Power Washing and Roof Cleaning Forum

BlueRidge · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Seems the boards are DEAD

Jeff Wible · Approved Exterior Cleaner

I hear ya' Brett,..I would rather have a small group exchanging information and experiences,.. rather than a huge group,.a portion of which never cleaned anything,..another portion who's trying to sell materials or schooling,...and the rest are likely people who enjoy the mess of it all,..Ha, Ha,...

Original RCIA board is a great example of what happens when too many get on "board",...When it started it was a friendly group of guys,.. with the occasional drop in,...and then it grew,..especially when the salesman came on board,...and it ended up a mess,..and I was part of it I will admit. BUT,..that was after it became too commercialized,..I never liked it and became irritated with many of those guys.

*Not being a smart a** but I'm glad I can do without the boards if need be,..would hate trying to be sold something every 5 minutes and/or hearing 10 million opinions. I like the boards for hearing experiences of others and sharing information that may be beneficial to other professionals,..I don't care about the start-ups,..they can learn the way I did as far as I'm concerned.

Jeff

-- Edited by Jeff Wible on Friday 30th of November 2018 04:39:17 AM

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

You guys are 100% spot on about FB. Everybody is selling something or is some kind of a Bullshit expert.

BlueRidge · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Jeff Wible wrote:
I hear ya' Brett,..I would rather have a small group exchanging information and experiences,.. rather than a huge group,.a portion of which never cleaned anything,..another portion who's trying to sell materials or schooling,...and the rest are likely people who enjoy the mess of it all,..Ha, Ha,...

Original RCIA board is a great example of what happens when too many get on "board",...When it started it was a friendly group of guys,.. with the occasional drop in,...and then it grew,..especially when the salesman came on board,...and it ended up a mess,..and I was part of it I will admit. BUT,..that was after it became too commercialized,..I never liked it and became irritated with many of those guys.

*Not being a smart a** but I'm glad I can do without the boards if need be,..would hate trying to be sold something every 5 minutes and/or hearing 10 million opinions. I like the boards for hearing experiences of others and sharing information that may be beneficial to other professionals,..I don't care about the start-ups,..they can learn the way I did as far as I'm concerned.

Jeff
Wow Jeff! How well I remember

-- Edited by Jeff Wible on Friday 30th of November 2018 04:39:17 AM

Wow Jeff! How well I remember the read until your eyes bleed message and NEVER ask a question without doing the research. I was called out once by a member who was only about six months ahead of me but that just the kind of person Ted is.

We had to read, look at set ups (Skids? What where those?) Go to the drawing book and get to work. To this day I am appreciative toward Mike Derose for seeing my Jed Clampett set up and telling me to go spray a roof.

I questioned (to myself) the salesman when I first joined. When the salesman and his following tried to take over, I was gone, along with a few others and were chastised but sooner than later, everyone was gone.

To the present... I am so tired of being sold something from product to classes and if you take the time to read many comments in posts 80% are sarcasm 10% are wrong and 10% are correct.

Yep... I like the smaller home of NSWA!

Diamond Roof Cleaning · Approved Exterior Cleaner

I also am not a fan of facebook or just not a fan of facebook period. Yes Does my business have a facebook page . Sure but with the way google is you need one to stay relevant. I used to get tangled up in all the drama and was right on top of it every time but as I have gotten older maybe not wiser I have learned to stay away from that shit. I have too much drama in my own little area of south jersey that i try and stay away from but i do get sucked in from time to time.

It is better to focus in on your own business then worry about what everyone else maybe doing. Now I'm not saying to keep a blind eye to your competition because you have to stay on top of what they might be doing to beat you out but do not put your main focus on it as well.

I have learned many things from many people throughout the years and I do try to give back when I can. I just cant see putting all your business out there for people just to take and steal and claim as their own without doing a single bit of leg work.

I haven't gone to a trade show in almost 3 years and guess what? My business hasn't suffered not one bit. Yes its nice to hang with the guys and talk shop as owner to owner but that is why they invented this this called the telephone. To all you young guys the telephone is this thing where you actually talk to another live person and you don't have to type anything in to say anything.

On that note I am done with this rant and will get back to work. Two more weeks and then done for the year( thank God)....

Jeff Wible · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Hey Mike,..it is fun to learn new tricks and also to be able to provide useful information to others. I've always been a giver and a taker,..too many over the years used these boards as a jump start for their business without any input of their own. And you're right, focusing on your own work and not wondering what the guy (3) states away is saying about you post is pointless. I've been part of the mess to, but like you,..I try not to bother with the BS these days. Like Brett mentioned,..these boards use to be full of people ready to pounce on any differing method.

