Looking for Some Help

[rabbit68]

First of all, let me say in advance that I appreciate any assistance that anyone can provide me.  I am amazed at how you do this and am grateful that you are willing to share your knowledge.  I am a teacher and not a roof/house washer.  I have taught elementary school for the past 22 years in eastern North Carolina.  A couple of years ago I was checking on my parents after school one day and they were talking about some of their friends who were struggling to find someone to clean their houses for a price that they could afford.  These people are in their 70's, 80's, and sometimes 90's.  It dawned on me that I have an extended amount of time during the summer that I could use to help some of these people.  I purchased a used pressure washer and since then have tried to use some of my time during the summers to help some of the people in the community that are unable to help themselves or afford to pay to have it done.

Unfortunately, a few weeks ago my pressure washer died and I didn't know enough to be able to fix it.  Originally, I was going to just buy another used pressure washer, but when I was looking around for what was available, I stumbled upon soft washing.  Since finding out about soft washing, I have found a couple of forums that I have been reading and watched many hours of YouTube.  I have seen people talk about foaming, using an X-Jet, cleaning roofs and siding without any pressure, and generally becoming more and more confused.  The 1st forums and videos that I found talked about using pumps and a 12 volt battery, but I found some later that were talking about using air compressors.  The two things that I am sure of are the facts that everything that I was doing in the past has been wrong, and I may have actually been causing some damage without actually realizing it!!!

What I am looking at doing, if possible, is very simple.  I would like to try to put together a very simple system that I could use to go to people's homes to help them clean siding, decks/patios(I had purchased a round surface cleaner from Lowe's for my pressure washer), etc.  Our church has a very strong community outreach program that I would like to use it with as well.  The costs of the new systems that I have seen online are scary for a teacher in North Carolina, but I have been encouraged by some forum topics talking about how much cheaper it is to build a system yourself.  I am also not opposed to using second hand equipment as long as it works correctly and saves me money, but I am not sure what is alright to buy used and what should be avoided.  I have a car not a truck, but might could purchase a small trailer if I had to.  If I just could carry the components in pieces in the trunk of my car and assemble them when I arrived at someones house that would save me some money.  I used to just remove to handle from the pressure washer and put everything in the trunk of the car.  I am not running a business so I don't have to worry about having to impress customers or losing business to someone else with fancier equipment.

I am looking for advice on the best way to put together something that will allow me to do simple cleaning for people unable to have it done any other way.  I would also like some advice about the best way to use chemicals, but that might be putting the cart before the horse at this point.  This is not going to be a business so I don't need any information on marketing, how much to charge, or other things like that.  This may not be possible with some of the prices that I have seen from some of the retailers and I might have to still resort to purchasing another used pressure washer and doing the best that I can.  While not the best solution, it is better than nothing.

Finally, I understand the struggle of the small business person, and try to support independent businesses whenever possible.  My grandparents ran a very small shoe store in our town's downtown area for 50 years before the strip malls came in a almost ruined the entire downtown area.  I checked your list of 'Professionals' in North Carolina and none of them are located in my area.  Even if they were, none of the people that I would be helping would be viable customers for a contractor unless they were doing charity work.  Please be assured that I would never do anything to take business away from someone trying to support their family.  As I said at the beginning of this post, I appreciate any advice that anyone can give me to help me along the way.

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

Do you plan on doing roofs, or siding/driveways

[rabbit68]

I have just been doing siding and walkways/driveways.  I had not even considered doing anything with the roofs until I heard about soft washing and am not sure if that would be trying to take on to much.  By what I have read so far, even though the technique is similar, most people have additional equipment for roofs.  Most of the people that I have been doing things for have lived in 50's or 60's ranches in established neighborhoods with larger trees.  Around here, many of those are pine trees that are bad for dropping sap all over everything that I am sure would create additional problems trying to clean off of a roof.

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

A pressure washer will fit in the trunk of a car, and can run on city water pressure, as long as you don't go too big in GPM.  

[rabbit68]

That is what I used before and I already have an extra wand, all of my tips, and a surface cleaner.  If I just purchased another one of those and just got something like the j-rod tips that I see all of you using or an x-jet do you think that would be my best solution?  I had even thought about something like a MTM Hydro Foam Cannon that would apply the chemicals without much pressure, but I was concerned that it would not shoot high enough if someone did have a 2 story house.

Robert

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

Pressure washing is not my specialty, but I see quite a few guys using these shooter tips as well as the J Rod tips.