Schools

MEDIA MAN

Just curious! Has anyone else approched schools. I have been doing a lot of gum removal. This is endless! Every morning, the kids just keep spitting out gum on the sidewalks and entries. People pressure wash these but I've been hired over them because they can't always get the set in oils from the gum and leaves black spot all over where the gum was left. I use crushed glass, 40-70 and 60-100. Yes sometimes the suface gets removed but it looks better than the black stains. 60-100 excellent for log homes also.

Media Man

plazaman

Mediaman,


Look into this

http://www.gumbustersny.com/index.htm

Might be a cheaper/easier way for removal

__________________
Westchester Remodeling Contractor
Hartsdale Remodeling Contractor
Ardsley Remodeling Contractor

MEDIA MAN

Plazaman,

Thanks for the web address. Ill look into it.
I've been doing this blasting and its gravy work and good money. No prep work, just some clean up. Really it has given me the nest egg I needed for the winter. Takes me about 2 min to blast a 36 SqFt concrete slab. Not only does it remove the gum but it makes the concrete look new again.

plazaman

Have you blasted slag before? Is crushed glass a dusty process?

__________________
Westchester Remodeling Contractor
Hartsdale Remodeling Contractor
Ardsley Remodeling Contractor

MEDIA MAN

Plazaman,

Crushed Glass:
I guess that may depend on what one person classifies as dusty. I don't think its dusty nor do I think slag is as long as I am blasting outdoors. I find them as "dusty" when I am in an enclosed or tight area such as blasting into a corner, inside a building or the underside of a dash in a cab of an truck etc. I guess if I was a bystander looking on I might think it was dusty. I don't worry about it unless its blowing back at me and I can't see what I am blasting. It is similar to blasting anything dry. I can have my truck parked 100ft away and it still gets a coating of dust. Soda is extremely dusty. Plus its white and shows up on everythign. I mainly use soda when I do fire restoration jobs. I am usually in enclosed areas then and the dust has no place to go. I'm not real crazy about soda anymore but it does have its place.

Media Man

I love the crushed glass though. I get my glass from a mfg. here in North Dakota that operates under the name Glass Advantage Inc. (glassadvantageinc.com). Their glass comes in a color similar to sand. It is a natural color therefore blends into a lot of surroundings. I have seen some companies tint there glass. One company I saw said they use a green tint. Probrably good for use in area of heavy vegetation.

Slag:
Yes I use a lot of slag. I mainly use slag. About 8000# slag to 1500# of soda. Out here I can't sell a soda job unless the customer believes they need the soda. People who have researched automotive restorations or are already knowlegable about the benefits of soda.

Soda:
The easiest jobs I have for soda are the fire restorations. The Insurance companies and the contractors hired to do the cleaning and restoration already know the advantages of soda. If you are not into fire restorations get into them. Make contacts to several companies that specialize in cleaning and restotations. Generally the locals don't want to invest in the equipment and hire it out. The larger franchises may have soda or dry ice blasters.

If they don't hire a blaster then they have to do it by hand with grinders. That is a task they don't like doing. Plus many of them know that soda is a natural deoderizer. One job I did I could smell the smoke before I pulled into the driveway inside my truck. One job I got $600 for less than 2hrs. work and that included my set up time. If I remember I didn't even use 50# of soda. If they didn't pay me the $600 they'd have to pay there employees more because it would take them 2 days time and material. Believe me, from experience they love me (sodablasters). I don't even give them estimates. I just get the call and they simply say they need me to go to such-n-such address to clean up a fire. When are you available? Love it because it is all insurance work. I try to be fair in my pricing but I have a $500 minimum just to get me there. If I have a big job over 20 miles I charge a $375 mobilization fee.

MEDIA MAN

Plazaman

Sorry for the Media Man in the middle of my last post. It was ment to be my signature at the end of the reply.

plazaman

media, thanks for the heads up. i do plan on starting fire restoration jobs soon, but once i get the equipment up and runnning. i actually have a marketing plan already in process (maybe 4 months already) for fire restoration, but i havent started to market. i keep reading all these great areas i can use soda, but i cannot get the setup right.

__________________
Westchester Remodeling Contractor
Hartsdale Remodeling Contractor
Ardsley Remodeling Contractor