What I've seen over the years is purposeful innovation has slowed way down,..only so much that can be done to improve the workings of this service . I'm all for progress, but it really is relatively simple once you've got the basics of equipment and detergents down,...then it's just tweaking. To many have tried and are still trying to have the better system for killing mold and removing dirt. Most of it is the person doing it,...the old days the main roof pump was a 1.8 GPM Shurflo,..and at that time the guys were making money. With SH and Dawn. And I bet many still are!

I also have a FB for my business,..and even a website with about (5) domains,..Ha, Ha,...because as you stated, that's business!

I do like the proportioner I built and I consider that a great improvement,..I feel almost bad for Tim Asleton ,.because it's such a simple concept that many simply build their own for a fraction of what his cost. On a side note,..Not sure why they use the expensive metering valves for the soap and water? Ones on all the way and one is barely cracked open,..I use a regular union ball valve for water and a 1/4" for soap,..works fine. I do have the metering valve for the SH,..but all I really use it for is roofs,..so I don't need alot of adjustment choices,..could have used a regular valve there also. I also built a proportioner for DS'ing,..just love it,..and works super.

Jeff

Eric Schnaible · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Happy to be here myself guys. I think I have a dilapidated fb page somewhere, but I have never actually looked at any fb boards or threads. Sounds like I’m not missing much. I remember “reading till my eyes bled” in 2010 on the RCIA. I kept noticing that all these “big shots”, had only been in business for a year or two. I continued noticing that over the years. It makes me laugh when I think of all the guys who have been doing this for 15 to 20 years and more and what they must think about this. I appreciate all that I have learned and a good group of guys we have. I’m busy and don’t post too much but I still feel like this is my clan.

Jeff Wible · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Hey Eric,..I don't post as much as I used to neither,...I started business in 1996 and didn't have the internet until about 2003,..and didn't find any boards,..or even knew they existed until 2005,...I read and posted alot on The Grime Scene,..then boards started branching off,..we became high schoolers with cliques. Don Phelps started a board, Chris Tucker started a board, Dave Westerman started a board,.. and a couple others I'm likely missing. Not sure when PTState and PWI came onto the scene. The first years were learning and sharing ALOT of information,..but after so much has been said on applications to clean dirt and mold,.. it begins to get redundant with the same questions answered 100 times. And only so much can be done to make grand leaps forward. I like progress,..and I have learned alot from the boards, and I still pick up tweaks,....and as I said Tim Asleton introducing his version of a proportioning system was a major improvement. Funny thing about that is , proportioning was talked about many times in years past,..he was the only one smart enough to run with it,..and is now being made in different variations by many contractors.

Many improvements I've seen come and go were nothing more than variations of an existing method, tools or soaps but were billed as game changers. The good part is that it did expose the fact that this business can be done successfully with various soaps and equipment,..and doesn't have to be specialized. It's the men and women behind the business that make it go. I have respect for the guys that have been around for quite awhile and still post up information to share with their peers,.

*Dave Westerman introduced the All-Flo and Kuri-Tec hose,. and they are still used by alot of people....he was a serious wealth of information as much as anyone I've ever seen,..not many like him today.

I still read the old RCIA board,..anyone starting out can benefit HUGELY by getting off FB and digging up old posts from old boards.

The new RCIA board is/was nothing but a commercial for that Kevin guy.

Jeff

BlueRidge · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Jeff Wible wrote:
Hey Eric,..I don't post as much as I used to neither,...I started business in 1996 and didn't have the internet until about 2003,..and didn't find any boards,..or even knew they existed until 2005,...I read and posted alot on The Grime Scene,..then boards started branching off,..we became high schoolers with cliques. Don Phelps started a board, Chris Tucker started a board, Dave Westerman started a board,.. and a couple others I'm likely missing. Not sure when PTState and PWI came onto the scene. The first years were learning and sharing ALOT of information,..but after so much has been said on applications to clean dirt and mold,.. it begins to get redundant with the same questions answered 100 times. And only so much can be done to make grand leaps forward. I like progress,..and I have learned alot from the boards, and I still pick up tweaks,....and as I said Tim Asleton introducing his version of a proportioning system was a major improvement. Funny thing about that is , proportioning was talked about many times in years past,..he was the only one smart enough to run with it,..and is now being made in different variations by many contractors.

Many improvements I've seen come and go were nothing more than variations of an existing method, tools or soaps but were billed as game changers. The good part is that it did expose the fact that this business can be done successfully with various soaps and equipment,..and doesn't have to be specialized. It's the men and women behind the business that make it go. I have respect for the guys that have been around for quite awhile and still post up information to share with their peers,.

