Gutters

[Degraffreed]

To those who clean gutters.

I will be using Purple Power tommorrow on residence housewashing.

My question is 1. Do you prewet the gutters, then apply the PP via extension pole with brush, let dwell, then rinse?

Or do you brush the PP on the dry gutters.

A quick response would be appreciated.


I would like to here from all contractors that could post their experience with gutter cleaning.

I bought the PP tonight and by the time I arrived home to try it on my own gutter the sunlight was past the horizon and I was to dark for me to tell if the PP was any better than my Limolene, I used previously on all the other residences.


DeGraffreed

[RyanH]

prewet.
usually I can get away with spraying on, dwelling for 30 seconds and blasting off, but occassionally I do scrub. If the gutters are grayed overall (the streaks look old and more blended instead of well defined, like they have been accumulating the nasties for some time), then I would scrub.
If you are going to scrub you might want to dilute 50:50.

[squirtgun]

We use the PP on the gutters dry(I think dry or prewet work equally well).We use PP straight and rinse after about a 2-5 minute dwell time(depending on how dirty the gutter are).If you don't rinse quickly it can and will remove paint from gutters or it will dry and you will need to rescrub.
We use about a 4 cups in a 5 gallon bucket and use a brush and extention pole.

[Degraffreed]

Ryan, do you use hot water when cleaning the gutters or can you get the same cleaning result with cold water unit?

Also your post along with Squirtgun varies in dwell time. Ex 30sec, 2-5 min. Is it safe to apply PP along the entire gutter with about 2 min before rinsing off. Since I did not have a chance to test dwell time today. I do not have much time in the a.m before the job to conduct my own dwell test. I am concerned with the PP taking the paint off the customers gutters since this would be the first time using PP.

DeGraffreed

Degraffreed

[Aplus]

Are you sure you leave it on 2-5 min Scott? That's along time, I think we dwell less than a minute, and sometimes, even that long the stuff starts to dry and has to be re-wetted again.

I'm thinking that dwell time may be different based on geographic location as well as hardness of the water the chem is mixed in. No scientific proof, just a gut feeling.

[Aplus]

Graff, it will become apparant how long you need to dwell. If you apply with a brush you'll see the black streaks just melt off. I don't think anyone can tell you exactly how long to dwell, you just need to watch and go with what you see.

And hot water is not necessary to clean gutters.

[squirtgun]

We have washed houses in upper 20 degree temps where 2-5 minutes was perfect.I imagine this spring and into the summer we will need to cut that dwell time way down because of the heat.Start on the short side of dwell (30 seconds) and increase if needed.


Tony,
Your theory on water hardness does have some merit.Our housewash mix is stronger with citracleen (RPC226) than it is when we use (RPC270) All purpose cleaner.

[RyanH]

My 30 seconds is with a more concentrated amount and like tony said, it will dry to the point where it is ineffective after too long. With brushing, you don't really need to let it dwell. The 30 seconds is kind of a time limit you don't want to pass to ensure that you don't take the paint off or weaken it. I prefer brushing if I can, but on high gutters where I don't want to wave the brush far above my head (drips) I just apply then rinse.

Oh, and talk to the guys at autozone/autoparts and see if they'll order you a 2.5 gallon or 5 gallon pail if this is something you are going to be using on a regular basis. HD sells Zeps version but I'm not as happy with it.

[Mike]

I really dont let it dwell long at all. I use a 2:1 Water:PP mixture, brush it on (like tony said you see the black streaks just melts off the gutters) I will do about 6 feet of gutter, then turn around and rinse it right off.

I had an old gutter laying around and sprayed PP on it and let it dwell, it eventually started to eat into the paint. So be careful on your dwell time.

[Barry M]

Graff, let us know how it went. I'm thinking of using PP. What do you guys give for PP. I priced it at my local Napa, they get 21.99 for 5gal. or $199 for a 55gal drum.

[Degraffreed]

Hello to all,

I like to take this time out and again thank all the vets, who help me with the professional responses. Let me tell you guys what happened today.

Myself and my help went to the residence in a prominant area. We pulled up and set up everything, ladder second unit powerwasher, water supply etc.

We pulled out the Purple Power that I bought the night before, after reading all the past post about PP. We then poured about 16 oz in a white five gallon bucket inside the trailer. We did not want the customers to see what product we are using.

I then had my helper test a small section, maybe 6 ft and clean one area, dwell then rinsed off. And my response was HELL YEAH, we have something to celabrate here.

Man If I could post the pictures of the home, you could see for yourself. This stuff is the BOMB. I could only get it in the gallons size from Autozone. The clerk said that they did not have it in other sizes. Not here comes the good part.

As I was cleaning the home, there were get this, ten cars pulled up to the house and stood and watch the process on how we brighten all the white trim, gutters and cleaned the mildew off the house,

I had to spend at least 1 hour talking to potential customers on how they had other Pw come and charge them 180-250 and the house did not come close to what the result on this house were. Spent about three house on house, 18X40 driveway, and rear patio. We were test our time on this residence, but that went south once we had the crowd gather.

I am not bragging here But we did 15 estimate in the subdivison and sealed the deal for 13.

I thank this board again, Aplus, Ryan and Squirt you guy are great and I look forward to

Anyone that using GZ, not knocking it, But Man that PP in now in my arsenal.

DeGraffreed

[Aplus]

Graff,
You need to get a digital cam and take some pix man! You'd be surprised how much easier it is to sell jobs when you got pix to show.

Plus we'd like to see em' here too!

[RyanH]

Glad it worked. Something else you can try is to mix with a little greased lightning and water. I've found that they work very well together with the PP and GL in a 1:1 and then that mixed with water at about 1:3 cleaner:water. If brushing it's wunderbar!

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Barry M

Graff, let us know how it went. I'm thinking of using PP. What do you guys give for PP. I priced it at my local Napa, they get 21.99 for 5gal. or $199 for a 55gal drum.

barry I get it from a supply store for 3.49 a gallon, but I think you can get it from the Wal-mart automotive aread for 3.85 a gallon which is a little cheaper then your napa price.

You can see a before / afer photo in the "My Mind is in the Gutter" thread here in this forum.

[Christopher]

Hello Everyone,
I am starting to get some calls for cleaning gutters and am looking for a good brush to clean the outside of the gutters. What does everyone use? Where can I buy some? What is the best material to use? Nylon? Broom Fiber? Other? Has anyone used the Stack Brush for gutters? Thanks for any help.