Industry Rip-offs , Misconceptions and Mistakes
How
To Avoid Four Power Washing Rip-Offs
Rip-Off
#1
Unbelievably
Low Price. To some degree, all of us are attracted to low price
because we want to work within a budget. But
some power washers use price as the bait in order to land a job.
They are hoping you are basing your buying decision on
price alone and if they are the cheapest, they will get the job.
Unfortunately once they get the job they have to take shortcuts
in order to make a profit. Professional power washing is not as
cheap as some unethical power washers would like you to
believe. Make sure you are paying for the level of quality you expect.
Rip-Off
#2
Crafty
Claims Like: We Use Hot Water or High Pressure . You may read this
in ads, or hear this from contractors. High
temperatures and high pressure should not be used in every situation.
Both can cause damage when not used properly. Hot
water is not necessary on residential jobs and many contractors
use way too much pressure when cleaning. Too much
pressure forces water behind your siding, lessens the longevity
of shingles, and damages wood. We rely on our cleaners to
do the work, use the right amount of pressure, and hot water when
needed. The result is your property is thoroughly clean
and undamaged.
Rip-Off
#3
Outdated
Beliefs: "Just Power Wash the Deck and Use an Expensive Sealer."
Many people believe that using an expensive
sealer will make all the difference. The fact is: the number one
reason a sealer fails, no matter how much it cost, is because
the wood is not prepared properly. Wood goes through many stages
while being cleaned. When using the proper cleaner
the wood turns very dark, as the ph level goes up. A neutralizing
process is necessary to lower the wood to a more acidic
level, so the sealer will adhere properly. With the wood prepared
properly, it can then be sealed with a contractor grade
sealer.
Obviously, each contractor will be biased toward his own method.
You should look to what wood professionals say. There
are wood restoration classes that contractors can take to become
certified, check to see if the contractor you are
considering is certified.
Rip-Off
#4
Offering
To Wash Anything and Everything. Contractors wash many different
things, from houses to tractors and from decks
to parking lots. A company offering to wash almost anything may
look impressive but is a sign of not being established.
There are a lot of fly by night companies that come and go, who
will offer to wash anything for a dollar, they never really get
good at one thing. Make sure you hire a contractor that specializes
in just a handful of the services you are interested in.
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Costly
Misconceptions About Power Washing
Misconception
#1
It's
Easy Enough That We Can Do It Ourselves. This may be true to some
extent but you can easily cause damage to
yourself and your home if your not careful. I don't recommend to
anyone to pressure wash from a ladder, this is very
dangerous and should be left to a professional. Washing your vinyl
siding from the ground at an upward angle will force
water behind the siding causing water damage. Getting up in the
air and away from the house will allow you to rinse the
siding at a flatter angle. This can only be done with the proper
equipment. Another thing is even small consumer grade
pressure washing units put out too much pressure to wash vinyl,
asphalt shingles, and pressure treated wood. Having the
right equipment allows you to turn down the pressure, so your not
causing damage.
Misconception
#2
High
Pressure Is The Only Way To Get It Clean. Not true at all. Only
contractors that use inferior cleaners have to depend
on high pressure to do the job. High pressure can do a lot of damage
to your home. To much pressure will force water to get
behind the siding of your home causing mold and mildew problems.
Wood is softer than you might think, and using too
much pressure to wash a deck can cut wood and leave unsightly marks
and scars that will show through the sealer. Using
too much pressure on asphalt shingles is a huge mistake. Shingles
have small pieces of grit on them, similar to sand,
called granules. Excessive pressure can blow these granules off
the shingles, lessening the longevity of your roof. Make
sure contractor grade cleaners and the right amount of pressure
are being used.
Misconception
#3
The
Cleaners Being Used Will Damage Your Plants Or Hurt Your Pets. Quality
contractors use only environmentally safe
products that will not harm your pets. But plants are more sensitive
and need to be protected. If a cleaner is allowed to dry
on the leaves of a plant it can leave burn spots. Covering plants
with plastic is an option, but that can also be dangerous to
the plants on a hot day. A better alternative is to wet the plants
down with water before, during, and after the cleaning
process. As long as cleaners are not allowed to dry on the plants,
there should be no damage.
