You guys gonna call me crazy!!

[alvaro]

Here’s a job I did throughout November and December. I was called to bid on this job for sand blasting the paint out of the wall to bare cement. I said “Ye sure, no problem at all”…how naïve.
27 Days, 40 tons of sand (you eared me) and plenty of spare parts later, we had the mansion you see in the pics down to bare cement.
It took 2 machines; my machine, 3000psi @ 4gpm, and a rented, electric one with the same characteristics, and 4 men; 2 blasting and 2 cleaning the huge mess, working 9 hours a day/6 days a week.
Didn’t got great money in the end, but then again, this was a “baptism of fire”. I learn important lessons with this job that I would like to share:
-Never overlook the details: these are the ones that can “kill you”.
-Never think you know it all: every situation is different
-Can’t take an advice for granted; I asked for an advice on how much I should ask to a fellow painter and his advice was 5 times less money then what I got (still little).
-Always make a test… in several places. It was a big disillusion when I start blasting and only a little bit of paint, from the size of a coin, would come out. I got easier walls, difficult and extremely hard.
There were other things, but I believe these are the ones witch made more difference.

[alvaro]

and a few more

[alvaro]

Here's my pal finishing the final bit.

[newlook]

Any of the spanish tiles break while you were on the job?

[One Tough Pressure]

Never know what you might find when playing in the sand.

[Beth n Rod]

Wow...what an incredible project, Alvaro. Thank you for sharing it with us here.

Beth

[CCPC]

Just wondering, why did the structure have to be completely stripped of the current coat of paint?

[Beth n Rod]

Si, muy loco!




Impressive and ... great job!


Rod~

[alvaro]

Any of the spanish tiles break while you were on the job?

We broke about 4 tiles during the work. We did a lot of roof walking.

Never know what you might find when playing in the sand.

That’s me…discovering some stairs under the sand!

Wow...what an incredible project, Alvaro. Thank you for sharing it with us here.

Thank you Beth.

Just wondering, why did the structure have to be completely stripped of the current coat of paint?

The owner was tired of rough finish walls and rounded edges and corners. He wanted smooth and square finish. A new coat of cement had to be applied. I think he didn’t knew what use to give to the money.

This house it’s in a very healthy neighbourhood, called “Quinta do Lago”( check the net). and there are a couple of unbelievable stories; a guy bought 2 adjacent houses there, had one house demolish and built a garden on is place; another guy, did even worse, he bought a house with a swimming pool but he wanted the house where the pool was and vice-versa. He had everything demolish and had it built the way he wanted. Sounds unreal but it happened!!

This is definitely the market I want to enter!