Power Washing and Roof Cleaning Forum

AJ · Member

Run Off?

Fred W · Guru

The big question is where do the drains go to? Many don't just go "into the ground" the actually go into a pond or ditch or flower bed or garden or.........You need to ask and also just look around to determine what the bet approach is.

BlueRidge · Approved Exterior Cleaner

If we can easliy disconnect the drain pipe from the downspout that is our preferred method, then bag it. If we can't take it apart we look for the other end. If we can bag it without damage, we will. The last option is to use a gutter cain and flood it. Doug is right about where they go. Be careful.

Aqua Boy · Veteran Member

Run Off!!!

It's panic time when you begin to see it roll down. After years of inventing every contraptions known to man.
Leaking discharge hoses
Flooding the gutter
ect..

We have learned to keep in simple.

*Stated by the other Technicians above - Never know if it's going into the ground or flower Beds / Ponds / Garden / ext...

We bag it
When we pull away from a job, I know my detergent went where I put it. (peace of mind)

AJ · Member

Thanks for the reply's, in this part of Ohio its 50/50 some run underground to the ditch and some underground to the yard.

I will look at bagging it

THANKS AGAIN

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

As Chris Tucker would say "Dilution is the secret to the Solution". Put a garden hose in the gutter and let it run.

Liberty SoftWash · PWS Vender

Art O wrote:
As Chris Tucker would say "Dilution is the secret to the Solution". Put a garden hose in the gutter and let it run.

Words to live by.

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Lowe's sells this tool. Its good to keep on the truck www.lowes.com/pd_100100-74985-27589_0__

Bryan P · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Art O wrote:
Lowe's sells this tool. Its good to keep on the truck www.lowes.com/pd_100100-74985-27589_0__

Thanks Art. That's perfect and the right price.

Could someone explain gutter bagging? I've got sort of an idea, but can't really picture how it works and what you do with the chemical once you've collected it.

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Bryan P wrote:
Art O wrote:
Lowe's sells this tool. Its good to keep on the truck www.lowes.com/pd_100100-74985-27589_0__
Thanks Art. That's perfect and the right price.
Could someone explain gutter bagging? I've got sort of an idea, but can't really picture how it works and what you do with the chemical once you've collected it.

Strong Garbage bags tied to the leader with ties. Flush gutters good after the bag is removed. You can search RAIN DRAIN on the forum also

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Nite-Ize-12-in-Rubber-Reusable-Twist-Tie-in-Black-2-Pack-GT12-2PK-01/203210641

BlueRidge · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Bryan P wrote:
Art O wrote:
Lowe's sells this tool. Its good to keep on the truck www.lowes.com/pd_100100-74985-27589_0__
Thanks Art. That's perfect and the right price.
Could someone explain gutter bagging? I've got sort of an idea, but can't really picture how it works and what you do with the chemical once you've collected it.

At the bottom of the downspout tie a bag to catch the run off. We have tried all kinds and brands. The best size and strongest bag is for trash compactors at Home Depot.

Admin · Head Quarters

BlueRidge wrote:
Bryan P wrote:
Art O wrote:
Lowe's sells this tool. Its good to keep on the truck www.lowes.com/pd_100100-74985-27589_0__
Thanks Art. That's perfect and the right price.
Could someone explain gutter bagging? I've got sort of an idea, but can't really picture how it works and what you do with the chemical once you've collected it.
At the bottom of the downspout tie a bag to catch the run off. We have tried all kinds and brands. The best size and strongest bag is for trash compactors at Home Depot.

Bryan there will be a time when you have a Oh S HIT moment. You will walk over to a giant bag of run off and there's no way you are going to move it to the curb with out it braking. Just have your guy follow you with the garden hose and soak the grass as you go. S hit Happens

Bryan P · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Thanks! that helps. So another question: You get the bag of run-off to the curb, then what do you do with it?

BlueRidge · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Bryan P wrote:
Thanks! that helps. So another question: You get the bag of run-off to the curb, then what do you do with it?

