The pressure washing industry has always been plagued by uneducated contractors running fly by night companies, even here in Indiana. They are normally unethical companies using cheap equipment, caveman techniques, and near worthless cleaners. Most of them are uneducated in running a successful business and their market strategy is to cut throat the competition.
Sadly, by quoting every job too low, they are forced to cut corners leaving a wake of unsatisfied customers. They have no customer service at all, as they are out just to make a quick buck and to disappear with your money. Many homeowners have been ripped off by poor quality pressure washing Indiana services.
This unfortunate problem has given the public a bad perception of the entire pressure washing industry. On the flip side, there are professional pressure washing services available to homeowners. To be sure you get the quality you expect, find a pressure washing service company that has been in business for a several years, washes full time, has insurance, and can show you past customer testimonials.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Pressure Washer and Irrigation Rust Stains
When working with rust marks left by sprinkler systems a lot of caution must be taken. Rust can get on many surfaces such as vinyl siding, gutter down spouts, poly vinyl fences, wooden decks, and concrete. The rust can get on pretty much any surface that is constantly hit by the irrigation system on a daily basis.
How fast they appear and how bad the rust gets will depend on the total amount of iron in your water. The great news is, these irrigation rust stains can be removed with the right cleaners, equipment, and methods without harming the surface. Pressure washer companies can help to restore the surface’s appearance.
First of all, a normal cleaning is done to remove any dirt, mold, and mildew followed by another step; a low pressure chemical application. Hot water and/or excessive pressure from a pressure washer will not remove irrigation rust stains. Brute force and elbow grease will not do anything but possibly damage the surface involved; you have to use the right chemicals applied with a pressure washer.
How fast they appear and how bad the rust gets will depend on the total amount of iron in your water. The great news is, these irrigation rust stains can be removed with the right cleaners, equipment, and methods without harming the surface. Pressure washer companies can help to restore the surface’s appearance.
First of all, a normal cleaning is done to remove any dirt, mold, and mildew followed by another step; a low pressure chemical application. Hot water and/or excessive pressure from a pressure washer will not remove irrigation rust stains. Brute force and elbow grease will not do anything but possibly damage the surface involved; you have to use the right chemicals applied with a pressure washer.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
House Cleaning is for Professionals
We all know how important it is to take care of the things we have, especially in today’s economy. Neglecting the exterior of your house and allowing it to get run down, decreasing curb appeal, would be a complete shame to say the least. Yet we see run down houses all the time that, maybe several years ago, we can remember being a beautiful structure.
Most of us take pride in the image our home’s exterior reflects on us. We go to great lengths to make the grass and landscape look perfect. Exterior house cleaning goes right along with this agenda. Not only can cleaning vinyl siding, your shingle roof, your deck, or your driveway add curb appeal but it will also increase your home’s value.
Taking care of your home’s exterior is something you may enjoy doing yourself or you may hire out. Most of us can cut the lawn or maintain the landscape if we choose to but other home improvement projects such as house cleaning, roof cleaning, concrete cleaning, or restoring a wood deck should be left to a professional.
These tasks can be tedious, dangerous, and extremely time consuming without the proper knowledge, equipment, and chemicals. To be honest by the time you buy or rent the proper equipment and chemicals and calculate what your time is worth, it is probably cheaper to just hire a cleaning professional.
Most of us take pride in the image our home’s exterior reflects on us. We go to great lengths to make the grass and landscape look perfect. Exterior house cleaning goes right along with this agenda. Not only can cleaning vinyl siding, your shingle roof, your deck, or your driveway add curb appeal but it will also increase your home’s value.
Taking care of your home’s exterior is something you may enjoy doing yourself or you may hire out. Most of us can cut the lawn or maintain the landscape if we choose to but other home improvement projects such as house cleaning, roof cleaning, concrete cleaning, or restoring a wood deck should be left to a professional.
These tasks can be tedious, dangerous, and extremely time consuming without the proper knowledge, equipment, and chemicals. To be honest by the time you buy or rent the proper equipment and chemicals and calculate what your time is worth, it is probably cheaper to just hire a cleaning professional.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Power Washing Goshen Indiana
It's important to keep up the cleanliness of your home in Goshen, IN. During these tough economic times, it is more important than ever to take care of your home and property. Home values are 10% less than this same time last year but keeping on top of your home’s curb appeal will help.
Increased curb appeal can add as much as 5-10% of value to your home. You can boost curb appeal by having a well manicured lawn, well maintained landscaping, and by having surfaces power washed. Power washing the exterior of your Goshen home will increase it’s curb appeal and value. Roof cleaning, deck cleaning, concrete cleaning, and house washing in Goshen can be done professionally.
Power washing in Goshen can be hired out to put money in your pocket. Whether you are increasing curb appeal to sell your home quicker or maintaining your property, power washing is a terrific and affordable home improvement that is the best bang for the buck. Do not trust your property to just any company. Be sure you hire a full time power washing company that is primarily in the business of power washing. Be aware of weekend warriors, handymen, or even painters that claim, just because they have a power washer, they can clean your home. It isn't worth the risk of damage to your property.
