Recent content by Expert

That is the funniest thing I have heard all week !!! Deposit money in the deadbeat's account and present your check for payment. You have done nothing at all wrong, in fact you gave money away. I also like the advice given by others. We cannot do anything about the way people act, but we can...

"As Dave Simpson stated what is wrong with trying to put them out of the buz." I think I see the problem. Reading is a skill, and what I said was that what is wrong is trying to put someone out of business through unfair trade practices. My friends, I support the concept of candid...

I have to say I love to apply READY SEAL, but it would be great if Chris would take a minute and provide direct and authoritative answers on this whole odor and mildewcide matter. I had already shared that mildewcide comment with many workers before this other info surfaced. 2nd hand and 3rd...

I was rather amused by some of these posts. "Kill the messenger"? huh? From the posts I read the writers took issue with what you said, not aiming at you personally. After all these years I am leary of warnings without specific sources given. At seminars and trade shows, there are all sorts of...

Where is their web site? It doesn't take too long to sort through a site to see if the organization is progressive, informative, and accurate in the info it presents. Thanks. ------------------ Dave Simpson "90% of Customer Problems Can be Preempted by Excellent Communication and Organization."

I am a member of other professional organizations, but not yet this one. I respectfully disagree...all trade organizations are NOT the same. Some are progressive, focused, and useful. Others are stagnant and self-serving, with little redeeming value. We do not join them to hope that bigger...

Sounds good, Rick !! I figured you just wanted the guys to simmer down a bit... just stirring the pot for fun, eh? I love it !! ------------------ Dave Simpson "90% of Customer Problems Can be Preempted by Excellent Communication and Organization."

I enjoyed this whole set of comments as the issue was explained and debated. The only time I winced was when I read the post, in all caps, that implied that the professionals with sincere questions were "crying" about something. The purpose of this forum is EXACTLY that, to discuss and...

I'm glad you noted that product problem, but, to be fair, give the vendor a chance to answer your questions or explain the situation. Who knows? Maybe he took a short vacation, or had an emergecy come up. Call the office and I'm sure someone will be able to deal with the situation. By the way...

After 20 years in business, I have to ask the question a different way. If I hired a subcontractor or vendor, what would I think if they put me on their "Pay no mind list"? OR, if you took a customers money and didn't follow through, should you be surprised if they move on? And... are we all...

Let's kick around some pricing issues.(Yes, this could be in the marketing area, I suppose.)Your 'typical' deck bid: - Whatis your routine? - What are the "red flag" concerns that you look for? - Do you just eyeball the job? Measure? Count spindles? - Surcharge for elevated decks? - How do you...

I agree with the above post. Under certain conditions it makes no difference, but then there are times when there can be a shadowing that blends MUCH better when we follow the grain. Just as with a wand, consistency, both in pattern and speed, is important. ------------------ Dave Simpson "90%...

I like to use cardboard to hold back plants, and for railings. I also am going to try a 3' wide roll of kraft paper, used for protecting carpets after cleaning. I know one contractor that uses a 4 x 8 sheet of luan plywood, and it has about 50 coats of overspray. It is always wet and smudges all...

I also use the surface cleaner,but do agree that you MUST know what you are doing. The advantages are that you can create a more uniform result on the deck cleaning and is more efficient. I agree that you can't be greedy... leave the perimeter for the wand. The swirl marks can be from low...

"I have learned a LONG time ago that people get defensive when you hit your mark." Or, people get bothered when we sometimes jump to conclusions. It's all subjective. It's like I heard a while back, when someone says, "I'm being brutally honest", sometimes they savor the 'brutal' more than they...