay him extra to do your clean up? It is not the sweepers job to finish your job or the landscapers job or anyone elses job. Even if I were the one doing the lot in question, I would not slow down or make mulity passes cleaning up your debris. Debris that are wet take even longer to clean up, and if they dry on the lot it can take extra time to clean up also. The sweeper gets paid to clean up the lot of normal trash and debris that get dumped by customers or blow in during the day. When you bid to do something on a center, you need to figure your time to clean up.

Heres a couple of questions for you,
1- Your working at someones house stripping paint, would you just leave it there and assume it is the homeowners job to finish your job?
2- You hired a landscaper to mow and trim your bushes, either at a home or center, They do what was asked and leave all the clippings on the lawn, blow it on the drive, blow it in the street. Have they conmpleted there job?

Bet you would be on the phone complaining.

When we do our pressure washing jobs, we set it up that our sweeper comes after we have completed the washing. Even if we send a sweeper to a lot we dont sweep to clean up our debris. It really pisses me off when someone leaves there crap for me to clean, Im not paid to clean there crap. And what about after the sweeper comes in, does there job and you show up after and make a mess. Now the sweeper may get a call complaining they didnt do there work when it was you that made the mess. Now the sweeper company has to find out why his people didnt do there work, and then finds out it was you. Then he has to call the PM / owner and tell them it wasnt him but you. See all the problems that go with just not completing your job!
 
BMP's check-list for general maintenance "on site"..

did somebody say "reclaim" ??? :yes:
..my favorite subject..

But.. really, what you're talking about here is about Solid, foundational, BMP's..
if you don't have a BMP's check-list for general maintenance "on site"..
send me an e-mail, and I'll get you one free.
We call it "wash water control,"
but it's really about ALL DEBRIS, of EVERY kind..
dirt, paint chips, chemical, EVERYthing that could get INto the water

The Sirocco Wash Water Control Bootcamp in Tampa
will include all that, and MUCH more !
 
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First point, I must have been not paying attention when I posted because it didn't register on me that this was "paint debris" and not just normal sidewalk debris. If it is something out of the ordinary we pick it up.

Second, IF we are talking about NORMAL debris from cleaning shopping center sidewalks I'd like you to consider the comments and questions in Blue below:

rsweeper said:
.....Why would you think it is the sweepers job to finish your job. Did you call the sweeper and offer to pay him extra to do your clean up? It is not the sweepers job to finish your job or the landscapers job or anyone elses job. Even if I were the one doing the lot in question, I would not slow down or make mulity passes cleaning up your debris. Debris that are wet take even longer to clean up, and if they dry on the lot it can take extra time to clean up also. The sweeper gets paid to clean up the lot of normal trash and debris that get dumped by customers or blow in during the day. When you bid to do something on a center, you need to figure your time to clean up.

In most cases, at least around here, it's the sweeper's job to blow out all that dirt and debris from the storefront to the parking lot where the sweeper picks it up. Under normal circumstances our "debris" has added nothing to what the sweeping company has already contracted to pick up. Is this different in Southern California?

.............When we do our pressure washing jobs, we set it up that our sweeper comes after we have completed the washing. Even if we send a sweeper to a lot we dont sweep to clean up our debris. It really pisses me off when someone leaves there crap for me to clean, Im not paid to clean there crap......

Do you pressure wash the slime that drips off your sweepers when you dump (especially in wet weather) or do you leave it for the pressure washer who is "not paid to clean your crap"? It doesn't make sense for you to pull out a pressure washer to clean some drips off a dumpster pad from your dumping when a full on pressure washer will be there later to clean it with a full unit. Just like it doesn't make sense to vacuum up a parking lot with a reclaim system or half-a$$ shovel and broom it when a 20,000 lbs vacuum sweeper will be right behind you.

And what about after the sweeper comes in, does there job and you show up after and make a mess. Now the sweeper may get a call complaining they didnt do there work when it was you that made the mess. Now the sweeper company has to find out why his people didnt do there work, and then finds out it was you. Then he has to call the PM / owner and tell them it wasnt him but you. See all the problems that go with just not completing your job!

That's exactly why you coordinate times with the sweeper and the PM.
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Again, I was mistaken in thinking this thread was about normal dirt, leaves and other misc paper debris. Sticky stuff that slows the sweeper down should always be picked up.
 
Hey Tony,

I will try to answer all your questions.

1- It is our job here to blow out all the dirt and debris from the sidewalks, dumpster areas and all.
2- We all know that wet debris are harder to clean up then dry debris.

What debris are you refering too? trash and dirt? Im talking about excess debris, as in paint chips that was at the start of this thread. And about landscapers leaving there crap and blowing it into the parking lot for us to clean up. Not our job its theres.

3- as for dumping slime as you call it. We dont normally make a mess. We take care to make sure that we are backed in fully and raise the hopper slowly to not dump a wet mess all over. And if we do it is on our jobs that we do the pressure washing on aswell. So yes I clean up after ourselves if we make a mess.
4- I have my own full on pressure washing units.

The point is if you are the one bidding and getting the job, you should build into your bid cleaning up your mess.