Ask the power washing company questions like what chemicals, equipment, and techniques they use. Ask for past customer testimonials and for before and after pictures of past work. They should also offer a power washing guarantee and be able to give it to you in writing. It's also a must that they have the required insurance and can provide proof. With most people counting every dollar these days, you want to be sure you hire the right contractor for power washing Goshen, IN.
Increased curb appeal can add as much as 5-10% of value to your home. You can boost curb appeal by having a well manicured lawn, well maintained landscaping, and by having surfaces power washed. Power washing the exterior of your Goshen home will increase it’s curb appeal and value. Roof cleaning, deck cleaning, concrete cleaning, and house washing in Goshen can be done professionally.
Power washing in Goshen can be hired out to put money in your pocket. Whether you are increasing curb appeal to sell your home quicker or maintaining your property, power washing is a terrific and affordable home improvement that is the best bang for the buck. Do not trust your property to just any company. Be sure you hire a full time power washing company that is primarily in the business of power washing. Be aware of weekend warriors, handymen, or even painters that claim, just because they have a power washer, they can clean your home. It isn't worth the risk of damage to your property.
Ask the power washing company questions like what chemicals, equipment, and techniques they use. Ask for past customer testimonials and for before and after pictures of past work. They should also offer a power washing guarantee and be able to give it to you in writing. It's also a must that they have the required insurance and can provide proof. With most people counting every dollar these days, you want to be sure you hire the right contractor for power washing Goshen, IN.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Choosing a House Cleaning Company
Choosing the right house cleaning company for you is not an easy task. Misinforming advertising, misleading claims, and false information is printed everywhere. Here are a few mistakes to avoid when attempting to hire a house cleaning company for your next cleaning project.
Choosing a cleaning company without past customer testimonials is not a good idea. Any ethical cleaning company, with a good customer base, should have customer testimonials. If their past clients aren't willingly saying good things about them how can you expect good results.
Choosing a house cleaning contractor whom does not offer a cleaning guarantee may not be worth the chance. Why should you have to pay for a cleaning job that you aren't satisfied with? Not all cleaning companies offer a guarantee. Ask them if the offer a guarantee on their cleaning services and make sure they include it with the cleaning estimate.
Doing a little research and asking the cleaning contractor the right questions during the estimate can make all the difference. Maybe they've done work in your neighborhood before and you could ask a neighbor how satisfied they were with their pressure washing services. Doing these things could absolutely help to avoid any unwanted problems from an unethical contractor.
Choosing a cleaning company without past customer testimonials is not a good idea. Any ethical cleaning company, with a good customer base, should have customer testimonials. If their past clients aren't willingly saying good things about them how can you expect good results.
Choosing a house cleaning contractor whom does not offer a cleaning guarantee may not be worth the chance. Why should you have to pay for a cleaning job that you aren't satisfied with? Not all cleaning companies offer a guarantee. Ask them if the offer a guarantee on their cleaning services and make sure they include it with the cleaning estimate.
Doing a little research and asking the cleaning contractor the right questions during the estimate can make all the difference. Maybe they've done work in your neighborhood before and you could ask a neighbor how satisfied they were with their pressure washing services. Doing these things could absolutely help to avoid any unwanted problems from an unethical contractor.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Low Pressure Roof Cleaning
The black stains on many roofs across the Midwest are caused by an airborne algae known as roof algae. This algae is becoming increasingly problematic in this region of the country. Shingle manufacturers are trying to combat the problem by producing algae resistant shingles.
We have seen many cases of algae resistant shingles suffering from roof algae so obviously there is still some research and development to be done by the shingle manufacturers. Something else the shingle makers do to help with the roof algae problem is to recommend roof cleaners and roof cleaning methods. These guidelines are effective for restoring a roof's appearance without harming the shingles.
The method the recommend is a low pressure chemical application followed by a low pressure rinse. Care should be taken to protect shrubbery and landscaping. What is not recommended and is actually warned against is the use of a pressure washer to clean roof algae off of asphalt shingles. Excessive water pressure will remove the shingle granules which are there to protect the shingles. This will lessen the longevity of the roof.
Neglecting the roof algae will also result in premature failure of asphalt shingles. The roof algae will only get worse if it is not taken care of. Roof cleaning should be considered before a roof replacement. Roof cleaning usually costs about a tenth of the price of a total roof replacement and can completely restore your roof's appearance when it is done properly by a professional roof cleaning company.
We have seen many cases of algae resistant shingles suffering from roof algae so obviously there is still some research and development to be done by the shingle manufacturers. Something else the shingle makers do to help with the roof algae problem is to recommend roof cleaners and roof cleaning methods. These guidelines are effective for restoring a roof's appearance without harming the shingles.
