surface cleaner techniques

[degraffreed]

Hello to all.

Just have a few questions as follows and wondering if I could get some advice on my cleaning techniques.

I just purchased a 20' BE surface cleaner on wheels two days ago. I played with it on my garage floor then went over and did my neighbors driveway.

Wow!! it was worth the money spent on the cleaner, compared to the two hours spent doing it this spring with a wand. I then did the sidewalk in front of both of our homes. I waited for the garage to dry and the following is this.

My garage floor had these light patterns in it. Kinda in pattern the arms spin in. It did not seem as uniformed as some of the pictures that are posted here on the BB. I think I left it spinning while I was attempting to move the hose out of the way, and moving items out of the way. Should I have rinsed with the wand after using the surface cleaner?

At my neighbors home I started by wetting the surface first, then sprayed the driveway with r202, let dwell for few minutes, then I ran the surface cleaner.

I did the entire driveway in 20 minutes (15x60)

His driveway was on a slope angle leading down to his home. I made on pass the entire lenght first. Then came back up to the top of the driveway and decided to go side to side. To make a long story short. I could not tell any difference in the two techniques. What I did notice was when I started at the top of the drive and cleaned side to side the discharge water was going downhill and it made it harder to determine what was clean and what needed to be cleaned.

My question is this.

" If I start doing flatwork on a slope surface (like many driveway here in Ga), should I start at the bottom and work my way back up the driveway by cleaning in a side to side pattern?

It seems logical because the discharge water will be going downhill and as I move up the driveway in a side to side pattern it is dry going up. " I know this seem petty but I have a job this weekend and want to appear as knowledgeable as possible.

What would any of you suggest to do in my first cleaning of this flatwork from the beginning steps to the end and have a great professional result. I have a few more days to experiment before " LIGHTS, CAMERA,ACTION",.

Any Ideas or suggestion welcomed . Time is of the essence.

Degraffreed
JayCam Pressure Wash

 

[john orr]

You will find a technique that works for you, but I would recommend that you follow the "grain" of the concrete. By doing this, any lap marks will blend-in better.

 

[degraffreed]

Jon,

What do you mean "follow the grain"? My thinking is this, concrete is smoothed with a floater in a few different ways. How do you pick which grain to follow. I have seen concrete workers using a gasoline powered smoother that has 6 fan blades on it. Sorry if the question sounds stupid..


DeGraffreed

 

[Bob Gates]

I agree with John....you will find a method that works for you in due time.
I personally like a driveway with a grade to it...It is easier/faster to rinse.
Also, I prefer to start cleaning at the "top" and work down...I feel I am, with each pass, moving the dirt/water down hill as that is where it wants to go anyway.
Lastly, the white swrils you see could be two things..."Zebra stripes" due to moving to fast/wrong size nozzles etc. Or "etching" caused by walking away form the machine and leaving it running/spinning in one place...You may want to consider not doing that...
Hope this helps.....good luck

 

[degraffreed]

Bob, thanks for the response.

When you say " Walking fast " may have contributed to the " Zebra marks".

I believed that I was walking Normally. Maybe once I find my "Zone", this will clear up. Huh?

I guess walking much slower is the key.

Degraffreed
JayCam Pressure Wash

 

[mike barrett]

I also work from the top of a grade down to the bottom. Than go back and rinse with a wand. If you move the surface cleaner to fast it will leave swirl marks, just slow down and reclean where it left swirl marks. Do not leave the surface cleaner running in one spot or you will damage the concrete! Hope this helps Mike B

 

[john orr]

In my area, anything with a slope is rare! As far as the "grain", 99% of every drive I do has been brushed, after being poured, to give it a texture. It usually runs side-to-side.

 

[Bob Gates]

Walking "normally" at the mall and walking "normally" behind a surface cleaner is two different things....Normal behind a suface cleaner will depend on YOUR equipment (PSI/GPM/Size of surface cleaner) as well as type of surface, whats on it, and how severe it is...As already stated experience will answer all of your questions...

 

[oneness]

Most of the driveways here aren't brushed...sometimes I run into sidewalks that have been broom-textured, but very rarely a driveway.

Like everyone else has said, you'll find the right technique...Just be willing to try it different ways until you find what works best for you and your machine.

Just don't leave the machine running while it is not moving. If your surfacer doesn't have a trigger gun on it, get a ball valve (rated for the right psi) to put between the surfacer and the hose so you can shut off the water if you have to stop for any reason. Even leaving it running in one spot for a couple seconds can etch the concrete in some cases, depending on how hard the concrete is.

 

[chirobob]

I would also look at installing a swivel, so the you limit your twisting in the hose. I use the same one as I use between the hose and my gun- lifes a lot less frustrating this way!

