Archive for February, 2010

I am mural-painting an exterior concrete block which is the base for a metal traffic control box. All of it will be painted. I read on the interwebs that it’s best to pressure-wash ext concrete before painting, but I have no access to water for the pressure washer. Do I have any alternatives?
I could transport *some* water to the site, just there is no hookup for a hose.

i’d transport some water there. use a semi-rigid brush, water, and some concrete cleaner (check out Thompson, they make one) to scrub the concrete.
rinse very well (even if it just consists of repeatedly throwing water on it).
allow the concrete to dry thoroughly (i’d leave it for a day if it’s sunny).
PRIME the concrete with a concrete primer (if you don’t the mural paint probably won’t stick that long) and let that dry thoroughly.
do your mural!

I am wondering what is a excellent sprayer for yard/garden insecticide and liquid fertilizer. I just finished pressure washing my deck and got to thinking it would be nice to have something like this — electric and powerful — for my yard, for my very tall fruit trees, 1-acre grass with ants, general fertilizing. I bet one could get that done in no time flat.

I have a Craftsman hand-pump which I was never, ever pleased with from day one. I dread the thought of using it.

Anyone ever place anything like that in a pressure washer ?
On 2+ acres infested with ants, I reckon it’s time to spray. I’m sure the 3 neighbors would prefer to see the lush green lawn I used to have . . .

Trust me, they won’t/can’t sue and wouldn’t do that anyway, not like that here, thank goodness

Prune your fruit trees. Get those high suckers off. Tall tree do not produce much fruit,(especially on the higher limbs). These types of trees are being yanked for a more tighter intense production orchard.
The excess sucker growth just makes the tree weaker (and a weak tree basically gives off a scent that attracts bugs).

As for putting insecticide into a pressure washer…..you seem to have overlooked that insecticide and poison are the same thing. It will kill you just as well as a bug. You really want to be careful with it and not contaminate the entire neighborhood. Besides it needs to be ontop of the leaves, (not in them.) Same would apply to the fruit. A poison apple is not worth much to anyone.
Orchardists try using as small pesticides as possible.(it cuts into their profit margin)
I wouldn’t use it for getting it out of the pressure washer will take ages.(and maybe the next thing you pressure wash is the picnic table).without even thinking about residue.

The dangers of making your own pressure washer could result in serious injury. You would need to make a sealed compression chamber for your air that would have to make 1400+ PSI and hold 1-5 gallons of air for personal use, and 20-50 gallons of air for commercial use. you would then need a water source, hose or tank. by the time you go through all of this distress you will have spent more than you would to buy one.

I’ve looked at a few websites and see that I can get gas powered washers for upwards of $400 and also get small electric ones for as low as $80. I know that the huge difference seems to be the pressure that each puts out (PSI) but that’s all I know.

Can I get a compressor so I can say attach a paint sprayer, a tire inflator and then attach a head so I can pressure wash? Or do I have to get a compressor for paint and air and then a pressure washer as well? I’m mostly interested in the washing part but would be nice to have an all in one solution if that is even available?

Here is what I want to do…wash the cars, RV, kids bikes, driveway, vinyl siding on the house and basic yardwork type of chores.

Please help me figure out what to buy?

If it were me… I’d go to the local rental equipment shop and question the guy in charge of what he thinks. Why – because he would be the one very familiar with what you’d be looking for. As that’s what he rents, and is very knowledgeable about.

Pt 8/14 Pressure Washer First Aid is about the first aid part of pressure washing; how to address cuts, scrapes, chemical spills, chemical burns, etc. It also addresses the physical training of pressure washing; how to train your muscles to be able to handle pressure washing all day. This is a 14 video series on youtube.

Compliments of Delco Cleaning Systems of Fort Worth at 800-433-2113, email: delco@dcs1.com , www.dcs1.com , or www.pressurewash.com .

Duration : 0:9:52

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