Syllabus Week for Apex

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Apex Roof Cleaning

New member
I haven't spent much time on this board, but I will be hanging around here more often. I started by reading Ron's posts, I haven't got through all of them yet, but thats my starting point. I started last year with a Roof Cleaning setup, I now have a 3000 @ 8GPM Cold water unit. I use this for rinsing houses, I also purchased a surface cleaner. I have cleaned about 10 sidewalks (residential). I would like to explain where I am at on my journey and what is the next step.
Currently Roofs & Houses are my bread and butter, but I would really love to get into REPEAT work. I have no problem kicking doors in and wrangling managers. I am more concerned with my equipment and its ability to get the job done for commercial sidewalk.

I know hot water is the answer, but I won't purchase the hot water unit until I have a few repeat jobs on lock down. Can I get by with my cold unit and some chems? Recommendations and critiques.

I look forward to hanging out here

Danny
 
I firmly believe that your if going to go after something, you need to be ready for what your going after. If you want to get in commercial, don't go into it to get by. What's going to happen when a client says, "yes, you got the contract, I need you start next week.."
 
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You have to have hot water for commercial. If your confident enough to get the work then why not go ahead and get set up with hot water. If your looking at restaurants, most will require hot water, at least here they do.
 
Spend 2500 and get a hotbox and be done if it doesnt work out just sell the hotbox no need to buy just a hotwater machine if your not sure.
 
Totally agree with Doug on that one Dan.

Funny (True) story...when I started out (again) I was going after Commercial work so I bought a hot water unit.....Fast forward 7 years, and we primarily do residential, apartments, & condos....with some Commercial flat-work thrown in for good measure.

Now do we need hot water all the time?....No...but it sure helps (And Pays) when we do......It's just a flip of the switch away.

Question.......You said you have an 8 gpm unit to rinse with, are you saying you don't apply soap with it also? If not why not? Just asking.

Good Luck & Welcome Back!
 
Thanks guys, for the great responses. I like being told how it is. The hotbox sounds like a good option for me to start. I don't want to spend $4500 on a machine and only have 2 accounts for the first couple months. I rather go the hotbox route, which I need to learn more about.

@Guy. I currently only rinse with the 8gpm because I don't know how to "pressure Wash" I come from the softwash side of things. I learned to clean roofs, and then houses using a fatboy and a garden hose. Jon Welker of Clean-tech has been giving me some tips. I recently bought my first X jet. As soon as I feel confident, I'm not going to fry a whole punch of plants, I'm going to have my guys use the pressure washer for cleaning houses. The whole suction tube ratio thing is new to me.
 
Apex Roof Cleaning said:
Thanks guys, for the great responses. I like being told how it is. The hotbox sounds like a good option for me to start. I don't want to spend $4500 on a machine and only have 2 accounts for the first couple months. I rather go the hotbox route, which I need to learn more about.

@Guy. I currently only rinse with the 8gpm because I don't know how to "pressure Wash" I come from the softwash side of things. I learned to clean roofs, and then houses using a fatboy and a garden hose. Jon Welker of Clean-tech has been giving me some tips. I recently bought my first X jet. As soon as I feel confident, I'm not going to fry a whole punch of plants, I'm going to have my guys use the pressure washer for cleaning houses. The whole suction tube ratio thing is new to me.
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Nothing wrong with having an xjet for backup but look into getting properly setup for down streaming and using oversize orifice spray nozzles. Use a 50gpm or 40 gpm nozzle to apply soap and a 30gpm or 20 gpm nozzle to rinse with. Pressure will still be pretty low although the 20gpm will be a little hard. But with a 30 gpm and larger using 25 degree or larger fan you can still put your hand in front of the stream. You won't hardly kill plants downstreaming and the pressure can easily be kept safe with oversize nozzles . It's the easiest and fastest way to wash most houses. The direct application fatboy is still handy to have for roofs and nasty stucco or dryvit.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
 
@Pat I have a downstream setup but I don't use it, I like being able to switch from water and chemical with the flick of a ball valve.

