I have a request to pressure wash a house.

[Living The Dream]

Does anyone offer this service? How do you charge?

 

[Papa John]

Check local ordinance concerning the run off of the dirty water going into storm drains. It's a big No No in SF bay area and the waste water needs to be captured.
But luckily you not in CA.

 

[Living The Dream]

Check local ordinance concerning the run off of the dirty water going into storm drains. It's a big No No in SF bay area and the waste water needs to be captured.
But luckily you not in CA.

Thanks! I didn't even consider that.

 

[steve_64]

I do some and just throw numbers out my ass. I have an extension pile and a hand held wand.
I use a 20 degree jet most of the time and only 600 to 800 psi usually.
From what I see I'm about $100 a side for the average house.
Per level.

 

[Desk Jockey]

@dealtimeman

 

[Jimmy L]

Mobile homes I do for $49.95

 

[Mark Saiger]

Some people do a Soft Wash.

I have seen issues with people using high pressure wash leaving streaks, swirls, water burn marks...

Also, have seen people blast right through the house windows and walls and create water losses...not good.

Scott Smith does Soft Wash @Scott S. @darcie smith

 

[Desk Jockey]

Lockhart does soft wash too. We were just talking about it a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Living The Dream]

What exactly is a soft wash? Just lower pressure?

 

[Desk Jockey]

http://www.ecleanmag.com/the-concepts-behind-soft-washing/

 

[Dolly Llama]

How do you charge?

I estimate man hours it will take plus materials (gas and chems )

if vinyl sided, they're a piece of cake
if aluminum sided, I try to sell them a paint job ...cause 40+ year old aluminum will still look like crap regardless of what chems you use
If you they still want it done, pre-qualify, pre-qualify, pre-qualify and under promise BIG TIME

ranches are generally easy
two story homes can be a PITA and dangerous if you don't rent a boom lift

forget about the long pole extensions for cleaning second story from ground.
cause if your pressure washer has more pressure than a garden hose , the angled jet will push hard on the pole ...you'll fight it all day long

you can rent a towable boom lift from Home Depot for $256 a day..$770 for a week

..L.T.A.

 

[steve_64]

Saiger" data-source="post: 4573924" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

Some people do a Soft Wash.

I have seen issues with people using high pressure wash leaving streaks, swirls, water burn marks...

Also, have seen people blast right through the house windows and walls and create water losses...not good.

Scott Smith does Soft Wash @Scott S. @darcie smith

I ran some products through my chem injection once and it quite working.
The 20 degree jet helps with preventing damage that's why I use that at the lower pressures.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Pee-ess

don't expect any yo-yo to know how to pressure wash
98.47% of peeps don't know how ...they'd do better with a bucket-o-suds, brush on a pole and garden hose ...fo-reel

..L.T.A.

 

[jwfoulk12]

I'd love to hear more about soft washing

 

[Desk Jockey]

 

[hogjowl]

He talks too much
Is he another Saiger?

 

[Desk Jockey]

LOL I hope he cuts your chemical off.

 

[hogjowl]

 

[Desk Jockey]

IDIOT

 

[dealtimeman]

We soft wash as pressure washing most houses or other structures will get you in trouble and the you are on the hook for Pressurized water entry into the structure.

Soft wash is much better.

What are you trying to remove off of the exterior of the house?

 

[Dolly Llama]

that guy's an idiot

..L.T.A.

 

[Hack Attack]

I've done 2 so no expert or even a rookie yet I guesstimated how long it would take and added in the rental of the pressure washer (wasn't gonna use my TM) Made $120 an hr after rental so worked out alright

Interested in chems/process from those that know more than me? (guess your all invited.. c'mon Marty! )

 

[hydracat]

Iv done at least 100 from both a ladder and a lift. A lift is usually over kill for most houses. On a ladder run the last 50ft 1/4 inch hose with a bigger tip so it dosent bog down the pump. Your arm will thank you. Pre spray if you need to but i just use hot water most of the time. Usually you want more volume than pressure. 4 gallon pm with a 25 or 40 degree tip is standard. . i use a 6 or 8 gallon tip if using 1/4 hose which is lighter. Keep a 10 gallon tip handy so you don't have to adjust the pressure washer every time you want to rinse something you crapped up. I also clamp the hose a few feet down on the ladder so you don't have the weight of the hose pulling down.

 

[DAT]

Soft washing is the way to go. Get the foamer type pressure gun. Im considering offering this service...

 

[Living The Dream]

We soft wash as pressure washing most houses or other structures will get you in trouble and the you are on the hook for Pressurized water entry into the structure.

Soft wash is much better.

What are you trying to remove off of the exterior of the house?

Some ravens nested by the house and made a mess of the stucco.

 

[steve_64]

Soft washing is the way to go. Get the foamer type pressure gun. Im considering offering this service...

Till you kill a few grand in landscaping.

 

[dealtimeman]

I’ve used some of the highest concentration of bleach available and never have killed any vegetation.

But again, I ain’t no idiot either.

You just need to take a class like the one in the video and they will show you the in and outs of soft washing.

As it is more than just bleaching the structure.

One example is sodiumhyperclorite will etch the shiznit out of glass but if you presoak with a special chem before application it protects the glass.

You always wet all vegetation before applying the bleach.

We add a surfactant to the mix for better cling time on walls.

Really easy to make money but real easy to mess stuff up without common sense and a few days of training.

Can clean a steep vertical church roof in just a few hours and make a couple of grand without leaving the ground.

 

[steve_64]

The op was asked to do one house.

A wand and a 20 or 25 degree jet about 600 psi with the truck mount so it's heated and you can knock out a house in a couple hours with less than a 109 gallons without damage. Stay off screens too but I hit them from a distance.

Not saying it's the best way but a few jobs here and there with little equipment.

 

[steve_64]

And plants will die months later not right away. Just need to be cautious of them.

 

[Goomer]

What exactly is a soft wash? Just lower pressure?

Forget soft washing for the moment.

Although it is definitely worth looking into, and can be far superior for many applications, it requires a fair amount of basic pressure washing experience, chemical knowledge, and a specific setup to allow down-streaming very strong solutions at high volumes.

Just as carpet cleaners have their own prespray cocktails, softwasher's rely on their own cocktails of hose wash concentrates in bulk to be metered into their streams.

Most are home brews using Sodium Hydroxide purchased in bulk and mixed as needed with other agents.

Gotta have the right equipment and know what your doing.

You better off tacking this for basic experience if you have none.

Pressure washing is more than it is cracked up to be, and can be very physical work.

What exactly do they want you to clean, and what equipment do you have available?

GPM does the heavy lifting, NOT psi.