Doug Rucker
Roundtable Host 2009
Welcome Philip, nice sig....great to have you here.
Welcome New Members
- Thread starter Russ Spence
- Start date
Welcome
Valpak Rochester
New member
Hey guys,
I am not in the power washing business. However, I do own a NICE power washer (will post pics later) I am just here because I found NUMEROUS threads discussing Valpak, and those that wanted to try it, but could not get in contact with a member who promised a "group" rate that was negotiated with Valpak corporate..
I replied to a lot of posts in another thread under marketing that should answer a few questions and topics that were discussed.
I will not enter every thread and try to spam it intentionally, I just wanted to let people know that I am here, and that I can help you if you ever wish to try Valpak.
Thank you,
Sean
I am not in the power washing business. However, I do own a NICE power washer (will post pics later) I am just here because I found NUMEROUS threads discussing Valpak, and those that wanted to try it, but could not get in contact with a member who promised a "group" rate that was negotiated with Valpak corporate..
I replied to a lot of posts in another thread under marketing that should answer a few questions and topics that were discussed.
I will not enter every thread and try to spam it intentionally, I just wanted to let people know that I am here, and that I can help you if you ever wish to try Valpak.
Thank you,
Sean
Hey guys. My names Britton Emerson from Victoria BC Canada.
I started the business after working in the oil fields of Alberta and came back to town with a goal in mind to start an exterior cleaning company.
I've now been in business coming up on a year and will be directing my focus towards residential and commercial Pressure washing.
I started the business after working in the oil fields of Alberta and came back to town with a goal in mind to start an exterior cleaning company.
I've now been in business coming up on a year and will be directing my focus towards residential and commercial Pressure washing.
Welcome Brandon
Feb Event Houston free free text me for more details !!
Feb Event Houston free free text me for more details !!
Rapid HotClean
New member
Hi Britton, welcome and glad you're here.
I would like to introduce myself. I am a painter in NJ and do a lot of pressure washing and thought I could learn a lot from this forum. I already found some very interesting info.
Tim
www.nj-painting-contractor.com
Tim
www.nj-painting-contractor.com
SpaceInvader75
New member
Hi. My name is Kevin and I just started up my lawn service again this year with no customers. It's been a few years since I tried it but I like doing it. I'm surprised I haven't given up on the idea, I've failed so many times, but I guess I'm kind of stubborn. Anyway, since my business is so small and I'm very limited on my marketing (because the budget is so tight) I started thinking about offering other services besides mowing, especially services I can do outside the mowing season. So I started doing a little research on pressure washing.
One of the first things I read was that you can gross over $100 an hour, which is more than I can currently make doing lawn maintenance. I guess that was the good news, then I started finding out the bad news: It looks like it's going to be difficult for me to save up for my first pressure washer. I thought I would be able to start with a cheaper one, but I did not know you should have 4-5gpm, and the cheaper ones only have half of that. Then I read that the direct drive wears out the pumps, so I started looking for belt drive units, but I couldn't find anything cheaper than $1300 so far. I guess I can look at used units, but I was hoping to get started this year and I am not sure if I'll be able to save up enough money.
I have the same problem with lawn maintenance; I am using a smaller mower than I would like, but I partially solved this by limiting the size of lawn I maintain. Of course I would make more per hour if I had a larger mower, but it isn't that crucial to me because business is still slow (I only started in May). So, if I apply this strategy to pressure washing maybe the small pressure washer can handle driveways OK, but I was reading here about pumps going out after 40 hours, and it sounds like I might be wasting my money if I buy something like that. Anyway, I'm still trying to figure out how to do it.
One of the first things I read was that you can gross over $100 an hour, which is more than I can currently make doing lawn maintenance. I guess that was the good news, then I started finding out the bad news: It looks like it's going to be difficult for me to save up for my first pressure washer. I thought I would be able to start with a cheaper one, but I did not know you should have 4-5gpm, and the cheaper ones only have half of that. Then I read that the direct drive wears out the pumps, so I started looking for belt drive units, but I couldn't find anything cheaper than $1300 so far. I guess I can look at used units, but I was hoping to get started this year and I am not sure if I'll be able to save up enough money.
I have the same problem with lawn maintenance; I am using a smaller mower than I would like, but I partially solved this by limiting the size of lawn I maintain. Of course I would make more per hour if I had a larger mower, but it isn't that crucial to me because business is still slow (I only started in May). So, if I apply this strategy to pressure washing maybe the small pressure washer can handle driveways OK, but I was reading here about pumps going out after 40 hours, and it sounds like I might be wasting my money if I buy something like that. Anyway, I'm still trying to figure out how to do it.
