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Wood Restoration and Cleaning Benefits?

Carlos Gonzales

New member
What could the UAMCC offer your market (Wood Restoration) as a benefit that would be only applicable to you....meaning if the UAMCC were to give the wood washers across the U.S. a specific benefit that only would apply to you....what would that be?

Please list the top 3.
 

Terry Miller

New member
Carlos,
As a developing PWing company, we would be considered woodies in one aspect. I believe our association with companys offering strippers, cleaners and coatings would be a major benefit. Having a Vendor who supplies the very best products, training and is well known is a benefit. We have been working with a couple companies and also doing testing with them. Also maybe a wood manufacturer would be helpful. Having deck manufactures offering advice and training in their peticular products again would help. These are only a few. Hopefully others will chirp in to offer suggestions? Thank You.
 

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Ken Fenner

Active member
I agree with Terry (great work by the way). Good reliable manufacturers and distributors of deck products coupled with proper training to teach new guys proper technique and pricing. A third item would be the inclusion of wood projects in the "Wash With Us" national endeavor.
 

Terry Miller

New member
We have trained with Flood in Florida and have done so locally, many times. There are many manufacturers who hold training sessions. This is a plus for everyone. We learn then train our employees. They share the benefits of knowledge. Doing decks is a profitable item for our business. Having the tools to do them is better yet. Struggling on a deck is bad business. I see to many companys using high pressure and no cleaners / strippers to do a basic deck. The homeowner suffers and carry a bad taste in their mouth for years. That is time to educate the HO! A program to educate the HO would be a great benefit of the UAMCC? Thank you.
 

Ken Fenner

Active member
Tery, as you know, this is a current topic with the UAMCC. The more I explore training, the more I am starting to see a veritable hornet's nest. I would say the best way to do decks is to use low pressure and a two step chemical cleaning process. Then, when I think about that, Shane from Texas would be able to look me right in the eye and cry foul. He used high pressure and bleach. How can anyone argue his results? Ten plus years in the business and some of the most beautiful pictures of finished deck work this industry has seen. I am personally, and I emphasize 'personally' because at this stage of the game no decisions have been made, that training contractors in the operation of business, ethics and long term strategy is more important that advocating technique. As has been said many times, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Pushing a certain method of cleaning over another creates a controversy that may not be prudent.
 

Tonyg

New member
Serious indepth product reviews and comparisons. As a painter I have settled on several manufacturers and products from each that best suit certain substrates. Knowing what a product will be like and which product to try is invaluable. One thing I hate to do is experiment on a customers project.

How does Flood compare to Ready Seal, what stain would be best on redwood fencing, when should I use Woodrich Stain & Seal rather than WT, how does AC stains hold up to color fading, etc, etc.

Also, every time I get an odd request for color I have to go searching the boards for a deck of that color so I can show my customer. It would be nice to have some organized color comparisons. I used to mix my own colors years ago but have long been out of practice. I notice that many are mixing custom colors that wouldn't mind sharing formulations.
 

Barry M

New member
What could the UAMCC offer your market (Wood Restoration) as a benefit that would be only applicable to you....meaning if the UAMCC were to give the wood washers across the U.S. a specific benefit that only would apply to you....what would that be?

Please list the top 3.

As a wood restoration company, I would have to say the most important benefit to me would be better public awareness and education. This IMO is what an org should do for contractors. I can test and review my own products, methods, and equipment to my hearts content but I can't bear the cost of wide spread public awareness.

The times have been too many that I start a new deck restoration job and find wand marks and scars all over the wood from the homeowners attempt to do it themselves. Few know the complexity and skill involved in wood care, most think just blasting the wood with water pressure and slapping an expensive sealer on it will buy them a few years of a good looking deck. Obviously this isn't the end result.
__________________
Barry Maddox
Wood restoration contractor
Midwest Pro Wash
 

Tony Szabo

New member
Berry and Terry are on the right path. To educate the home owner but how?

Have the Uamcc print a brochure about the org. and why to hire their members for the services they offer. Get KBK Graphics Keith to print 15,000 (or any #) and the Uamcc can hand them out to their members at first 300 brochures for free and the rest can cost us members to buy them and then the contractor is giving back as he buys the brochures as needed. (for a good price of course)

If the Uamcc does a good job at this, they will yield a profit of the cost of the brochures from KBK Graphics, or at least break even to a great benefit!

We as contractors can now hand this brochures out as we give bids to our customers.
 
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Ken Fenner

Active member
Tony, great thoughts. I agree with you 100% that this would be a great member benefit. We are working out the feasibility on this and other similar offerings.
 

Terry Miller

New member
Right On Guy's,
We are wood finishers. We all do something different and use different chemicals. The end results are what we seek. Handling a customer with kid gloves and educating them is a large part of our job. We need to be artists? Having the right terminology, customer respect, educational materials for marketing all come into play. Whether we use straight bleach or proprietary chemicals we want the best for our customers. Having an organization as the UAMCC with marketing tools, education and support for members will go a long way. I am looking forward in the future ideas and actions of the UAMCC for building our business. Thank You.
 

Carlos Gonzales

New member
Certainly worth pursuing....it is time to check with KBK on this and a few more other suggestions that have come our way....

Keep the IDEAS coming.....:coool:
 

Carlos Gonzales

New member
Berry and Terry are on the right path. To educate the home owner but how?

Have the Uamcc print a brochure about the org. and why to hire their members for the services they offer. Get KBK Graphics Keith to print 15,000 (or any #) and the Uamcc can hand them out to their members at first 300 brochures for free and the rest can cost us members to buy them and then the contractor is giving back as he buys the brochures as needed. (for a good price of course)

If the Uamcc does a good job at this, they will yield a profit of the cost of the brochures from KBK Graphics, or at least break even to a great benefit!

We as contractors can now hand this brochures out as we give bids to our customers.

OR

have the brochure on a PDF file located on the UAMCC website so that contractors can download/burn on a CD.

I like the idea about the brochure...handing out 300 to each member could be a little pricey ~ checks and balances!!
 

Terry Miller

New member
For the UAMCC to get into printing is costly. As you said Carlos, Have a pdf on file for members only. There could be a simple cost to use the file? They can download and use as needed. However, it has to be a simple flyer, only promoting the UAMCC. Not our style or chemicals to do wood work. Being as we all do something different, it would only be good for promoting the contractor as a UAMCC member. Thank you.
 

Carlos Gonzales

New member
As a wood restoration company, I would have to say the most important benefit to me would be better public awareness and education. This IMO is what an org should do for contractors. I can test and review my own products, methods, and equipment to my hearts content but I can't bear the cost of wide spread public awareness.

The times have been too many that I start a new deck restoration job and find wand marks and scars all over the wood from the homeowners attempt to do it themselves. Few know the complexity and skill involved in wood care, most think just blasting the wood with water pressure and slapping an expensive sealer on it will buy them a few years of a good looking deck. Obviously this isn't the end result.
__________________
Barry Maddox
Wood restoration contractor
Midwest Pro Wash

Great post Barry - what you are saying is what the UAMCC is moving on in the direct marketing program that we have established and will continue to establish with Direct Media www.directmedia.com . Direct Media has been selected to expose the UAMCC but more importantly its members to potential customers!!
 
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