[Gary Webber]

Hi all,

If you want help on your estimates, Tesco are doing a Sonic Measure for £4.89!

Measures from 0.5m to 15.2m (50ft)

Absolute Bargain, picked myself up one as backup. The first one I bought years ago cost nearly £100!

Gary

[derek west]

got mine from b an q, very un predictable, especially against white kitchen tiles. gone back to a tape measure for commercial and guestimate domestics.
derek

[Gary Webber]

Hi Derek,

I agree at times they are annoying, but for cluttered rooms etc, they can hold their own. I am impressed with this ones accuracy, for the money it seems very good!

Gary

[Ricky M]

IMO the sonic looks flash N pro an the client likes that lil extra touch

[colin thomas]

black & decker do a sonic measure that 'bends' at the neck to 90degs, this means that when you put it against the wall it is flat to it and gives a much more accurate reading, i think mine was just over £30 from tooled-up dot com, i never used to trust the distance given and double checked with the tape for a while, got fed up doing that as it was always there or there-abouts,

colin

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I like the tape measure approach when I'm onsite quoting, I get the client to hold one end of the tape measure to get them involved.

Derek when you say 'guesstimate' do you see how long the it will take you or do you base rooms on a certain size and multiply up if you have more than 1 area like a thru room classes as double?

Shaun

[derek west]

i look at the size of trhe room and guess how long it will take me, domestically i don't charge by sq meters, i use rack of eye and like i said, guesstimate it.
the size of the room for me is irrelevant, a wool carpet takes a good 30% longer to clean as you need 2 chems to get an excellent result, where as PP you can batter them with no need for splitters on the traffic areas.
so how you guys quote over trhe phone is beyond me, unless you just wash and go regardless of wether it comes out or not.
derek

[markpowell]

I quote over the phone, its very rare i get it wrong. Just take sizes. Once there if there is any stains that will take extra work i advise of the cost before starting. Im using Powerburst and acid rinse on 80% of jobs these days.
Mark

[derek west]

i find that power burst doesn't get settee foot wear out in one go, after pb and acid rince i use onestep with sebo, ciggie break for dwell time and then rince, job done. couldn't quote that unless i saw the foot traffic first. but thats just me, not knockin anyone, maybe when ive been going a while i might, but i doubt it, and theres nothing worse than giving a price then upping it at the job. just not me.
derek

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Quote most over the phone best thing with a TM is that it takes me the same to clean a wool as it does a synthetic, I charge by the sq foot.

20 odd years of cleaning and it's never taken me longer to clean a wool like for like soiling than an acrylic.

Shaun

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I tend to adapt as I go along, you have to know your chemicals and that takes time like I said 20 odd years.

Shaun

[suffolkclean]

We bought a £35 one from screwfix & it was rubbish, took it back & upgraded to a £150 laser job - it's amazing. it works out the m2 for you - takes minute to quote for a whole house. Customers are always very impressed too - 'You get what you pay for'!

[Ricky M]

mine cost £20 and works out the m2 too
friends in low places 

[JandS]

Derek.

What you use on wool for pre spray and extraction.
I use PSG which is good but I rinse with Fibre and Fabric rinse which as given mixed results.

John

[derek west]

depends how bad it is john, for a freshen up i use one step with water rinse, for low soil, the same, medium soil multi pro mixed 1 to 8 with hydra CW rinse, heavy soil, out comes the powerburst i'm affraid, with one step after for anything thats left.
never tried or seen PSG, what is it?
derek

[craigp]

As Barbra said there is two types

Laser

and

Ultra-sonic

ultra sonic are anywhere for £5 to £50 and ime are totally rubbish and unrealiable (the laser on these is merly a pointer not doing the measuring)

Laser are calibrated and are dead accurate used by surveyors but cost £150 min upto £400 but well worth it ime. (the laser does the measuring on these)

did you know what LASER stands for?

Light
Applification
Stimulated by
Emmision of
Radition

Dont you hate a smart ass

[Mike Osbourne]

I think I've been spelling it with a z all these years. :

[craigp]

Hi Mike,

Thats just slang think that spelling came from the yanks.

my old man told me that when I was about 10 and he was ped up on holiday never forgot it.

[Mike Osbourne]

So really when you write it, it should be in caps like RADAR, which not only is an acronym but is also a palemdromythingybob. 

[craigp]

It makes a good up line you know

women love that stuff