Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

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shooter
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Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by shooter »

I'm looking at possibly funding a business so I can make some extra money and my brother can have a part time job while he's in college. I've been researching pressure washing. It's not expensive to get started, and you can make good money. In the area where my bro lives, there are no other companies providing this service, so if there's an interest he's got the market cornered. It turns out it's a lot more complicated than just walking around with a professional rig and spraying water. You have to know what you're doing so you don't tear stuff up. That's my problem. Does anyone here have any real experience pressure washing, using the different chemicals and such? I'm looking for as much info as I can get my hands on.

Hopefully the business will take off and we can expand it, and I can move out there to run it full time. For right now I just want to feel things out and learn as much as I can before I spend any money. I'm not really expecting anyone on here to have all the answers for me, but I figured it's worth a shot.
‎"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen" - Samuel Adams
TomF
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by TomF »

I have no experience at pressure washing for pay but have and keep one handy for the removal of "north side crud" that accumulates on the vinyl siding of my home. I have used only water for my washing. Trailers, driveways, barns etc respond well. Stay away from wood siding. I'd bet a mill supply or similar business may be able to direct you regarding chems.

One full day of opposing a power washer wand will tire one out. I am sure the higher end units are more ergonomically suited.

TomF
rjohns94
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by rjohns94 »

you will want a variable pressure unit. I use mine for just about everything. I cleaned the siding last week. I use an ecofriendly solution available from home depot. does not kill grass or damage anything. I use mostly 1800 psi setting. Recently, I used it to clean a friends house, deck, lawn furniture. Again, i just used the eco friendly stuff for cleaning. At home depot, they have a variety of different chemicals for the intended uses. A quick look there will answer many of your questions. I have used mine recently to clean: truck, motorcycle, driveway, house, lawn furniture, paito, grill, patio furniture, bricks, stucko, alum down spouts, wood facing to a house, and to get vegetation out of cracks in sidewalk, brick walk, and cracks in curb, and lawnmover cleaning. When ever I cut grass, powerwash or anything else like that, I generally think of a business plan to market the service. I imagine I could live on making a living offering a variety of services, that take me through the seasons to a moderate host of people. Power washing could suppliment but it takes a long time with non-commercial size units. The pay would have to be very high in order to cover your time in my opinion. I have not checked out the going rate. I suppose you could chage by the area you cover. Each unit you purchase will indicate how much area you can cover in an hour. figure about 80% of what they advertise than measure your job to give an estimate of your hourly wages. factor in transportation, equipment costs (washer, ladders, extra long hoses, nozzles, eye protection, chemical suit and gloves), chemicals and you will come up with a cost per hour and then see what it takes to clean a side of the house.
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dr walker
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by dr walker »

I have a small business it started off as handy man/ lawn care business. I have mainly lawn care jobs now that keep me almost too busy. In the winter when the grass is slow to grow I do more pressure washing. there are chemicals for removing rust stains, there are expensive$$$ chemicals for removing oil stains off concrete, you can find out about many of those at a hardware store. I dont recomend any of them. I use use light after spray of bleach if there was a mildew type problem, other than that I stick to water. I fyou are going to get into the removing of oil stains off concrete business I recomend purchasing one of the heated water pressure washing machines (they are not cheap).
As far as too much pressure and damaging peoples paint, stucco, ?????, that is all just by experience. If you buy a pressure washer take it home and test it out. Then test it out again and again. It is all a learning experience.
I learned that the paint on a Honda Odysseys front bumper can not handle over 2000 psi, luckily it is my wifes car and was quickly repainted.
I much prefer lawn care over pressure washing. Oh one more thing do yourself a favor and wear eye and hearing protection.
Hungarian
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by Hungarian »

A lot of things can be damaged by pressure washers. Your business will need to be insured and you will need to set it up as a LLC so they can't sue you, just your company.
Rusty
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by Rusty »

I have a friend who has a pressure washer company. He can build you anything you like. His daughter and son in law also do the service it's self. They have so much business they can't handle any more. Once a month they do the walks and drives at the local hospital. That's the only way to get chewing gum off.
Try looking at http://www.actionpressure.com/ and see what you think. One thing I have heard him tell people time and time again if you buy a P/W unit from one of the big box stores it can't be fixed when it breaks. On those units the pressure unit and unloader is not made to be repaired. once it breaks, and it will you have a nice boat anchor and that's all. They can ship you a unit if you can't find one locally.
If you call them tell them I told you to call.
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adirondakjack
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by adirondakjack »

Whatever machine you think is big enough, get a bigger one. Whatever pressure you think is enough, get more. Far better off "loafing" a big machine than working heck out of a small one, especially if yer gonna try and use it a lot. YES you can tear stuff up, even with straight H2O. As above, practice..... NEVER use it uphill on siding, as the water will end up inside, wreck sheetrock, etc. Go easy on plastics, go easy on old wood, just go easy!
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shooter
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by shooter »

Hungarian wrote:A lot of things can be damaged by pressure washers. Your business will need to be insured and you will need to set it up as a LLC so they can't sue you, just your company.

