A strip job...pics

[floorguy]

So here ya go....a little time line of a job i did a few weeks back....

To start, with the stripper on there...see how it is already breaking it down??

What it looks like after the 1st strip

Ready for some finish to be applied

It is a little blotchy....thats from the brush marks, and the uneven nature of the floor....still have that "chalky" look, and there maybe a slight amount of finish on the edges...This floor was stripped 2 times and in some areas 3....after that...it is just a waste and as I tell them...it will finish coming off in later strips..

1st coat down

Cleanign things up while the floor dries......

The mop on the left is the "final" mop...the one in the middle, is to mop up edges only after squeeging and running the autoscrubbers...the one on the right is for applying the stripper from a bucket.... the left and right one, are from the ORIGINAL dozen mops I bought some 17 years ago...

The main machines....24" propane stripper, and 2 26" autos....the grey one is used mostly for really scrubbing the edges on pick up...its easy to move around and sticks out just a little...

2nd coat....

Final one....and I am outa here

 

[dealtimeman]

looks good!! what are yall charging these days.

 

[floorguy]

I think i was at around .35 for this....almost 2000k ft....so just under $700....I was there for 6 hrs...including wax and wait time for drying.....

my dad helped so free labor.....and 1 other guy....4 hrs each.....soooo figure $80-$125 for labor depending on your pay scale..

3.5 gallons of stripper...

3 gallons of finish....

and was about 10 miles away

 

[dealtimeman]

do you have a maintenance program in place with them? if not did you suggest one?

 

[floorguy]

no, this was up on the AFB...and was a "fix" for what the HVAC people did....bringing stuff in and out for a remodel..(personally, i think their guy couldnt do it..and they wanted someone else to pay for a strip)

they have their "own" guy

I have a handful of maintenance places I do.. But mostly I do a semi annual or annual strips at places....which I kind of like better....nothing better then stripping your own work....

 

[Mikey P]

Are you happy with that net Doug?


I guess thats all that mattes



i suppose out there that aint too bad.

 

[Mikey P]

looks good btw.

 

[John Olson]

And this is why I am sitting here in my office instead of out there killing myself for peanuts....I love stripping and waxing LOVE IT. My most favorite thing to do...but not for free......I was charging .35 for 5k sq ft and about 18 years ago. no way would I be less then a $1 a square for anything under 5k

Doug your math is way off. You billed out $50 an hour 700/14 hours. Doesnt matter if you didnt pay your dad he still put the time in. Now how much did they product cost you? Had to be at least $150 so thats 550/14 thats 39.28 gross. Now figure in labor on your emoplyee you actually paid, taxes, wear and tear etc etc etc etc and you made a whopping $20 an hour MAYBE....woooo hoooo your going to disneyworld!

 

[floorguy]

Then you wouldnt get the job.....or many for that matter.... much like carpet...the MAJORITY of people wont pay that....and i dont have the time or patients to sift through to find them...

now smaller jobs, yeah i get more...shoot there are some i get 4-5 a ft if you base it off sqft...because they are min charge jobs

back in the day no way would it have been done that fast....so now its all about speed with the equipment...

and thats around the $100 an hr for the company....

plus its 4 hrs work.....they leave...and yes i have to stay...15 min to put down the finish so another 45 min of work....

 

[bigchuckie]

Hmm lets see it s almost winter Cc'ing is slowing down I would have been all over this and happy to be making peanuts at 20.00 an hr Its jobs like this that help me get thru to Spring. Im glad alot of guys here have the option of not wanting to do this work I say bring it on

 

[Shane Deubell]

Job looks great!

Sorta agree with john though, we want at least 60% gross profit on any job in this industry. Accounting for your labor, help, supplies, equipment/van depreciation it looks backwards and closer to 40%.
You made money but your business didnt. Production rates sound about right where we are 150 sqr hour.

Just something to think about.

 

[ACE]

Nice work. There must have been a ton of build up. You might try Betco’s Extreme Stripper if you have not done so already. It’s pricy but melts off heavy buildup super fast.

 

[MicahR]

I'm wondering why you don't use a square scrub and knock your labor WAY down! If you haven't seen one in action try and get a demo set up. I WOULD NOT be stripping floors without one!

 

[floorguy]

I'm wondering why you don't use a square scrub and knock your labor WAY down! If you haven't seen one in action try and get a demo set up. I WOULD NOT be stripping floors without one!

heres the thing....and it is ALWAYS THE THING....EDGES/DETAIL WORK

That strip machine will and can keep up with stripping the floors as fast as i can spread it out.....thats not the bog area...PLUS noooo CORDS

There is only a handful of machines I have seen that do it, or make it easier....1 is no longer in production (stupid EPA, didnt like the smaller motors) 2, is kind of a pita to run, and if not careful can do some damage...and is mostly for under gondolas....and the 3rd, is pricey, and for the amount of NEW strip work I do...doesnt make it worth it....

on a side note... this is not the typical type jobs I do....MOST of them are current customers, or i do it 1 time then they are mine......

If I were to go back in say 6 mths or a year, and all they did was walk on it or even buffed it, and I stripped it....then these things happen..

Chem cost goes down...instead of almost 4 gallons of stripper...2
Labor is cut in half...1 guy vs 2, and 2 hrs instead of 4
my time there....down from 7 to maybe 4

So if a job 1 time doesnt hit the "BIG NUMBERS" so be it.....I get it down the road...

I have 1 job, I think its around $2000....1st time we did it, took us 3-4 guys and like 6 days at about 6 hrs each night for the workers.....

now the last 2 times....1 or 2 guys including me (3 of us on some nights because of moving equip up and down stairs).....and 3 days....

you dont stay around for 17 yrs and not figure things out......

no i am not wealthy...but have chosen to spend more time around home and work 'part time" for the most part...instead of some of the insane hrs I see you guys say your working....

plus i hate the "sales" side of things...

 

[dealtimeman]

I do multiple 10000 sqft jobs throughout the year and make a killing at .35 a foot. 5 guys for 10 hours at 15 an hour $825 labor 300 In supplies for a total cost of $1125 and I bill out $3500 for a clear profit of $2375 and I don't even have to go to the job site at all.

on smaller jobs we will charge anywhere from the minimum $250 to .40-.50 a square.

we make ourselves standout by doing detail work, we two maybe three guys with window scrapers detailing all corners, edges, around toilets and anywhere the machine won't fit in.

Also usually make at least 100 an hour just burnishing floors.

there is a lot of money in floors you just have to pick if you want to be a quantity guy or a quality guy. Down here I know of companies doing s&w for .14 a sqft. The customer always ask me why there floors don't last. I just tell them most of the time you get what you pay for.