My name is Brian C. Jackson and i have been in the remodeling business since 1988. I am a new member of this forum and like i said in the other forum i have been looking to add roof cleaning to my existing business. I like the agenda of this forum and after reading all i can(here and on other sites) i decided to join here. I have done hundreds or google searches , talked to my local supply houses (ABC Supply / Harvey Building Products/ Applicator Sales) i have also been in touch with (3) of the major roofing companies via there field reps. This has all been some what helpful, but was not enough info for me to jeopardize my existing customer base that i have built over the last 24 years for my new Property Maintenance & existing Remodeling Co. I said in my other post that i want to be realistic in my approach to adding Roof cleaning and i do not take it lightly. I do not want to be mis-informed/under equipped/ wrong approach. I will gladly answer any question any or all members may have for me as i have a lot of my own questions. I have read on this forum that some of the newbies questions are a ASAP question, and want all the secrets or want all the answers like(LOVE!!).Some of these same newbies want ASAP answers from all the experienced members that have been at this for a decade or so. I'm not that kind of newbie, but i have dozens of questions. I will glady read anything in the search form if my question maybe out of line, as long as a member can give me a hint as what to enter in the search forum or a post that already exists. So my 1st and only question i have is time sensative for my buiness plan to add Roof cleaning. Is it realistic to be able to add Roof Cleaning to my buisness buy spring of 2012? I ask this because if it is possible i will need to dedicate more time to planning equipment/trailer or some sort of rig. I have alreay talked to Lori at PSP and i have looked into and talked to company of Softwash In a Box. I have seen some of the pictures of other members setups and i have gotten some ideas of my own. I dont want to put the cart before the horse but when i say time sensative i mean that i have to spend my time wisely. If it is not possible or members think it is to rushed then i will not research euipment and focus on mixes / chemicles/others techniques/just get more info than building a rig. But if there is a chance to get this up and running i only have limited time to either buy a complete set up or build one of my own. It is almost winter hear in NH i just finish 8 weeks of winterizing /gutter cleaning and im heading into snow plowing season and this is why i have limited time to plan a set up or a trailer rig for the Roof cleaning. So is this realistic ?
You can easily be ready by spring. All it takes is money. The search doesn't work over here in the Premium section. Unfortunately that is where all the good info is. Once I decided to add it to my services it only took a week to buy a trailer and have it ready to work. Not that big of a deal. You spray cleaner on roof and leave..lol. The main thing is to protect the plants. Pay attention to where the down spouts empty out. If a down spout empties out right next to a plant, you can be sure that that plant will die after the next rain.
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Elephant Roof and Exterior Cleaning Raleigh North Carolina David Hoover 919-207-0666 Benson NC. Roof Cleaning Raleigh NC
Thanks for the feed back. With that i will move forward with more info on Roof Cleaning and start dedicating some time towards the equipment. I believe you get what you pay for and i dont want to waste money on the wrong set up. Its not that i have unlimited resorces to buy the best of the best, but as with the other set-ups and trialers i have built for myself ,skimping on quality isnt in my buisiness plan. I lok forward to Sunday and i will do my best to join in.
Thanks for the idea, i do this type of marketing for my winterizing customers. I have automatic emails that are sent in spring for service and i have another automaic email that is sent in end of Sept that winterizing is coming. I do not take on any new customers on the winterizing that do not have email or arent easily contacted.
Gary That is why i said earlier that i have been and always will be realistic. I'm not expecting a big response or an explosion of new business slow and steady is my goal. Winterizing is an easy business and was easy to start, but communication is key in winterizing and is also the biggest complaint my new customers have complained about, with there other experiences . I have built a decent size customer base for my winterizing customers over the last 4yrs and i don't want to risk it with a quickie and half ass approach to Roof cleaning.