The method the recommend is a low pressure chemical application followed by a low pressure rinse. Care should be taken to protect shrubbery and landscaping. What is not recommended and is actually warned against is the use of a pressure washer to clean roof algae off of asphalt shingles. Excessive water pressure will remove the shingle granules which are there to protect the shingles. This will lessen the longevity of the roof.
Neglecting the roof algae will also result in premature failure of asphalt shingles. The roof algae will only get worse if it is not taken care of. Roof cleaning should be considered before a roof replacement. Roof cleaning usually costs about a tenth of the price of a total roof replacement and can completely restore your roof's appearance when it is done properly by a professional roof cleaning company.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Selling Decks and Cleaning Maintenance
One of the biggest mistakes a deck cleaning contractor can make is to sell on price. Selling deck restoration services on price not only fills your customer base with cheap, price oriented, picky customers but it also leaves a wake of other repercussions.
Decks are not cheap to build or maintain so remember that. Customers that are sold on price alone are not loyal customers (not loyal to you anyway) they are loyal to the price. This amounts to the next time they need service, you are obligated to work for cheap again or they will just go else where. Selling on price can also result in you not getting what you should for a particular project and can lead to cutting corners and poor quality. This can reduce the amount and quality of referrals you get. Referrals you may get will be family, friends, or neighbors that are anticipating the same low price. This is definitely a recipe for disaster!
As a deck cleaning and maintenance company, your long term goal should be to build up a loyal customer base. Doing so will allow you to lower your advertising costs because you won’t have to chase new customers. It will also increase your profit margins by doing lots of repeat and referral work. It has been proven that most of the time a customer will spend more money with you the second and third time around, also your closing rate on referral customers is normally pretty high if you do quality work.
The way to build this loyalty is easy. Don’t sell on price but rather sell benefits, sell value, give a high quality service, and always go above and beyond the call of duty on each job. By committing to this principle, you will be allowed to charge more for a quality service and you will build a loyal customer base that you can depend on for years to come.
Decks are not cheap to build or maintain so remember that. Customers that are sold on price alone are not loyal customers (not loyal to you anyway) they are loyal to the price. This amounts to the next time they need service, you are obligated to work for cheap again or they will just go else where. Selling on price can also result in you not getting what you should for a particular project and can lead to cutting corners and poor quality. This can reduce the amount and quality of referrals you get. Referrals you may get will be family, friends, or neighbors that are anticipating the same low price. This is definitely a recipe for disaster!
As a deck cleaning and maintenance company, your long term goal should be to build up a loyal customer base. Doing so will allow you to lower your advertising costs because you won’t have to chase new customers. It will also increase your profit margins by doing lots of repeat and referral work. It has been proven that most of the time a customer will spend more money with you the second and third time around, also your closing rate on referral customers is normally pretty high if you do quality work.
The way to build this loyalty is easy. Don’t sell on price but rather sell benefits, sell value, give a high quality service, and always go above and beyond the call of duty on each job. By committing to this principle, you will be allowed to charge more for a quality service and you will build a loyal customer base that you can depend on for years to come.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
How to Wash Green Vinyl Siding
Mold and algae will appear as green streaks or blotches on your vinyl siding usually first appearing on the north facing side. This is the side that has the prevailing amount of shade and moisture. It is the same reason that moss grows on the north side of trees.
The wrong way to wash green siding is to use high pressure. Excessive pressure can scar and mark up the siding has it removes oxidation. Too much pressure can also force water in behind the siding through the bottom lip or overlap areas.
Vinyl siding cleaning the correct way is to use the methods suggested by the Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI). They recommend using a mix of bleach and soap along with the right amount of pressure. How much pressure? Well as an experienced contractor, with the right chemicals, 500 psi or even less can be used. This is known in the industry as soft washing and it is very effective.
A reputable vinyl siding cleaning company will rely heavily on their chemicals to do most of the work. Not only does this make the job easier and remove all the green algae, it also kills the algae so it does not return in a short time. By just peeling the algae off with high pressure or hot water without the use of chemicals, the algae is not dead and it will grow back in full force in no time at all.
The wrong way to wash green siding is to use high pressure. Excessive pressure can scar and mark up the siding has it removes oxidation. Too much pressure can also force water in behind the siding through the bottom lip or overlap areas.
Vinyl siding cleaning the correct way is to use the methods suggested by the Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI). They recommend using a mix of bleach and soap along with the right amount of pressure. How much pressure? Well as an experienced contractor, with the right chemicals, 500 psi or even less can be used. This is known in the industry as soft washing and it is very effective.
A reputable vinyl siding cleaning company will rely heavily on their chemicals to do most of the work. Not only does this make the job easier and remove all the green algae, it also kills the algae so it does not return in a short time. By just peeling the algae off with high pressure or hot water without the use of chemicals, the algae is not dead and it will grow back in full force in no time at all.
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