Education, experience, professionalism, and a GUARANTEE!
Please let me educate you, the homeowner, of what you will
come across...
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 contractors use low pressure
washing prices 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: Specializing
in Hot Water Washing . You may read this in ads, or hear this from
contractors. Whether a contractor uses hot water or cold water and the
right chemicals, the end result is the same. Hot water does speed up the
cleaning process in commercial and industrial uses but what does it
mean to the homeowner?
The truth is hot water has no benefit and
shouldn't be used in residential services. It can warp vinyl siding,
damage wood and asphalt shingles, and can be detrimental to plants and
shrubbery. Crafty claims like this are nothing more than a desperate
attempt of trickery to gain your business.
Rip-Off #3: Outdated Beliefs: "Just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. If an old sealer is present, the
deck will need stripped so the new sealer can adhere to the wood
properly. This stripping process is only done properly using a stripping
agent, NOT high water pressure.
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: 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.