Hey everyone! My brother and I started Trash Blasters LLC in September of last year. We started out only cleaning trash cans and the occasional RV, but have transitioned into flat work in recent months. We're running a hotsy 1290ssg and are completely self contained (as you can imagine since we clean some pretty nasty stuff). We also use a hydrotek avz55 and the ant5v surface cleaner for reclamation when cleaning concrete (I would never even consider recycling the used trash water ha!). We are located in St. George, Utah which is right on the Arizona border and only about 30 miles from the Nevada border. I am thrilled to have found this forum and have been reading thread after thread non stop! I feel like I'm being sprayed in the face with a firehouse with all the information on this site! I absolutely love the fact that people in this industry are so willing to share trade secrets and information with one another. I have a background in accounting and am willing to help with any questions anyone might have. I may not know the answer right away but I know where to find it. The best tax advice I can ever give you is this, if it feels good it's gonna get taxed! I wish you all the best and keep up the good work!
ecoclean87
New member
Hey guys. My name is Jeff. Born and raised in Ruston, Louisiana. 27 years old..I think. I'v been wanting to get a pressure washing business going for a few years now and therefore have been creeping on these forums off and on for a couple of years. I joined in Doug Rucker's Pressure Washing School online probably around a year ago after someone on these forums recommended it to me. Having never worked for any pressure cleaning company before and realizing that chances of finding a 'professional' company close by to work for were virtually nil, I realized I would need a good learning resource, so I joined Doug's school mainly to have his tutorial videos on hand at any time. The videos on advertising and marketing have probably been the most helpful as of late. As I have found out, after you build it, you still must do much else to make them come.
So anyways, I started off a few years ago by buying a $550 Ridgid 2.6 gpm 3000 psi (or close to that) machine to wash a little on the side. I worked for a professional landscaping company at the time and began buying my own powertools to softscape with on the side. I started that off with a pushmower and a Stihl hedgetrimmer (would recommend Shindaiwa for the smaller motorhead hedge trimmers though). Around a year ago, I had so much work doing landscape maintenance work for myself that I began working completely for myself and my customers. I bought a Tiger landscaping trailer from the manufacturer and an Exmark Lazer Z E class 48 inch mower since most of the work immediately available to me is landscaping related and mowing. But, alas, that is mainly all just to help me towards my goal of pressure and chemical cleaning for 100% of my workload.
So around 9 months ago I bought my first real PW rig, a 3500 PSI 5, gpm heated Epps machine with a 220 gallon tank and tool box on a 10 ft. trailer. It has served me well. But I got to itching for more gpms a couple of months ago, so I bought a used 10 GPM 3000 PSI Hydrotek machine with a 550 gallon tank and electric reels. It was put together by Ices in Florida originally. I love it..but have yet to use it actually. I bought it with a broken unloader and my mechanics are 45 minutes away and I havent had time to go back just yet. Plus Iv been accumulating equipment to throw on my trailer so that I can clean roofs from the same trailer unit. I have yet to actually ever clean a roof yet, but Doug's videos explained it enough to where I know exactly what to do. I just bought a 30 gallon Kellogg American truck mounted compressor with a 10 HP Koehler motor for 650 dollars from somebody off of craigslist. Supposedly I could have waited until this winter and alot of used compressors would be going up for sale, but I'm trying to wash some roofs before the winter hits. For the pump, I bought a half inch Yamada pump, Kynar body and Kymar diaphrahms for $400. Can't wait to have it all together! Proabably a week and a half from now, Ill have time to go to my mechanics and have all the pieces to the puzzle ready to go..or mostly. Im about to begin mailing out several thousand postcards that I had designed by KBK Graphics and which advertise for softwashing, surface cleaning, and roof cleaning. Ill probably have to hire someone to be my groundman when I start getting roofs to clean. I just got insurance this week, finally. My main ongoing hurtle at the moment is getting an account with a chemical distributor that will work with me and be able to provide the 8 or 10 chemicals that I can think of off the dump that I know I want. Harcros is the main one I have set my sights on, but the person I last tried to set up an account with made it seem like I could get blacklisted if I tried to set up an account without insurance OR without having proof that I Owned a building of Business (i.e., my own personal warehouse or something). So, I held off but am getting close to going at it again. Harcros has givin me cheaper quotes than anyone else on virtually everything I asked about.