*Dave Westerman introduced the All-Flo and Kuri-Tec hose,. and they are still used by alot of people....he was a serious wealth of information as much as anyone I've ever seen,..not many like him today.

I still read the old RCIA board,..anyone starting out can benefit HUGELY by getting off FB and digging up old posts from old boards.

The new RCIA board is/was nothing but a commercial for that Kevin guy.

Jeff

One thing is for sure Jeff... even though you don't post for a period of time, when you come back (usually in the winter) we learn all sorts of great stuff you figured out through the year.

I got tired of buying soaps that had shipping charges more than the soap. Many would say just ad it into the job but if I do that with everything, we will have even a more difficult time as we are already more expensive than our competitors. Thanks to Art, Pinalen does a fine job for house washes at about $5.00 per gallon. We use Arm & Hammer with an additive for roof cleaning. I had a local supplier make me a thickening agent to add to the soap container. Five gallons that I bought split between two trucks is about half full meaning I won't have to buy more until next year for $35.00. I gave some samples to some of the well knowns and knew right away that this wasn't anything of interest because it could mean expensive roof soap would no longer be needed. I just might start selling it in gallon containers next year, not to make money but to help others reduce the cost of soap. That will go over well since one gallon will easily take care of one season or even more. Anyone here who wants some, I'll send it to you.

As to chemicals, I get what I can from my supplier but there is stuff that has to ordered and shipped for specialty cleaning. I didn't buy into the F-9 world and have other suppliers that have just as good products for less and I don't need to buy a Cookbook for $200.00. ShoreBest Products sends a complete tabbed binder with all of their chemicals/uses/instructions for free. I also use a red clay stain remover as well as a rust remover from Eco-Wares. Between these two and ACR, I have an array of rust removers that work well!

We HAVE to think outside of the box and not become KoolAid drinkers.

As to Tim, you bring up some great points. I know he could have sold many more and most likely stopped the clones had the Proportioner been offered without a box or bout it in a pvc box reducing the cost considerably.

Eric, we know you are busy fighting the tree huggers!

Sorry for the rant...

Jeff Wible · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Rant all you like Brett!! Yea,.trying buy all the designer products will not be nothing but added expense. I doubted the whole F9 thing as well,..but,..to give it a chance I bought a gallon to try and evaluate,...was the only gallon I ever bought,...was no better than my aluminum brightener/rust remover/grunge remover/red clay remover,.. Cost's only $50.00 for (5) gallon bucket ,..and can be effectively cut in half. The F-9 was another gimmick product that is nothing but a HF based acid,..started out as a granular form before they mix it with water,....no matter what it was,..it sucked for the cost. Worth about $8-$10 a gallon.

I also use Art's Pinalen once in a while,..I prefer the Lavender,..very cost effective product,..I also use Ajax dish soap mixed with the blue windshield fluid,..also works well. The DS proportioner allows me to use any soap I like,...it doesn't have to be totally compatible,..'cause it doesn't mix with the bleach until it's in the stream,..which hurts nothing. I sometimes change soaps simply for a change.

If ever a service was suited for the K.I. S. S. method,..it's this one,...But I will say,..is fun to be creative and progress,..as long as it works out that way and doesn't go backwards, Ha, Ha,..I plead guilty to have done that.

Jeff

BlueRidge · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Keeping up with part of this post, I've turned all the FB groups to only notify if a friend posts to turn down a lot of the noise. At times there actually can be something good but 80% is junk and one guy posts on every page as if he is the marketing guru for The Power Wash Store. Just too much noise for the old guy!

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

They are at it again on FB. That UAMCC shit will never go away. Its Ron's and he will never give up the controls.

