[Wayne Boardman]

Hi all - Need a bit of help/advise...

Phone call tonight just before leaving my last job. Stairs only- so thought why not as it was on my way home.
Anyway turned up and the owner had just had new carpets laid and a builder had walking dog sh*t up the stairs.

So quick clean and then the owner asked me to quote for stain protecting all the new carpets.
It's an 8 bedroom house and a total of 12 rooms, plus stairs and landing. (most of the rooms are above average in size). Said i'd get back with a quote

So guys -I have to be honest i've not done stain protecting yet and need some guidance.

Looking for advice to which product to use.
Best way to apply tips/equipment
and of course what sort of price.

Any help/comments would be much appreciated

Thanks Wayne

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

First of all Wayne, don't start thinking how expensive it's going to sound - I would imagine they have spent in excess of £ 10k for the new carpets.

I usually use Prochems Flouroseal, other brands are available  

Pricewise, I would - and have, with this size of job - charge £2 per m2, you can justify a big part of this price simply by the cost of the product, the rest is easily justifiable in labour cost.

Pre-spray the carpet with a weak solution of fib/fab, then spray the protector east-west then north-south, then brush in and groom using a CLEAN pile brush.

[Fran84]

Steve gives some sound advice there Wayne.

I would probably go at £2.50 per sqm though.

Fran.

[Wayne Boardman]

Thank guys, what's the reason for the spray of fib/fab first ?

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Would normally be £2.50 Fran, but I'm guessing there is at least 400m2 of carpet in that place 

[Fran84]

All to do with balancing out the PH levels mate.

You're allowing a bit of discount for sheer volume. Can't say that is such bad business practice.


Fran.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

For the protector to bond to fibres a ph of 6 is required with most products.

Shaun

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Was just about to say that Flouroseal is ph6, but Shaun beat me to it

[Shaun_Ashmore]

You're too old Steve 

Shaun

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

I resemble that remark 

[Wayne Boardman]

It is a big old place...Two of the downstairs rooms are at least 10m by 8m  

I reckon it would take me a good half day to do it properly.

Just checked the price of the prochem product and at £30 a pop need to make sure I quote enough to make a profit.
I was going to quote a set price per room (say £70 a room) but have a feeling I better go back and measure up first...?

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Wayne, yes go back and measure it, all part of the theater of quoting.

Allow the whole day to do the job, it will be a big job ticket so make it value for money, you will be surprised the time it will take to pre-spray a large room then spray again and brush in - half an hour per room including mixing up -  times 12 rooms !

Flouroseal is pricey but you don't have to mess about diluting it.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

1st work out how much the product is going to cost per metre, it could be worth charging a half day rate to apply it but personally I would go for a price per metre and sell them at that then measure up.

Shaun

[expro]

The reason one uses f&f rinse prior to applying Fluoroseal are as follows.

On DRY carpets Prochem recommend you prespray with F & F rinse to
Dampen the carpet Fibres because MOIST/DAMP fibres absorb the Flouroseal
much better than dry fibres.

If applying Fluoroseal to a carpet after cleaning Prochem recommend you rinse
extract with F&F rinse to lower the ph in the carpet.

As a rule high ph breaks down  protectors.

Expro