This is precisely why I'm asking questions and trying to learn as much as I can instead of just buying a unit and starting to work. I am looking at getting a minimum 5.5 gpm @ 3500psi machine. I can't afford to go with the most expensive equipment, but I want quality stuff that I can make some money until I can buy the best. I'm not starting out with a Home Depot rig.

I want to try and learn all the different pressure settings for different surfaces so I don't tear someone's stuff up. I am big on doing things right, and doing them right the first time. I will not go do a job until I feel confident I know enough to complete it without any damage.

Rusty, thanks, and I'm going to check out that site right now.
‎"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen" - Samuel Adams
Rusty
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by Rusty »

I sent my friend a link to this topic so he could see what's going on here. Here's what he e-mailed me back...

Thanks for the info Rusty. The guy is confused as oil will not come out of a driveway even with a hot water machine. We have an acid base chemical that will remove sprinkler rust from a house or fence. Takes just a minute to make it disseappear Driveway rust from a battery or radiator cannot be removed. We sell loads of our rust remover every day. It is a concentrate and selld for $9.95 a gallon.
Bob

Give Bob a call if you need more information. He ships machines all over.
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9

It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
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Ysabel Kid
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by Ysabel Kid »

I can still remember my first time using one. My wife and I were in our small little house, our first one, which was about 50 years old when we bought it. It needed painting, and I was going to do it myself - not because I knew how, or wanted to, but because we were just starting out in life and broke as most young couple are! I rented the machine, then discovered - the hard way - that the fine stream would cut the shakes on the side of the house like a hot knive through butter!

I did get the hang of it, cleaned the house, porch pad, driveway, even the sidewalk (wanted to get my money's worth! :wink: ). Eventually picked up my own some 10 years later. They are handy to have around, though you have to be careful. I was cleaning my Mom's patio a couple years ago. It was summer, I was in shorts and sandals, and while I was cleaning some bug decided to run across my foot. I just sprayed him off - forgetting I wasn't hold a garden hose - and sliced my toe open GOOD! :shock:

Darn things are powerful. As suggested, get insurance, set up as an LLC, and then practice. People can make some nice coin doing this - especially if they are the only game in town. Good luck!
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Mokwaw
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by Mokwaw »

I don't have a pressure washer, but was watching one of the home shows ( This Old House, or some such) about pressure washing brick houses (my house is brick). They stated that when pressure washing brick, to be sure and keep the psi at 1500 or less, especially on old brick. Seems higher pressure destroys the glazing. When the glazing is gone the bricks themselves begin to deteriorate, and that's bad news.
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Shasta
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by Shasta »

I don't have any experience to offer you in regards to a pressure washing business, but there is something you may want to keep in mind. I wouldn't be surprised if the environmentalists try to ban pressure washers. I can just hear them now squealing about all those "bad" chemicals and contaminants knocked loose and left to be washed into creeks, rivers, and the oceans.

California is of course the worst when it comes to environmental extremism. Our city had a 1960's vintage flusher truck with fan-shaped high pressure nozzles used to clean mud and debris off the streets. It did a fine job, but they had to get rid of it because there was no way to keep oil or other motor vehicle contaminants washed off the pavement out of the storm water drainage system. Funny it worked nearly 50 years before suddenly there was a problem.

Well shoot, I guess the subject of pressure washing just got me to ranting :oops: . I wish you luck with your endeavors.

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2571
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by 2571 »

I sued a guy who was powerwashing his way through college. Had a nice little business and mostly cleaned fiberglass boats. Think he indeed paid his tuition with the part-time business.

However, as smart as he was he violated federal laws with the way he paid his employees. My two clients got about $5K each.
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Mike D.
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Re: Waaaaaayyyy OT - Any experience pressure washing?

Post by Mike D. »

I have a Karcher brand PW with a 6 horse Honda engine, I do everything from autos to windows and everything between. I wash the painted redwood siding on our old house twice a year, too. You just have to be aware of what nozzle you are using for what project. I have bored holes through bricks for piping with mine. :)
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