h2o spray · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Being relatively "New" to the business, (2019 4th year) I thoroughly enjoyed the RCIA website, It assisted greatly in building our roof cleaning division for a $100. investment the information there was/is gold. Chris is probley the best single guy I have come across in our short period of existence that has offered so much for so little in return and was always available without being clicky. The Facebook groups are ridiculous at times. ALOT of sales pitches, ALOT of keyboard cowboys, everybody knows everything! One of the most ridiculous things to me is the extremely large amount of "education" available from people with less time in the field than us and are selling their "education": "For only $599. you will be able to start, manage and later sell your business for 1 million plus just like me" SERIOUSLY!!!!! While I did not have any experience in exterior cleaning nor did we have anyone locally willing to help (I asked within 400 miles) We read, Read, Asked, asked, and asked more, watched UTube, Joined Facebook Groups, RCIA, UAMCC (sad to see what could have been) and slowly taught ourselves with what was available We carefully selected a few successful businesses (they never knew) and watched how they were doing things and tailored there ways into ways we could use to be successful leading us to where we are now putting our 3rd truck in service for 2019 and making damn good $$$. The expensive equipment (Booster, PP, Soaps) I have bought into. I am not mechanically creative this expensive equipment has helped me not have to spend more time figuring out how to build. I personally think having the best helps my confidence and works for me personally, everybody is different. (Proven quality equipment from proven suppliers) I came from selling cars for 18 years, old school sales, hard knocks...no sales no $$$. My wife is an RN so I had a crutch which really helps, but we were not financially secure by any stretch of the imagination. I believe the cleaning is very important, #1 that is what makes the difference between us and everybody else. I have made it a point to be extremely and I mean extremely detailed when we clean any exterior, residential or commercial. But equally as important is business knowledge, SALES, from customer service to knowing your numbers. If you do not have the ability to SELL and run a business setting a higher standard, IMO everything else is just wasting $$$. The NSWA for me has been a place of truths, no drama, and extremely solid advice. I honestly wish I had the experience to confidently answer some of the questions asked. With not being confident in everything I find myself a mere "stalker" I genuinely enjoy the NSWA!

BlueRidge · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Brett, (great name BTW!)

Spot on with what you posted and from what I just read, you get it! Third truck in your 4th year? You must be doing something right!

The thing is here, none of us are experts. We are constantly learning from each other so visit more often and chime in. I'll bet you have many more things to offer than you think.

Thank you for your honest and candid post!

Western Mass Prowash · Exterior Cleaner

h2o spray wrote:
Being relatively "New" to the business, (2019 4th year) I thoroughly enjoyed the RCIA website, It assisted greatly in building our roof cleaning division for a $100. investment the information there was/is gold. Chris is probley the best single guy I have come across in our short period of existence that has offered so much for so little in return and was always available without being clicky. The Facebook groups are ridiculous at times. ALOT of sales pitches, ALOT of keyboard cowboys, everybody knows everything! One of the most ridiculous things to me is the extremely large amount of "education" available from people with less time in the field than us and are selling their "education": "For only $599. you will be able to start, manage and later sell your business for 1 million plus just like me" SERIOUSLY!!!!! While I did not have any experience in exterior cleaning nor did we have anyone locally willing to help (I asked within 400 miles) We read, Read, Asked, asked, and asked more, watched UTube, Joined Facebook Groups, RCIA, UAMCC (sad to see what could have been) and slowly taught ourselves with what was available We carefully selected a few successful businesses (they never knew) and watched how they were doing things and tailored there ways into ways we could use to be successful leading us to where we are now putting our 3rd truck in service for 2019 and making damn good $$$. The expensive equipment (Booster, PP, Soaps) I have bought into. I am not mechanically creative this expensive equipment has helped me not have to spend more time figuring out how to build. I personally think having the best helps my confidence and works for me personally, everybody is different. (Proven quality equipment from proven suppliers) I came from selling cars for 18 years, old school sales, hard knocks...no sales no $$$. My wife is an RN so I had a crutch which really helps, but we were not financially secure by any stretch of the imagination. I believe the cleaning is very important, #1 that is what makes the difference between us and everybody else. I have made it a point to be extremely and I mean extremely detailed when we clean any exterior, residential or commercial. But equally as important is business knowledge, SALES, from customer service to knowing your numbers. If you do not have the ability to SELL and run a business setting a higher standard, IMO everything else is just wasting $$$. The NSWA for me has been a place of truths, no drama, and extremely solid advice. I honestly wish I had the experience to confidently answer some of the questions asked. With not being confident in everything I find myself a mere "stalker" I genuinely enjoy the NSWA!

Brett I too started with the RCIA back in early 2015 reading as much as could. I started my business in 2016 and took it slow in that first year to learn as I went. A lot of what you said here is exactly what I have done and thought. My approach to cleaning is the same as yours. I clean properties as if they were my own and maybe go the extra mile which can slow down production. You will not see me on the FB groups bragging that I cleaned a 3200 sq ft two story home in 30-40 minutes like some do. I was lucky enough to come across the NSWA and have always had people answer my questions or reach out without additude or being condescending. A wealth of knowledge here which comes from experience and the old RCIA days. Congratulations on your growth and success.

Chris Mozick · Approved Exteior Cleaner

I’ve learned a lot from all of you over the years and occasionally I post but definitely not as much as I used to but I view at least a few times a week to see what’s going on and to learn something new.