@Ron I understand it will cost more and take longer, but knowing I can do this for a little while in order to build a customer base is more important.
 
Apex Roof Cleaning said:
@Guy. I currently only rinse with the 8gpm because I don't know how to "pressure Wash" I come from the softwash side of things.
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Wow a guy hijacks a term and causes so much confusion, it's a disservice to the industry so he can line his own pockets (not you Dan).

Dan the method you are using is costing you time and money and it's not the only way to 'softwash' keep reading and search, down streaming, down streamers, down stream, xjetting, xjet.

A softwash refers to the amount of pressure your soaps or rinse water are when they hit the surface you are cleaning, not the piece of equipment that propels it. You can apply soap with the same pressure you're now rinsing with using that 8 gpm machine and do it a lot quicker, saving you time and money.
 
John no confusion, I have just never used a pressure washer to clean houses. I am going to Xjet my first house this Monday. My main concern is plant life, and it seems like with an xjet that my spray is going EVERYWHERE. In the next few weeks I would like use the x jet for all of my house washing. I am just starting with houses that have less plants.

Dan
 
The xjet is okay, but I think most use that for spraying higher than the wand will let you. You would be surprised at how fast you can switch nozzles for soap and the rinse. As for the plant scare just soak the plants before you wash, during and after you wash. If you do that you should be fine. But I am still new as well so someone can correct me if I am wrong.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 
tcolborg said:
The xjet is okay, but I think most use that for spraying higher than the wand will let you. You would be surprised at how fast you can switch nozzles for soap and the rinse. As for the plant scare just soak the plants before you wash, during and after you wash. If you do that you should be fine. But I am still new as well so someone can correct me if I am wrong.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
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X-jets are for those that don't understand down streaming :) and of course, for the occasional job that is really funky and you don't feel like dragging out the roof pump.

I use x-jet on occasion. Noisy, overspray everywhere and minimal reach.




iPhone - Tapatalk
 
@Dan Thanks , Chris at http://evokeinteractive.com does my site he is really good, I actually help him out with customer service while he does all the backbone design work.
you're about an hour and 30 minutes from me, I hunt up there.
@Timothy what is their to understand about down streaming? I do like how down streaming is more controlled. I do feel like the X jet goes everywhere. Sounds like everyone has their preferences. I am going to play a little more with the X jet, but I'm not ruling the down streamer out.
 
Also the x jet is pretty much full pressure except for what bit the little fan pattern reeds might diminish the pressure. It only takes about 10 seconds to flush soap from my 200 foot hose. Much easier than lugging a dam bucket full of bleach around which will get knocked over in someone's fine zoysia yard.
 
Apex Roof Cleaning said:
John no confusion, I have just never used a pressure washer to clean houses. I am going to Xjet my first house this Monday. My main concern is plant life, and it seems like with an xjet that my spray is going EVERYWHERE. In the next few weeks I would like use the x jet for all of my house washing. I am just starting with houses that have less plants.

Dan
Click to expand...

We have never kill a plant downstreaming or jetx house wash. Also we never use heat during a house wash. But it is nice to have when you are doing a driveway or sidewalk. In fact 99% of heat is used in commercial only.
 
Thanks guys, I am going to use the Xjet on the house tomorrow. But I am gonna try and go back toward the original subject of Hotwater Concrete cleaning. I am gonna gather some Hotbox info and see if that can suffice until I get a big enough route.
 
The xjet is 1 tool you can use to get the product to the surface at a more concentrated ratios than a downstream setup.In fact you will are more prone to damage something with an xjet if your chemical ratios are off.With a downstream set up you can take 12%sh put 2.5 gallons in a 5 gallon pail fill with water and you can clean the nastiest siding you will encounter if the sh is strong enough without worry of plants.Anyway good luck and dont over think it you will be fine.
 
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