Medium to Heavy Gum Removal Speed

On Average, I can surface clean and de-gum...

  • less than 500 ft/2 per hour

    Votes: 1 11.1%

  • 500 ft/2 per hour

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 750 ft/2 per hour

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 1000 ft/2 per hour

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 1250 ft/2 per hour

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 1500 ft/2 per hour

    Votes: 3 33.3%

  • more than 1500 ft/2 per hour

    Votes: 5 55.6%
  • Total voters
    9
kcpowerclean

kcpowerclean

Member
Hi all, I ask this question because of a certain project that I'm bidding on right now.

How do you guys determine how much gum will slow you up for first time cleans?

If you can clean 2,500 ft/2 per hour, how much slower will you typically be with medium to heavy gum?

Can you reach 1,000 ft/2 per hour with gum removal?

I run a 5gpm machine 3000 psi 200 degree with 20" Landa Surface Cleaner.

Here's a link to my cleaning demo for the local project which is roughly 75,000 ft/2.

http://www.youtube.com/kcpowerclean#p/a/u/0/7sjdFWxtnH0

Here is how heavy some of the gum is in certain areas...



After I sc and removed gum (the gum shadows are horrible)

<a href="http://s691.photobucket.com/albums/vv273/kcpowerclean/?action=view&current=gum2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/vv273/kcpowerclean/gum2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
​
 
Ditto on the OX, it will brighten up that concrete and make it pop !!
 
from the video it looks like your cleaning with cold water and no pre treat of chemicals? If you put down some good butyl degreeser and let it dwell for 5/10 min then run the heat over it you will see a huge differance.
 
chrishartje said:
Kris, look for a Univar warehouse in your area. Not sure were in L.A. you are. But I know there is one somewere in L.A. if not a few.
You might as well buy your caustic from them also..
Here is a starting point www.univarusa.com
Click to expand...


I just remembered.... I would call them first. For a few reasons.
1. They are going to need a few documents from you to place your first order. I know a business license is one of them. And I think there was something else.
2. They will not take cash, or atleast the one in my area doesn't.
3. Every order I have placed, they have never had ox or caustic on hand. It will take a few days for them to get it. ( But I'm sure it's coming from l.a. so you might be good there)
4. On my first pick up. I came in a car they would not let me put the bags in the trunk of the car. So take your truck!
 
kcpowerclean said:
I might not have let the burner warm up much but I know it got hot! Hot enough that I can't release the couplers without some thick gloves.
Is there an easy way to test the heat at the nozzle?
Is the butyl degreaser gonna help soften the gum or just brighten the concrete?
Click to expand...

The butyl will pull the dirt to the surface making it easier to clean the deep stains. When your all done I would put down some OX to brighten up the surface.
 
I will be calling them Monday. Thanks guys.
Ron, the guy said they want service at 6 month intervals in the future, but I don't really plan on discounting for that frequency, would you?

And I finally figured out why you can't see the steam on the video and it's cause the landa has the adjustable height swivel and I didn't tighten it down and it blew to the top height right after I pulled the trigger. Stupid me probably not good for my swivel.
 
You want to be as close to the surface with that heat as possible when it's as dirty as that was.
 
There is no real good answer for the gum removal as some has been baking in the sun for years so it is harder to get up like here in Texas and Las Vegas at the DMV (a lot of people got to see how hard gum can be to remove, we even used Jim's machine with the heat at 312 degrees and I was working the gum and the higher temperatures did not really make the gum come up any faster than other machines at their highest settings).

Some gum will come up easy like if you are doing maintenance and already spent the hours or days getting the place in maintenance condition, then the gum will come up easier but the initial cleaning can take a long time, from hours to days depending on how much gum there is.

There really is no way to know how fast you can clean the gum unless you have done some test spots here and there to see how old and hard the gum is, then you can probably guess how long it will take you to clean it up.

After you have done some of these initial cleanings then you can guess at how long it will take you. Info from guys all around the country is helpful but your situation will probably be different and until you do the test spots, you will never really know how long it will take you depending on how many hot water rigs you will be using, if you have enough water supply for multiple rigs, if the helpers get tired or start whining about working long hours on a very boring job, etc.....

Good luck.
 
Chris Tharpe said:
free delivery here from Harcros if you order enough at a time
Click to expand...

Chris, Where is your Harcros supplier at? I have been using them out of Little Rock but am about to change because of price. As far as bleach goes I found someone to beat them by $2 gallon
 
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