Tile & Grout - Why Don't Some of You Do It?

[Blue Monarch]

I've run into quite a few guys who don't offer tile and grout cleaning. For those of you who don't......why not?

 

[packfancjh]

Most of the people I talk to about it say they are scared about wrecking a natural floor or they just don't understand how to. Both excuses IMO are rediculous. Tile and grout cleaning is a great add on to do because of the pure profit in it and the ease of doing it as long as you pay attention to what you are doing and take your time. Of course when starting out you should take the class for sure and that will start you off in the right direction.

 

[TimP]

I offered it from day one....I'm going to start offering color sealing. It's a gread add on and it's way easier than carpet cleaning. Although many still don't push that they do it. I've been trying to get my wife to push it in our advertising but I can't get it done....

 

[Dolly Llama]

here's my "excuses"

no room in the van now for more gear.
Most homes here don't have large areas of tile.

That means the biggest jobs will be at Wendy's, 7-11s, and Speedy Fuel & Quicky Marts an NIGHT
I can only guess those places don't pay a buck-a-ft like some say they're getting

if we were to go back to evening/night work, it would be sCampooing com.
Not cleaning Mohamed's QuickyMart & Fuel for restaurant carpet cleaning profit margins


..L.T.A.

 

[packfancjh]

Larry when you're cleaning carpets do you try to upsell upholstery at all? If you're in the house why would you want to leave that money for someone else to possibly make. Even if it is a small area to clean it's still money to be made in a very short period of time. If you can offer Mrs Piff all the services she needs to keep her house clean then there is no chance that some other BDCC can come in and possibly steal her away from you cause he can clean it all with one phone call.

 

[TimP]

Only extra tools you need is a turbo and a brush......not much else extra.

 

[Blue Monarch]

Heck, you could hack it up with a green bean wand if you wanted. Crank it up to 1,000 psi and let 'er rip. I tried that on a few jobs and it turned out pretty well.

Easy upsell when you 'accidentally' get prespray on their kitchen tile and rinse it to perfection!

 

[CapeCleaner]

It really is a very simple decision if you think about it. Cleaning carpet, $.40/sqft. Cleaning tile and grout, $.75/sqft. Clean and clear seal (impregnator), $1.25-$1.50/sqft. Clean and color seal, $2.50/sqft and up. I did a color seal job this week where I cleaned and color sealed 912sqft at $3 per. Do the math. You don't have to worry about ruining an extremely expensive stone floor. Just don't work on stone, stick to ceramic and porcelain and reap the benefits.

I just bought a Prochem Peak and van to help expand my tile and grout cleaning. I'll also try to clean as many carpets as possible but I really will focus on the more lucrative tile and grout market. Actually, I don't care which service gets me in the door as long as I get in the door. I also provide residential and office cleaning as well as window cleaning. Sell one service, do a quality job and you've already sold the other services. It's a lot easier and much less expensive selling to an existing client than attracting new clients.

Why leave money on the table?

 

[Captain Morgan]

That would be sweet Steven if you can get the friend you mentioned to come here and do a brain dump once in a while. I'm planning on starting to get into Tile and Grout after first of the year. Probably hit up current customers first and then spread out. Got to get some training first though.

 

[TimP]

That would be sweet Steven if you can get the friend you mentioned to come here and do a brain dump once in a while. I'm planning on starting to get into Tile and Grout after first of the year. Probably hit up current customers first and then spread out. Got to get some training first though.

Why wait till then???? get you a turbo and a tile brush and some chems and a bit of education from us and get to work. I think you'll be able to start for less than 1 grand. It would only take 2,000 ft at .50 a ft to pay for it all, you could do that much in a couple jobs. The equipment will last you years. You could potentially have it paid for in a month especially if you don't have a full schedule....and if you do well you can afford it anyway.

 

[CapeCleaner]

I would recommend being very careful with regard to grouping tile and grout cleaning with stone restoration. Two completely different animals. Stone restoration requires a significant investment in both the time obtaining the education and experience and the proper equipment. Like Hoodlebrink, I direct any requests for stone work to someone with experience. It simply is much more than an add-on service to either carpet cleaning or tile and grout cleaning. The learning curve to properly and professionally clean and restore tile and grout is much more manageable.

It would only take 2,000 ft at .50 a ft to pay for it all, you could do that much in a couple jobs.

Don't charge carpet cleaning prices for tile and grout. Although pricing is different depending on the region in which you work, you should be getting at least $1.00/sqft to clean and clear seal. Double that if you get into color sealing.

 

[Captain Morgan]

NO, I plan on waiting like I said. It will be a month or so until I get my Steam Way back in my van. Then I'll get some classroom training in addition to what I can pick up for free from you guys. I've got ZERO experience with tile and grout and I'll be damned if I'm going to cut my teeth "winging it" at someone elses expense!

I've leaped before looking too often since getting into this business... Not this time, I'm gonna take my time and do it right.

Eager to hear what Steven's friend Todd and another member Michael Malizia from Long Island has to share with us. The both sound very knowledgable on the subject.
Have a good Sunday!!

 

[TimP]

It's just like carpet cleaning. Prespray...scrub....rinse. You've got acid and alkaline. Greasy go alkaline first....then acid and you're supposed to neutralise. You can run a rinse aid and skip neutralising. You have a greater chance screwing up in carpet. The biggest thing you need to check for using acid is that you aren't going to etch stone....a drop of acid and it foams then don't use it. Don't go crazy with pressure unless you check how solid the floor is. Not much to it really. A class will help but if you got some family with some floors jump on it and get some experience.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

I think people choose not to do it because it is out of their comfort zone. It is easy to learn but many probley focus on carpet and uph cleaning. I remember a few months ago or so that someone wanted to sub out uph work.

Mike P. maybe you should have a video room that offers step by step process for cleaning T&G, carpet, uph and area rugs. It would be a great resource for newbies. If your lucky you can get George to produce them. :shock:

:mrgreen:

 

[R W]

I just went through a "nightmare" T&G job at a hospital. I went in and did some demo areas, and they looked pretty good. Once I got started on the job, I realized that some abused grout just cannot be cleaned. I would clean an area one night, and when I got back the next night, it was trashed. Even a sealer didn't help. This cafeteria was in operation 7 days a week, 18 hours a day, and the daily maintenance is either damp mopping, or a walk behind scrubber/extractor. Grease, butter, all kinds of food, coffee and tea is spilled on this floor and walked on and ground in 18 hours a day. Plus, it has at least 10 different shades and types of grout through out the kitchen from ongoing repairs. I was cranking up to 2200 psi+ in some areas. I used every type of cleaner I could get my hands on. Venom, Renew (although using an acid was risky because of all the stainless steel equipment), purple power, stripper..... Color sealing is out of their budget.

I'll stick with residential T&G.

 

[TimP]

You can't fix stained grout with cleaning. In commercial it's likely to have oil and dye stains in the grout.....cleaning the tile and getting rid of the grease is the main focus. Of course getting the grout clean is too but you aren't going to get it to look great when stained.....color sealing is the only way and if it's not in their budget it's not your floor. Just like with carpet they aren't your stains or your problem....you try your best to fix it but you can't do it all. No guarantees!!!

 

[The Preacher]

[/quote] Don't charge carpet cleaning prices for tile and grout. Although pricing is different depending on the region in which you work, you should be getting at least $1.00/sqft to clean and clear seal. Double that if you get into color sealing.[/quote]

if you know your cost of doing biz, you might need to charge more or less than what your compitition charges!