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Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk

  • Posts: 406
I've just cleaned this...
« on: September 01, 2016, 12:41:40 pm »
With some tart from Manchester!!


Matt.

  • Posts: 1832
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2016, 05:39:41 pm »
Welcome back rob.

That's a mighty job in itself

Aqua Power Solutions

  • Posts: 802
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2016, 05:55:39 pm »
Welcome newbie (Rob) to the forum !  If you need any advice we will point you in the right direction  ;D
Ed
Aqua Power Solutions external property maintenance 01423 541 400 Mobile 0752 158 3240  Visit our Facebook page for examples of our work https://www.facebook.com/Aqua-Power-Solutions-332485570200950/

waterforce

  • Posts: 75
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2016, 07:32:34 pm »
Thats impressive!

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2016, 08:17:00 pm »
What do you want a medal or something?  ;D ;D

waterforce

  • Posts: 75
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2016, 09:35:08 pm »
How did you get on the roof?

Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk

  • Posts: 406
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2016, 10:15:45 pm »
Thanks Matt & Ed.

I'm going to have a lot of questions so I'm hoping you'll be patient with me.

Waterforce

At the top LH side next to the water tank they built a sixty foot scaffold staircase to get onto the two higher roofs, we only cleaned the cladding, not the roofs.


waterforce

  • Posts: 75
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2016, 07:07:42 am »
Thanks Matt & Ed.

I'm going to have a lot of questions so I'm hoping you'll be patient with me.

Waterforce

At the top LH side next to the water tank they built a sixty foot scaffold staircase to get onto the two higher roofs, we only cleaned the cladding, not the roofs.
How did you clean the cladding ?
With brushes?
How long did it take?
How do you get/price that sort of work...this is what I want to end up doing.

Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk

  • Posts: 406
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2016, 03:41:30 pm »
Waterforce -

I'll turn your question around.

What do you think we did, how long did it take and how would you go about getting the work?

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2016, 06:05:21 pm »
You got the "tart from manchester" your words not mine to do all the work while you sat on yer arse watching him so next time you will know how to do it properly maybe?  Just kidding ;D ;D

Ian101

  • Posts: 7887
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2016, 06:07:52 pm »
you mean them lads still not cleaning the roof ??

waterforce

  • Posts: 75
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2016, 08:58:40 pm »
Waterforce -

I'll turn your question around.

What do you think we did, how long did it take and how would you go about getting the work?
I have seen cladding cleaned with window cleaners poles and some people jet wash it ...hence the question. I really don't know where to start with getting work like that or even how to start pricing it....do you just phone the company up?

Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk

  • Posts: 406
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #12 on: September 02, 2016, 10:48:41 pm »
It was pressure washed.

The top 8 metres was corrugated cladding - that could not have been cleaned with a WFP system. It was heavily crusted with Algae.

Lee cleaned it back to original with heat from his Falch machine.

To clean the building it took a couple of weeks, with a combination of 1,2 & 3 people on site.

MEWP (access) were 2 x 20 metre, 1 x 28.8 metre booms.

As a minimum you need to have CSCS, Asbestos Awareness, IPAF and the client would expect you to know what you are doing.

I don't know about other commercial operators and the supply chains they work in and for but for me it is clients I have worked for in the past. This job was from a client I cleaned a roof for in Andover three years ago.

I've been on the Sainsbury's refurb programme for years - Did two nights @ a Sainsbury's store last night and Wednesday night in Bristol.

In my experience I have never seen a sole trader working on any projects but that's not to say that doesn't happen elsewhere, so my experience is VAT registered and therefore LTD company.

There isn't an answer on getting the work in - they phoned me, website is king!!!

People who have never used you have no way of knowing what you can do unless they can find you online and see your story.


Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk

  • Posts: 406
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #13 on: September 02, 2016, 11:03:33 pm »
Ian

Did you see them?

waterforce

  • Posts: 75
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #14 on: September 03, 2016, 08:11:38 am »
It was pressure washed.

The top 8 metres was corrugated cladding - that could not have been cleaned with a WFP system. It was heavily crusted with Algae.

Lee cleaned it back to original with heat from his Falch machine.

To clean the building it took a couple of weeks, with a combination of 1,2 & 3 people on site.

MEWP (access) were 2 x 20 metre, 1 x 28.8 metre booms.

As a minimum you need to have CSCS, Asbestos Awareness, IPAF and the client would expect you to know what you are doing.

I don't know about other commercial operators and the supply chains they work in and for but for me it is clients I have worked for in the past. This job was from a client I cleaned a roof for in Andover three years ago.

I've been on the Sainsbury's refurb programme for years - Did two nights @ a Sainsbury's store last night and Wednesday night in Bristol.

In my experience I have never seen a sole trader working on any projects but that's not to say that doesn't happen elsewhere, so my experience is VAT registered and therefore LTD company.

There isn't an answer on getting the work in - they phoned me, website is king!!!

People who have never used you have no way of knowing what you can do unless they can find you online and see your story.

Ok thank you .
How long have you being doing this work for and how many people do you employ?
Who is the best person to make a website like yours?
How do I VAT and Ltd paper work? Whats CSCS?
Sorry for all the questions  ;D

clarkson

  • Posts: 1025
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #15 on: September 03, 2016, 08:32:15 am »
Hi rob
That s fantastic , biggest site I have seen on here I think.

