Recommendation needed for house wash (pics attached)

im140.6

im140.6

New member
Here's a house I'll be washing Thursday or Friday. I don't have access to SH 12% so I'll grab the over-the-counter gallon jugs from Walmart. They advertise 6% SH I believe.

I'm thinking of throwing the SH in my 5'er, squirt Dawn detergent, and downstream. My ratio is about 10:1 draw. Anyone have any other recommendations for the job? Do you think the SH will be able to handle the stains, mold and mildew? Should I give my client more reasonable expectations of the end result?

Thanks in advance for your replies.




























 
Regular concentrate 8.25% will do fine. You should be able to find it a Wal-mart or Sams. Anything less is going to be slow... I almost never use 12.5% on siding!

Save the strong stuff for roofs. Also, you can get yourself in trouble really quick with any vegetation with a stronger mix for siding!!!!!!!!!!

I forgot to mention and I'm sure someone will jump on me for this however, Don't just squirt the surfactant in the 5'er. You should measure it so you get the same mix every time! The general rule is 1oz. of surfactant per gallon of mix.

Mike
 
Don't buy it from Wal-Mart, buy Dollar General brand concentrated - It's 8.5% SH and anywhere from 2.25-2.75 per gallon. Wal-mart buys so much in stock, you don't know how long that bleach has been sitting in the back of the store. I find the DG bleach runs circles around Clorox bought from big box stores.
The dawn is "alright" for a surfactant I guess, but I would not use it. I would use laundry detergant before I used Dawn, but that's just me.
Get you some good stuff - elemonator, stick up, dragon juice, EBC, etc. DJ or EBC would do wonders on that house. Just make sure you wet the plants prior to applying chems, and rinse multiple times.
 
Thank you, everyone. I remember reading about Dollar General bleach before. Thanks for the reminder. Also, thanks Hal for reminding me to go easy on the pressure.

Is the black stuff too far into the siding now, if at all? Doesn't look good in person and I don't want to give homeowner promises I can't keep.
 
Hal is right! Go very easy with the pressure.... With the right mix, You shouldn't need anything much stronger than 80-100 psi. The right mix will dissolve the mold and mildew on its own. It will go from the green to a tan and then dissolve to almost no film...

The siding looks like asbestos tile and the paint looks really bad(basically gone) on some of the areas??? If you don't have something in writing which releases you from any further damage, run from the job!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike
 
That is asbestos,..and the material itself is usually pretty tough,..but the paint under the mold may want to flake away along with the mold. Or it may be just fine Just something to be aware of.

Any "excess" pressure could make the paint come off even more,..and be aware of cracked or broken pieces and point those out to the customer,..(If there are any broken or cracked pieces)

Jeff
 
If you don't have something in writing which releases you from any further damage, run from the job!!!!!!!!!!!!
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X2

CYA is the name of the game!!!
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Thanks guys. I thought about a liability release form but not going to do that. In the past, I've had HVAC, two plumbers, a general contractor, and lawn guys do work at my home. Never did one of them pull out a liability release form for me to sign. If I ever need a painter, tree service or electrician in the future and the first thing they tell me is they're not going to start until I sign a liability waiver, I would seriously reconsider doing business with that individual.

Curious how you get your customers to sign a release form? All I think think of is, "hi Mrs. Smith, can you please sign this? It says if I blow out all your windows or blast the paint off your home, I won't be held responsible." :D

I'll take everyone's advice and definitely not going to blast the siding. I'd rather take a little more time and be careful than cause any damage to the clients home. Thanks again.
 
I never ask anyone to sign a release,..to me it shows an instant distrust of the customer,..and they wouldn't appreciate that. I however do explain to them what could happen,.and that suffices,..them and me.

I live in small town America,..so it may be different other places where distrust can run rampant,..where such forms are maybe more commonplace.

Jeff
 
814jeffw said:
I never ask anyone to sign a release,..to me it shows an instant distrust of the customer,..and they wouldn't appreciate that. I however do explain to them what could happen,.and that suffices,..them and me.

I live in small town America,..so it may be different other places where distrust can run rampant,..where such forms are maybe more commonplace.

Jeff
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Well said, Jeff. Just taking the time to explain what could happen usually gives a customer more than enough information to make an informed decision. We also live in a small community (they shut down main street for festivals and parades). Thanks for your reply sir.
 
6% will work just very slow and multiple application. 8.25 will work better.
 
I never ask anyone to sign a release,..to me it shows an instant distrust of the customer,..and they wouldn't appreciate that. I however do explain to them what could happen,.and that suffices,..them and me.