Misconception
#4
Your
Roof Is Black Or Has Black Streaks On It And Needs Replaced. Not
necessarily true. Unsightly black stains or streaks
on asphalt shingles is caused by a hardy type of algae called Gloeocapsa
magma. This type of algae thrives in humid and
warm climates and usually appears, first, on the North slope of
the roof where shade is prevalent and moisture tends to
accumulate. The algae feeds on the crushed limestone that is used
in asphalt shingles. Rain then spreads the algae down
the roof, causing black streaks. As the algae breaks down the shingles,
the granules that protect the shingle are loosened
and begin to fall off. This causes the roof to deteriorate and diminishes
the roof's ability to reflect heat rays. If left untreated,
the algae will reduce the life of your roof, diminish your home's
curb appeal, and increase your home cooling cost.
This roof algae can be killed and removed to restore your roofs
appearance. But the right cleaners and low pressure is a
must, so that damage is not done to the roof.
Misconception
#5
You
Should Hire the Company that Offers the Lowest Price. Maybe, but
not always. Here are some points to consider:
(1) The price you see advertised may not be the price you pay. Many
homeowners have learned that the low price they saw
advertised lasted only until the contractor did the estimate. Then
they were pressured into paying a lot more for a variety of
add-ons .
(2) Some contractors market strategy is to get jobs by being the
lowest bidder. The contractor will then cut corners in order
to turn a profit.
(3) Due to low start up costs, many companies come and go. When
first starting up, a lot of companies do not educate
themselves, because power washing looks easy and profitable. So,
they lack the right equipment, cleaners, insurance,
knowledge, professionalism, and normally, will charge an extremely
low price.
Misconception
#6
Any
Honest Power Washing Company Should be Able to Give an Estimate
Over the Phone. It would be easier if this were
true, but it is not. Honest, reputable power washing companies almost
never give a cleaning estimate over the phone. Most
companies charge by the square foot or linear foot. But there are
too many variables that can change that price from one
home to another. For instance, different types of terrain or landscaping
can affect the price. What type of wood is your deck?
Has it ever been sealed? Is water accessible at the job site? Maybe
your house is not extremely dirty and could be done for
less than a dirty house the same size. The good news is, once an
estimate is given by a quality contractor, you know that
that's the price you will pay (no last minute surprises)
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Mistakes
To Avoid When Choosing A Power Washer
Mistake
#1
Choosing
a Company Without Testimonials. Any reputable company, with a good
customer base, should have testimonials.
If their clients are not saying good things about them, how can
you expect good results?
Mistake
#2
Choosing
a Contractor Based on Low Price. If you choose a company based only
on price, it's because you had nothing
else to base your decision on. There are better things to base your
buying decision on when it comes to protecting your
investment. Professionalism, quality, knowledge, appearance, what
their customers are saying about them, and what are
the benefits to you are all things that should be considered when
choosing a power washing company. Also, some
companies bid low to get the job and are then forced to cut corners
and sacrifice quality in order to turn a profit.
Mistake
#3
Choosing
a Contractor Based on a Single Phone Call. Instead, invite the contractor
to your home, and ask for a free
estimate; most quality contractors offer them. Free estimates are
a great way to test the contractors knowledge and to see
his appearance and professionalism first hand, with no obligations.
You will also have a written estimate, so there will not
be any overcharges or surprise add-ons.
Mistake
#4
Choosing
a Contractor Without Getting Comments from his Other Clients. Any
contractor can say anything about his past
jobs, and some of what he says may not be true. Make sure that you
ask for references or read comments from past
customers, so you know you can depend on the contractor and his
work.
Mistake #5
Choosing a Contractor Whom is not Certified. How do you
know whether the contractor has the knowledge or experience to
restore your deck or fence? If you want to be sure you are hiring
a competent professional, make sure he has some sort of
certification in wood restoration. The contractor must earn that
certification through study, experience, and successful
completion of examinations. In effect, contractors who are certified
in wood care are much more knowledgeable and
competent, and their work will result in a better quality job.
Mistake
#6
Choosing
a Contractor Whom uses Consumer Grade Equipment and Cleaners. Cheap
equipment may be a sign of a
"fly-by-night" company. Big, high- dollar, skid- mounted
pressure washers are not necessary to do a quality job. But, if
the
contractor uses the same little 2.2 gallon per minute pressure washer
that you saw on sale at the home improvement store,
you might want to reconsider hiring him. Most quality contractors
use 3.5 to 5.5 gallon per minute cold water units for
residential use. If a contractor is using consumer grade equipment,
he is probably using consumer grade cleaners, also.
House, deck, and concrete cleaners, that are sold to consumers,
have to be safe to handle, therefore, they are not very
concentrated or very effective. Contractor grade cleaners sold through
distributors are still environmentally safe but are
more concentrated and must be handled with care. Contractor grade
cleaners are necessary in order to achieve quality
results, without using high pressure, which could lead to damage.