Question , if I was cleaning a huge area of cladding  I would have tried softwash  rather than pressure.

Or was it to heavily soiled ?

Cheers
John
A2Z

clarkson

  • Posts: 1025
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #16 on: September 03, 2016, 08:52:15 am »
It was pressure washed.

The top 8 metres was corrugated cladding - that could not have been cleaned with a WFP system. It was heavily crusted with Algae.

Lee cleaned it back to original with heat from his Falch machine.

To clean the building it took a couple of weeks, with a combination of 1,2 & 3 people on site.

MEWP (access) were 2 x 20 metre, 1 x 28.8 metre booms.

As a minimum you need to have CSCS, Asbestos Awareness, IPAF and the client would expect you to know what you are doing.

I don't know about other commercial operators and the supply chains they work in and for but for me it is clients I have worked for in the past. This job was from a client I cleaned a roof for in Andover three years ago.

I've been on the Sainsbury's refurb programme for years - Did two nights @ a Sainsbury's store last night and Wednesday night in Bristol.

In my experience I have never seen a sole trader working on any projects but that's not to say that doesn't happen elsewhere, so my experience is VAT registered and therefore LTD company.

There isn't an answer on getting the work in - they phoned me, website is king!!!

People who have never used you have no way of knowing what you can do unless they can find you online and see your story.

Ok thank you .
How long have you being doing this work for and how many people do you employ?
Who is the best person to make a website like yours?
How do I VAT and Ltd paper work? Whats CSCS?
Sorry for all the questions  ;D

Water force
I have just noticed your questions.  I don't know what size of operation you are running and  what  size of sites  you are used to  but it would be very difficult to go from a one man operation  to do site like these.

Rob is over simplifying it . You will have to have  good health and safety practices including risk assessments method statements . Health and safety policy , good commercial insurance  and as stated most of the above.

You don't necessarily need to be Ltd , but the issue is clients of this nature don't take you seriously if you are not. The size of business to be able to handle this effectively  would be generating profits that would make it necessary.

It is a strategic decision to be taken when the business is ready.  You will certainly need to do it  via an accountant or other professional.  This is the same as VAT registration , and I wouldn't go VAT registered if turnover is below  the threshold , I think 82k pa at the minute.

Cscs  is worth getting however as its a short exam  to satisfy commercial sites you are aware  of health and safety issues.

Don't want to dampen your enthusiasm , wish I still had some. But you can come unstuck trying to grow a business to quick and your questions lead me to believe your operation isn't the size to be looking at projects this big yet!

I don't claim to be on the same playing field as rob or lee at this kind of work , but we are  a medium size operation. And everything in place and I would have thought long and hard before taking that on.

Cheers
John

waterforce

  • Posts: 75
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #17 on: September 03, 2016, 09:07:39 am »
Thank you for the info John.
Maybe it will come to us one day...if we keep at it. Thats what I like about this forum...all the helpful advice.

Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk

  • Posts: 406
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #18 on: September 03, 2016, 09:46:47 am »
John

Hope your well mate - I wished I'd thought a bit harder before taking it on - it was a pain in the a*se but some of that was down to me having two machine breakdowns and then working through one of the hottest periods of the year.

Down the side where the water tank is (perspective - the tank is 15 metres tall) it was massively soiled and just easier to pressure wash to a good finish, the client was happy.

I'm guessing it could have been soft washed but drift was an issue and the client didn't want us spraying any chemicals with people working on the roof. There were 7 up there.

Waterforce - Although I am a LTD company I work without employees and had I not had the breakdowns would have got on with it on my own.

The larger flow machines help you to get a lot more done in the same amount of time.

For me it is always useful to have a good network of people that can be called up.

I had a well built window cleaning business that I sold to do this. I would have that back tomorrow and give all of this up if I got the opportunity and am actively looking at this as an option.

Website - I have banged on about websites for years on here!!

Spend everything you can and then find a bit more. It is the most important part of your business, hand in hand with capability.












clarkson

  • Posts: 1025
Re: I've just cleaned this...
« Reply #19 on: September 03, 2016, 09:51:31 am »
Hi water force
It will  of course if you keep up your  can do attitude , me as well I hope .

Just don't want anyone  getting into trouble .  Say you start something like this , spent a few thousand setting up  , few thousand  on hire . Work on it for a week with three guys  so a  thousand or two on wages
Then it goes pear shaped for whatever reason . Could you work on it for weeks to pull it round . Would you have to walk off the job and loose the 6k start up.

Rob know s this client.  But says your client goes bust owing you 20k could you cover it.

It's a minefield and the numbers are all big ones.

For your info I am finding increasingly that small to medium size jobs for around the 1000k mark seem to pay best without any great exposure , minimum of kit  and no stress. We often leave site with a cheque as well.

On the set up business structure . You can of course do it all yourself but mistakes at the beginning are costly ones. Better in my opinion to use consultants websites, health safety ,  corporate structure , vat
Can all be done using professionals. It costs but it's done right .

Cheers
John