Cleaning Concrete

blastoffinc

I had a job fall into my lap today. They want the sidewalk of a building cleaned. The food service people were using this entrance for a while so the concrete is dirty. I think it is grease/dirt from the kitchen. It's a fairly large job so I want to get as much info as I can. Has anyone done this? How did it turn out? How did you charge?

I am going to do a test blast too.

blastserv

use a mild abrasive...starblast is what i would test with...but what ever you choose...low pressure and hold far back off the concrete so you dont have a decise pattern on the ground where you have blasted...i would get them for about 2-2.25$ a square foot....hope it goes well...take pictures and show us what you got...

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Betterblast

Bring everything. What do you stock? I tried to clean a friend's porch from engine oil. It was soaked in too deep i guess. I started to rough up the surface with the glass, so keep back like Todd said. I like the idea of using soda if it works for you on that. No tough clean up. Hose it down after.

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When it has to be clean, Betterblast it!
glenmarcinc@yahoo.com
P-610-323-8084
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blastoffinc

We stock Soda, Calcium, Glass, some other stuff. I'm out of Starblast right now.

blastoffinc

I tried medium(35-60) crushed glass for the test and it worked great.

Betterblast

Did they give you the job?

__________________
When it has to be clean, Betterblast it!
glenmarcinc@yahoo.com
P-610-323-8084
http://betterblast.com/

blastoffinc

I didn't give them an estimate yet. I'm pretty sure I'll get it either way.

blastoffinc

Went and did a test blast, it went really well. I used soda and I was able to clean the grease/dirt and gum off really well. I was able to do about 10 sq. ft in about a minute(with some gum). What are you guys charging per sq. ft with this time calculated for this?

blastserv

i quoted myself...lol

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blastoffinc

Would you charge the same if you were using soda? Thank you for the feedback. Just wondering what others charge as well.

Betterblast

My prefered way to charge is a set blast fee plus material also at a set price per bag. I just add on about five bucks to my shipped cost to cover expenses. You know what the work will be so ask your self what you would like to come with and that you think is fair to them for the service. You didn't say how big it is. I don't go below three hundred for anything. This way you can't over estimat or under estimate and no one gets screwed. They know your fee up front and you can give them an idea from your test about how much soda or glass you will likley use but that it will just take what it takes. They are welcom to watch and count the number of bags and they will know the exact cost. It's worked well for me and you don't have to sit and meassure square feet and maybe they say it's less sq feet and so on. There is a price and that's it. And you know before you start what you will earn no matter how much soda you use.

__________________
When it has to be clean, Betterblast it!
glenmarcinc@yahoo.com
P-610-323-8084
http://betterblast.com/

blastoffinc

I'm sorry, its a little over 3,000 sq. ft.

Betterblast

That's gotta be a good full day of blasting. No clean up I hope. It would be cool to get a couple bucks a foot but it's hard to get people to shell out that kind of cash. I wonder if they are getting another quote.? For one day's work $6,000. is gonna seem a little severe to them I think. You're only going to use about four or five bags of soda at a rate of ten s.f. per minute. So there won't be any need for clean up and not a lot of cost. I'd be thrilled to make a grand for a day's work. What kind of cash would you be happy with for it.

__________________
When it has to be clean, Betterblast it!
glenmarcinc@yahoo.com
P-610-323-8084
http://betterblast.com/

blastserv

i am sorry but 3000 sq ft in one day seems a bit to optimistic for me...maybe i have a different veiw of whats to be done???

i also saw that you said you did 10 sq ft in a short period of time but is all of the job gonna go exactly the same?cleanup on a full days work worth of any media is gonna take at least an hour...no?

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Betterblast

True enough Todd. Maybe a thousand for a ten hour day max and and a few hundred if he would have to finnish with a second day.

__________________
When it has to be clean, Betterblast it!
glenmarcinc@yahoo.com
P-610-323-8084
http://betterblast.com/

Betterblast

Hey Blastoffinc, I did try to message you back but I don't know if I did it right.

__________________
When it has to be clean, Betterblast it!
glenmarcinc@yahoo.com
P-610-323-8084
http://betterblast.com/

blastoffinc

I didn't get anything/

blastoffinc

I was just informed yesterday we did get the job. We bid $2 a sq. ft. It is for a State College, we are going to do it the first weekend they are shut down after this semester.

Betterblast

Wow! You got the big cash. I'm impressed. I wonder what other prices they got.

__________________
When it has to be clean, Betterblast it!
glenmarcinc@yahoo.com
P-610-323-8084
http://betterblast.com/

blastoffinc

This is our biggest mobile job yet! I don't think they had anybody else bid. I'm hoping we can get more work on the campus too.