5- Thats one of the problems, the contractor and or PM dosent contact you. They just get a complaint in the morning that the sweeper didnt do there job and they call and complain. If they were to call and ask, we could do there clean up for them, at a extra cost. Wasnt my job to begin with, so I should be compinsated to clean up for them.

I wasnt talking about your post. I was talking about the starter of the post. I belive it was Scott, Ive forgotton and if I made a mistake on the name, sorry to have.

I think I covered all your remarks
 
rsweeper said:
Hey Tony,

I will try to answer all your questions.

1- It is our job here to blow out all the dirt and debris from the sidewalks, dumpster areas and all.
2- We all know that wet debris are harder to clean up then dry debris.

What debris are you refering too? trash and dirt? Im talking about excess debris, as in paint chips that was at the start of this thread. And about landscapers leaving there crap and blowing it into the parking lot for us to clean up. Not our job its theres.

3- as for dumping slime as you call it. We dont normally make a mess. We take care to make sure that we are backed in fully and raise the hopper slowly to not dump a wet mess all over. And if we do it is on our jobs that we do the pressure washing on aswell. So yes I clean up after ourselves if we make a mess.
4- I have my own full on pressure washing units.

The point is if you are the one bidding and getting the job, you should build into your bid cleaning up your mess.

5- Thats one of the problems, the contractor and or PM dosent contact you. They just get a complaint in the morning that the sweeper didnt do there job and they call and complain. If they were to call and ask, we could do there clean up for them, at a extra cost. Wasnt my job to begin with, so I should be compinsated to clean up for them.

I wasnt talking about your post. I was talking about the starter of the post. I belive it was Scott, Ive forgotton and if I made a mistake on the name, sorry to have.

I think I covered all your remarks
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I think we are on the same page. We don't time it for wet sweeper pickup. (Its usually dry in 10 minutes here anyway).

I'll try to take a picture of the debris I'm talking about so you'll see that it's the same stuff that you guys blow out anyway. Sorry for the confusion on the paint. We wouldn't leave that stuff.
 
Steven Button said:
We're lucky in that our property managers are experienced and up speed on the process - we will report any excess debris washed into main roadway at front of building, but generally they have it taken care of by porters or sweepers after we are finished.

This is usually only an issue after we have done an initial clean... We pick up and dispose of trash when cleaning dumpster areas.
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I should clarify also I guess... After an initial clean on properties new to us we are typically cleaning a center that has never been done or not been done to our standards, hence excess debris. Before we start this initial clean we have an open dialogue with the manager where the porter/sweeper know we will be on property and have made their own arrangements with regard to compensation for any additional cleaning, no one loses out and our PMs have never had concerns with this process in their budget. Since many of our shopping center properties are monthly or 60-day there really is not a problem with excess debris.

Any issues with mulch, landscaping debris or trash is taken care of by us - but general dust and rinse water is pushed beyond parking spaces.

With regard to paint removal, like others have said, the paint chips would have to be collected immediately.
 
rsweeper said:
Well,

I'm going to take this back to the start of this topic.

Why would you think it is the sweepers job to finish your job. Did you call the sweeper and offer to pay him extra to do your clean up? It is not the sweepers job to finish your job or the landscapers job or anyone elses job. Even if I were the one doing the lot in question, I would not slow down or make mulity passes cleaning up your debris. Debris that are wet take even longer to clean up, and if they dry on the lot it can take extra time to clean up also. The sweeper gets paid to clean up the lot of normal trash and debris that get dumped by customers or blow in during the day. When you bid to do something on a center, you need to figure your time to clean up.

Heres a couple of questions for you,
1- Your working at someones house stripping paint, would you just leave it there and assume it is the homeowners job to finish your job?
2- You hired a landscaper to mow and trim your bushes, either at a home or center, They do what was asked and leave all the clippings on the lawn, blow it on the drive, blow it in the street. Have they conmpleted there job?

Bet you would be on the phone complaining.

When we do our pressure washing jobs, we set it up that our sweeper comes after we have completed the washing. Even if we send a sweeper to a lot we dont sweep to clean up our debris. It really pisses me off when someone leaves there crap for me to clean, Im not paid to clean there crap. And what about after the sweeper comes in, does there job and you show up after and make a mess. Now the sweeper may get a call complaining they didnt do there work when it was you that made the mess. Now the sweeper company has to find out why his people didnt do there work, and then finds out it was you. Then he has to call the PM / owner and tell them it wasnt him but you. See all the problems that go with just not completing your job!
Click to expand...

Point taken. We ended up going back to the center and using push brooms and dustpans to sweep up the mess and pressure washing to dissapate the rest. Thank you for lending the sweeper's perspective.

This will be part of my standard conversation when I talk to PM's. Someone else said to "under promise and over deliver." That should be everyone's mode of operation. Thanks to all, for your words of wisdom. I plan to come to Tampa with a million and one questions.
 
Scott1 said:
Point taken. We ended up going back to the center and using push brooms and dustpans to sweep up the mess and pressure washing to dissapate the rest. Thank you for lending the sweeper's perspective.

This will be part of my standard conversation when I talk to PM's. Someone else said to "under promise and over deliver." That should be everyone's mode of operation. Thanks to all, for your words of wisdom. I plan to come to Tampa with a million and one questions.
Click to expand...

Look forward to see you!!
 
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