So, thats where Im at. On the brink of exactly where I want to be. I would like to thank Doug Rucker again for the education he has provided. I would also like to thank Gary W, Gene with LightningClean, Kevin from Peak of Perfection, and Pat from Grimereaper. You have helped me quite a bit with answering my newb questions. Thanks much to this site for being here. It is an invaluable resource for discovering solutions.
So anyway, there's my intro. I would recommend to anyone reading this to use a computer to type an intro this long rather than their phone..bad for the thumbs.
So anyways, I started off a few years ago by buying a $550 Ridgid 2.6 gpm 3000 psi (or close to that) machine to wash a little on the side. I worked for a professional landscaping company at the time and began buying my own powertools to softscape with on the side. I started that off with a pushmower and a Stihl hedgetrimmer (would recommend Shindaiwa for the smaller motorhead hedge trimmers though). Around a year ago, I had so much work doing landscape maintenance work for myself that I began working completely for myself and my customers. I bought a Tiger landscaping trailer from the manufacturer and an Exmark Lazer Z E class 48 inch mower since most of the work immediately available to me is landscaping related and mowing. But, alas, that is mainly all just to help me towards my goal of pressure and chemical cleaning for 100% of my workload.
So around 9 months ago I bought my first real PW rig, a 3500 PSI 5, gpm heated Epps machine with a 220 gallon tank and tool box on a 10 ft. trailer. It has served me well. But I got to itching for more gpms a couple of months ago, so I bought a used 10 GPM 3000 PSI Hydrotek machine with a 550 gallon tank and electric reels. It was put together by Ices in Florida originally. I love it..but have yet to use it actually. I bought it with a broken unloader and my mechanics are 45 minutes away and I havent had time to go back just yet. Plus Iv been accumulating equipment to throw on my trailer so that I can clean roofs from the same trailer unit. I have yet to actually ever clean a roof yet, but Doug's videos explained it enough to where I know exactly what to do. I just bought a 30 gallon Kellogg American truck mounted compressor with a 10 HP Koehler motor for 650 dollars from somebody off of craigslist. Supposedly I could have waited until this winter and alot of used compressors would be going up for sale, but I'm trying to wash some roofs before the winter hits. For the pump, I bought a half inch Yamada pump, Kynar body and Kymar diaphrahms for $400. Can't wait to have it all together! Proabably a week and a half from now, Ill have time to go to my mechanics and have all the pieces to the puzzle ready to go..or mostly. Im about to begin mailing out several thousand postcards that I had designed by KBK Graphics and which advertise for softwashing, surface cleaning, and roof cleaning. Ill probably have to hire someone to be my groundman when I start getting roofs to clean. I just got insurance this week, finally. My main ongoing hurtle at the moment is getting an account with a chemical distributor that will work with me and be able to provide the 8 or 10 chemicals that I can think of off the dump that I know I want. Harcros is the main one I have set my sights on, but the person I last tried to set up an account with made it seem like I could get blacklisted if I tried to set up an account without insurance OR without having proof that I Owned a building of Business (i.e., my own personal warehouse or something). So, I held off but am getting close to going at it again. Harcros has givin me cheaper quotes than anyone else on virtually everything I asked about.
So, thats where Im at. On the brink of exactly where I want to be. I would like to thank Doug Rucker again for the education he has provided. I would also like to thank Gary W, Gene with LightningClean, Kevin from Peak of Perfection, and Pat from Grimereaper. You have helped me quite a bit with answering my newb questions. Thanks much to this site for being here. It is an invaluable resource for discovering solutions.
So anyway, there's my intro. I would recommend to anyone reading this to use a computer to type an intro this long rather than their phone..bad for the thumbs.
Doug Rucker
Roundtable Host 2009
Welcome Jeff, good to see you made it here.
ecoclean87
New member
Thanks. I'll definitely be around.
Lightning Gene
Active member
Glad to see you progressing Jeff
ecoclean87
New member
Gracias Senors. There is much room to progress.
VTMobileWash
New member
Hi, my name is Andrew and I own ViperTech Mobile Pressure Wash in Houston, Texas. I am a Veteran, having served in the Texas Army National Guard. I completed a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. While in college, I did Power Washing Gigs on the side, I soon realized this was a very lucrative type business, and have been doing it the last 5 years. I enjoy the fact that hard work does pay off in this business and that the drive to get new customers is something I enjoy doing everyday. One thing about this business, is that online google searches is not as effective as many other businesses. I have also turned into an SEO Expert with all of the major search engines because of my ability to understand Search Engine Optimization. I love Power Washing and my employees do as well.
Thank for having me!
http://www.vtmobilepressurewash.com
Thank for having me!
http://www.vtmobilepressurewash.com