I live in small town America,..so it may be different other places where distrust can run rampant,..where such forms are maybe more commonplace.
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Jeff
im140.6 said:
Well said, Jeff. Just taking the time to explain what could happen usually gives a customer more than enough information to make an informed decision. We also live in a small community (they shut down main street for festivals and parades). Thanks for your reply sir.
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Hand shakes dont hold up in court. We live in a time where people try to get rich off small mistakes.
I plan on telling my customers when i do an estimate that im going to do a walk around of the house to come up with a price and that for insurance purposes im also looking for any per-existing damage. They will then have to sign off on it before any work can be done.
If i tell them they have damage and need them to sign off on it but dont because they dont trust me. I dont want them as customer because now i dont trust them. Are they trying to play me and have their house painted for free.

Let say you find a big hole in the side of a customers house and just shake on it. They dont want to sign or you dont make them you just verbally let them know. You wash the house and now the customer comes out screaming saying you put a hole in their wall you have nothing to prove other wise. Now your in court and guess what the judge is going to ask? Did you get it in writing. No, well as the last person to do work on the house you are liable in fixing/repairing the hole.

If i go rock climbing today, they are going to tell me as soon as i walk in that their is a possibility of injury or death and make me sign. I understand there are risk to so i sign. If i walk into another rock climbing place and they just give me a harness and i have to ask what are the dangers of doing this? If they come back saying there are absolutely no dangers in rock climbing, you will not get hurt, and no possibility of death. Im not going to trust them, i know that everything has risk and when you lie to me about it, im really not going to trust you. Maybe im different but i dont like things to be sugar coated, i like to know up front what im dealing with and how i or you as a company are going to mitigate the risk of injury.

Protect your self and your company.
 
For the most part Donte,..I don't even have to shake hands,The hand shake is a common courtesy gesture more than anything. .Been doing it this way for 20 years. The hole in the siding isn't a good argument,..in my experience,.the customers who call for these services aren't trying to get something for nothing,..if you show them pre-existing damage,..they aren't likely to come out screaming you damaged their siding,...and if you have had that experience,.sucks to be you.

I like casual,..and if it bites me someday,.so be it. Not that concerned about it,.that's what insurance is for.

I don't have advertisement on my rig or my clothes(Professional Rig and clothes though).. I look at work in casual clothes,..I don't do estimates,.I give solid prices,..I also go to every house to look at work,.and try to meet with the customer in person,..they like that. The only time I even write anything down for them is if they have a laundry list of things to,..or it's gonna be a while until we get there,,..even then,.it's just for reference. Or if it's something has to be voted on by a board. Even then,..lately,..one person gets the price from me and relays it to the rest. . I do lots of stuff "wrong',..but it works very well for me. In my experience,..customers don't like stuffy,..buttoned down types who have to have signatures for contracts and waivers for everything they ever do.

*I realize there are places that like all this formality and don't fault anyone for doing what seems proper,.Just glad I'm able to run my business the way I do. I probably wouldn't make it if I had to be what many consider a real professional,.,Ha,Ha,..

I throw in lots of work in as well,..stuff I know many would consider up-selling,...Just shows people everyone isn't out to soak them for every little thing,..and people like that.

With that said,..my work ethic covers my sorry a** for all the wrong things I do.


Jeff
 
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Donte55 said:
Let say you find a big hole in the side of a customers house and just shake on it. They dont want to sign or you dont make them you just verbally let them know. You wash the house and now the customer comes out screaming saying you put a hole in their wall you have nothing to prove other wise. Now your in court and guess what the judge is going to ask? Did you get it in writing. No, well as the last person to do work on the house you are liable in fixing/repairing the hole.
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I understand your point. The simple solution, if you see damage that may come into question later, would be to take a couple of minutes and snap pictures of the damage. Do before/after pictures. They're date and time stamped.
 
I would leave the dawn out an get a professional surfactant to help the sh stay on the surface much longer you need chemical to work on this one.Roof snot is a good one.Dawn is for dishes an could lead to streaking or even discolor a already failing paint job
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. The client was going to get her lawn guy to cut back the bushes and shrubs that are against two parts of the house. She got back to me yesterday and let me know he also does power washing. He made her an offer she couldn't refuse. I completely understand the homeowner wants to save money and I don't blame her either. Super nice lady, I just hope her guy doesn't mess things up on her beautiful home.
 
1 wet the plants. 2 soap the gutters and soffit. 3 soap the house bottom up. 4 Soap the gutters and soffit again re mist the house. 5 brush the gutters. 5 Then rinse top down plus rinse the plants. This is my process anyway. #60 nozzle on the siding you'll be good. just be patient let the solution clean it
 
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