Pine Straw Removal

[oneness]

I've been asked to bid on a job pressure cleaning a pool deck, walkways, and to remove pine straw from the screened pool enclosure. The problem is, there are many many pieces of pine straw hanging through the screen...you can't just blow them off from the roof or from the ground. I'm concerned about using the pressure washer to remove them and damaging the screen, but that is how the lady says the guy who used to do it did it.

The problem with removing these pieces by hand is that the pool, naturally, is right in the middle of the screened enclosure and so I would not be able to use a ladder in this area, without placing boards across the pool and placing the ladder on them...not my favorite idea.

Have any of you Florida guy run into this, and if so, what was your solution?

 

[jon chapman]

Mike,
I just bid on a job that had hundreds of pine needles through the screen. My local supplier told me that a rotomax would take care of those. justs twists them off at the screen. I dont think tearing the screen is the problem, but pushing out the edges might be.

 

[oneness]

Jon:

Explain the rotomax idea with twisting the needles? The needles aren't hanging in a way that makes them easy to get to...I could get to some of them with a ladder, but the portion over the pool will be very difficult to get to by hand.

 

[jon chapman]

thats actually a good question as I havnt done it yet. Just told you what the guy told me. I guess an extended wand, adn get as close as you can from the underside. Once the part that sticks through is gone, the rest should blow off.
I didnt get the job I bid on yet so I havnt had the opportunity to try it out yet. But the explanation he gave me made sense.

 

[oneness]

My concern would be having that much pressure (my rotomax on my machine runs at a bit over 3000 psi) that close to the screen, especially pushing on a foreign object. I could see it working if I could get paralel to the screen, but that won't be an easy task.

If you get the job and try it in the next week, let me know how it works out. I'm scheduled to do this the 8th of March.

Thanks!

 

[jon chapman]

Mike,
I was cleaning a home with a screened-in room the other day. I use a 4000psi 4gpm machine and had a 15 deg tip on it. washed the screens, with no problem, even got pretty close 3-6", and was no problem. If the screens are put in properly the pressure the rotomax puts on it shouldnt hurt it.

I did not get the job. some painting company came in and bid 1/3 the ammount I did, Just waiting till they get done to see what they actually cleaned. or probably just covered up with paint.
the roof and lanai will show the truth!
That just killed me, a 7000 sf roof, 5000sf house, and a screened pool that covered 2500 sf for $450. If this is the kind of pricing Im up against, Im in trouble. I read about lowballers and how everybody feels about them, thought but this is the first its happened to me.

Anyway, just had to vent, thanks for listining. seems no body else has had this problem before. good luck.