We carry no less than 4 - 5 gallon buckets with lids. A bucket goes to each downspout where the bag is placed into the bucket. Nothing worse than finding a leak as you carry it or even worse, the bag breaks! One reason I will only use the bags posted... they do not break! Once to the truck or street we remove the bag leaving the run off in the bucket. When we have gravel driveways we dump it there. Every customer who has gravel is happy to see the weeds gone.

Fred W · Guru

Brett brings up a great point about the bags breaking and using a 5 gallon bucket to put them in.......However, there are those times when just trying to lift the bag is dangerous. Either too much sauce in them, surrounded by roses, torn up downspout elbows from the weed wacker.....and so on. We use the larger totes. You can lay the tote on the ground and roll the bag into it while turning it upright at the same time.

Less chance for breakage,

We will use the sauce to clean the driveway, patio or whatever. We also ask if they want it poured somewhere to kill something. Like under a fence or around the barn. On occasion they ask if we can feed it to the neighbors dog....or even their spouse.....:{

gutterdog · Approved Exterior Cleaner

I didnt read everything, sorry. Run off, downspouts, underground. It;s important to know where it goes. Most are french drains, It could kill all the grass above it. Dilution is the solution.

Spray water down the drains. Before durring and after the roof wash. Watch your watch. If you are 5.5 gpm like us, one minute of spraying is 5 n half gallons of water. Plenty of water, depending on how sloppy your roof guy is.

Bryan P · Approved Exterior Cleaner

gutterdog wrote:
I didnt read everything, sorry. Run off, downspouts, underground. It;s important to know where it goes. Most are french drains, It could kill all the grass above it. Dilution is the solution.

My house is a perfect example. The gutters are piped underground and run down to a dry creekbed through the middle of the neighborhood. I wouldn't care (nor would anyone) if the weeds in the bottom of the ditch die BUT I happen to know that the neighbors got together and rented a ditch witch, only buried them about 4" underground and used slotted pipe rather than solid. So it's essentially a drain field. I wouldn't know all that had I not chopped up part of the exposed pipe with my mower and had to repair it.

gutterdog · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Black tubing? There is 2 types one with holes and one with out. PVC is best for underground. Black tubing, Roots can get into that. Opening up more holes.

Bryan P · Approved Exterior Cleaner

gutterdog wrote:
Black tubing? There is 2 types one with holes and one with out. PVC is best for underground. Black tubing, Roots can get into that. Opening up more holes.

Yeah...it is 4" black tubing and has holes. I've always called it slotted pipe cause that's what the holes look like. Anyway...the neighbors got together and decided to spend a saturday (22 years ago) piping in their own drains. No contractors involved.

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Bryan do some testing with Clorox. Start with one cup water and one cup bleach. Dump it on a plant or grass area and see what happens. Then do one cup bleach to 10 cups water and see what happens. Water Water Water is the trick, You can never water enough.

Bryan P · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Art O wrote:
Bryan do some testing with Clorox. Start with one cup water and one cup bleach. Dump it on a plant or grass area and see what happens. Then do one cup bleach to 10 cups water and see what happens. Water Water Water is the trick, You can never water enough.

My wife will love that I conducted that experiment. ("Where's my clorox?" and "What happened to my fern?") confuse

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Bryan P wrote:
Art O wrote:
Bryan do some testing with Clorox. Start with one cup water and one cup bleach. Dump it on a plant or grass area and see what happens. Then do one cup bleach to 10 cups water and see what happens. Water Water Water is the trick, You can never water enough.
My wife will love that I conducted that experiment. ("Where's my clorox?" and "What happened to my fern?")

Better to experiment now then to pay for a $5000 Japaneses Maple later. Here's a good thread to read

http://nationalsoftwashalliance.activeboard.com/t60801124/toast/

Bryan P · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Art O wrote:
Better to experiment now then to pay for a $5000 Japaneses Maple later. Here's a good thread to read
http://nationalsoftwashalliance.activeboard.com/t60801124/toast/

That's sickening! I've actually had to pay for a Japanese maple, except it wasn't that big, and in my case it was death by roofers.