 

[degraffreed]

Flat Work

Thanks to all who responded. You guys are great with your advice for the newbies.

One other question is this.

Do you guys prewet the surface prior to cleaning, then clean surface with you concrete cleaner coming thru you surface cleaner?


Or is it better just to start with a dry surface and sprinkle your concrete powder on the surface and clean this way?

As stated I did a driveway last weekend and it came out good. I was on an incline and my burner would not work. So I proceeded to clean with just cold water and rinsed.

When I got a chance to look at why I was not recieving hot water, I figured it out after realizing that the incline was so steep, the diesiel fuel was running pretty low, and the fuel had shifted to the front of the tank and was not being able to pump the fuel.

It goes to show that sometimes it the simple things to look for.

Thanks Gents, You guys are a very important part of my biz.

Degraffreed
JayCam Pressure Wash.

P.S I just Made my first $1000.00 weekend.
I luv this Biz [white]

 

[Jon]

Degraffreed not to bust your bubble but if you got a G for that job someone got washed big time.

As to walking to fast or slow causing zebra strips it will happen till you find your speed as others have said, practice makes good!

Now I have a question for you, why are you putting some sort of powder down, just what is this powder?

Want more help Email me with name and phone number so I can call you.


Jon
opclean@earthlink.net

 

[oneness]

I don't think he was talking about a particular job, but just a $1000.00 weekend, as he said.

I think the powder he is referring to is the r202 he mentioned earlier...Delco's powdered concrete cleaner. I'm not impressed with their chems, at least the ones I've tried. For dirty/moldy concrete I've found my regular housewash, with a boost of chlorine, works great...Xjet it on, let it sit about 10 minutes, then use the surfacer. Pretreating seems to help loosen the dirt, and takes care of the lighter tannin stains so I don't have to re-coat with chlorine after cleaning. I just use a pump up with straight 10.5% in it to spot treat heavier mold or tannin stains that don't come out with the pre-treatment and washing. Works just as fast as coating the entire driveway with chlorine with the Xjet, and uses way less chlorine.

 

[degraffreed]

Mike,, thanks for clearing that up with JON. Yes it was a combination of 3 homes and two driveways.

Degraffreed [white]

 

[oneness]

Mike,, thanks for clearing that up with JON. Yes it was a combination of 3 homes and two driveways.

Degraffreed [white]

Wow! I wish 3 homes and two driveways would get $1000.00 here! More like $650.00, if I'm lucky. That's for a typical ranch style 2000 square foot or so home, and for a two car normal sized driveway.

 

[Jon]

Thanks guys, since I use very little chemicals sort of wondering why you would use any for a home.

Dumpster pads and back of restaurants always but not front or sides.

Not doing homes I have no idea of prices but try this for size after you come back done from my busing your bubble.

One long day, close to $3000. Ok so I do industrial/commerical work and those jobs come my way.

Hmm, wonder if I can do one every Tuesday & Thursday and kick back the rest of the week! Oh wait I sort of do that now with Saturday or weekend job thrown in and an out of town over nighter here and there.

I guess I am working to hard! LOL

NO I am not, I still have my monthly accounts to service, darn.

 

[oneness]

Thanks guys, since I use very little chemicals sort of wondering why you would use any for a home.

Chlorine to kill/loosen mold and algae, and soap to loosen dirt and other things stuck to the house. If you use a good soap and the right proportion of chlorine, most of the time you can rinse with very low pressure, which is good for the siding. If you don't use any chems, you're relying on the force of the water to blast the dirt/algae off, which isn't good for the siding, and take a lot longer.

$3000.00 in one day? Wow...I can't imagine any job in this area paying anywhere near that, unless by "long day" you're talking 24 hours or so...The best I've ever done in a day here was $1100.00 for a 12 hour day, though the best hourly rate I've ever done was around $225.00/hour. Most days here are between $300.00 and $500.00. That's for residential, which is just about all I do.

 

[degraffreed]

residential Rates

Mike, Just curious. What the going rate avg. for a ranch style.. 1500-2000 sqft, going for in your locale?

Do you x-jet or you extension wands for two story residentials?


DeGraffreed [hello]

 

[degraffreed]

Chirobob, Would I install the swivel on the inlet side of the trigger gun? Dumb question but seems to me that you also would want to install swivel on the hose reel quick connect. Is my thinking right. Any pictures to show a newbie?

Degraffreed

 

[oneness]

Mike, Just curious. What the going rate avg. for a ranch style.. 1500-2000 sqft, going for in your locale?

Do you x-jet or you extension wands for two story residentials?


DeGraffreed [hello]

For just a housewash on a 2000 square foot home, $125.00 - $150.00. I Xjet both single and two story...