welcome aboard Brian, this was my 1st season and if you need any help with the business plan give a call ... the vets here offer invaluable advice but it's always nice to hear it from the perspective of a fellow new guy if you know what i mean ... as i'm sure you know, most of your time and energy will be spent educating your existing client base and prospects on non pressure roof cleaning. call me if you have any questions, in particular that business plan & marketing ... i could use some help with snow removal so i'd love to chat sometime soon,
-- Edited by Roof Cleaning West Chester PA on Friday 25th of November 2011 03:24:25 PM
Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm not a guru with my plan but i will gladly talk about what woks for me and what doesn't. Not sure if my contact numbers are listed,but i will check. I would like to here about your set-up and your equipment, how you got it and why you chose it. I'm not sure about 12V or compressor driven system. I just want to have my equipment finalized and in place not later than the end of march. I also need to make a decision if i want to truck mount it, which i have to options of vehicles , or do i want to trailer mount it and weather an open trailer or enclosed trailer. Lots of ideas but i need to decide so i can move forward. I will only have the month of Feb to build it unless i buy a system already assembled. I could use some help in those areas.
Welcome Brian-don't be afraid to build your own system. I recently took everything out of my box truck and then put two seperate systems in it in way less than a day. My stuff is all 12volt and it's just about idiot proof. You can also get great stuff & advice from Bob at Pressure Tek. If I can help, feel free to call.
12v or air compressor, seems like a chevy,dodge,ford thing, it is just what works best for that person. Lots of other things to think about(truck mounted or trailer). Im glad i have some time untill spring. Thanks for the warm welcomes and would like any or all input from any of the members. I also love pictures of what others have built and would be helpful.
I think your better off building your system. You have enough time to assemble it and that's all they are charging you the extra money for. We use 12 volt Fatboys. We have no problems with our system. Current pump is two seasons old and runs like a champ.
Im building my own system, I have recieved some prices and a very detialed E-mail from Lori . Just need to decide 12v or Air. I have been trying to find as may pictures of set ups as i can find.
Thanks for the warm welcome. saw the picture of that bucket truck, awesome idea. I would like to see some more pictures of that set up and how you thought of it. Can you do all of your residential homes with it?
Thanks for the warm welcome. saw the picture of that bucket truck, awesome idea. I would like to see some more pictures of that set up and how you thought of it. Can you do all of your residential homes with it?
Can't quite do all jobs with the bucket truck, but we're able to do quite a few with it. I'd be glad to chat with you if you want to give me a call some time or we could always meet up on Talkshoe on Sunday evenings.
The set up is VERY simple and straight forward, as I wanted to minimize points of failure. I have dual 12 volt systems with everything redundant excluding a battery at the moment. (Dropped a cell on one of them.)
starting out i purchased a 5850 kit from pressure tek. served its purpose & i would recommend it to anybody starting out. the switch could be better and i didn't like having it enclosed in the box. next season i'm going with the all flo, as i'm sure Lori discussed with you.
the truck vs trailer mount literally kept me up at night for a month. ultimately i decided on the trailer because i use the bed for too many other things (like transporting sod if & when you burn somebody's lawn up, lol). also, 75% of the jobs i do there's some sort of pressure washing involved. i'd be ticked if a homeowner asked me to pressure wash their front porch and i had to go back to the shop.
I've never used air. 12 volt is so easy. I hve mine wired into the trailer plug to keep the battery charged. Works good for us. I will agree with the others for your first year you may want to use a 5850. We started three years ago with a Fatboy and had lots of run off/ Now that we have it down to a science with our tips we hardly have any runoff.
So i have a month of sleepless nights ahead of me?? that is what your telling me? You also brought up a subject that was one of my next questions. The reason everyone still carries a pressure washer. I was trying not to over load myself early on in this process and have brain burnout. So thank you. Ha ha!! I'm concentrating on Roof & Siding washing only at this point(is a lot to think about already). I have my remodeling business is my main source of income < should i be also considering a PW? because that would change my approach. Great just what i need another decision to make !!! truly want to thank you for the info
since you mentioned that expense isn't much of an issue, i'd definatly get a pressure washer, preferably a hot water unit and you'll want a surface cleaner as well. the roof pump can take care of the siding, but driveways, walkways, patios, decks, etc .... you'll leave a lot of money on the table without one