It's official

[Fat Mike]

Water damage ain’t nothing but a thaing.

Setup correctly it should at some point overtake your carpet cleaning side of your biz.

You need a helper for sure at least many part timers that can be called in.

Don’t go signing a loan for the equipment unless you want to increase your chances of failure.

The losses come in bunches it seems, and at other times a while in between.

I am on most of our water losses as I really enjoy it and have learned to document, document, document everything as that makes the billing/collection/receipt of payment easier.

Don’t try to work out of a van as you will quickly learn to hate the work,as you have to work so much harder to achieve the same results,

Get a 16ft to 20ft trailer at least to start with, then a box truck with a lift gate.

Find subs (other carpet cleaners) in your area that can extract for you at a rate of 100 an hour or so depending your area.

Get as much education as you can and remember what they teach in the class will be nothing like you see in the field, but you must use it for reference to dot your i’s and cross your t’s.


To start I suggest 3 large Dehus and 16-20 air movers. At least 1 air scrubber. You will need multiple moisture meters even if you buy all in ones you still need redundancy as they will fail at 2am.

Much more but start here.

The most important part is to perform the job the same as you would eat an xlarge pizza, 1 slice or part at a time or it will be too much to take in.

man I enjoyed this post

felt like i was eating a good ol steak and some taters and country gravy.

def some sound advice

 

[Nomad74]

man I enjoyed this post

felt like i was eating a good ol steak and some taters and country gravy.

def some sound advice

Thats how I feel about this entire thread. I’m really enjoying all the stories and opinions.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I don't know that anyone is wrong. I'm sure Randy experienced a tough time with an A/R like that. I believe you will have many years before you would ever get to that spot.

It's not an easy business but like Michael has stated if you are able to navigate the tough times you're there to take in the rewards.

Tread lightly until you decide if it's for you.

 

[Fat Mike]

im getting teamed up with water guy but ill be handling restoration side

 

[Nomad74]

I was going to partner up with another local cleaner. We talked tonight about moving forward and he decided to not partner because he thought it might ruin out relationship and je did not want to start a separate company. I kind of agree but also feel very alone.

 

[Hack Attack]

Since the "gurus" are here @Desk Jockey @dealtimeman Any opinion on these units?


I'm torn between more air movers and some of these for next purchase?

 

[Hack Attack]

I was going to parner ip woth another local cleaner. We talked tonight about moving forward and he decided to not partner because he thought it might ruin out relationship and je did not want to start a seperate company. I kind of agree but also feel very alone.

You've got a spare rig, I'd look for a retired yet capable guy after some extra $$$ to cover extraction and basic setup if you're busy with scheduled work or want a weekend off

 

[Fat Mike]

does you extra rig have fire sprinklers installed along with fire extinguishers?

 

[Fat Mike]

I was going to parner ip woth another local cleaner. We talked tonight about moving forward and he decided to not partner because he thought it might ruin out relationship and je did not want to start a seperate company. I kind of agree but also feel very alone.

yea partnerships ruin friendships

 

[Hack Attack]

yea partnerships ruin friendships

If its clearly in writing there should be no confusion going in or during

ie 1 week on 1 week off, if covering on your week off what are the expectations etc? charge out on gear if its yours or theirs etc?

Handshake deals are where it goes wrong because you are both looking at it from 180 degrees

 

[Desk Jockey]

Since the "gurus" are here @Desk Jockey @dealtimeman Any opinion on these units?

View attachment 87205
I'm torn between more air movers and some of these for next purchase?

Is that a Viking? While it's not an injectidry, I still like them for drying in a variety of situations. The added heat from the motor is also a nice benefit.

Coverage is good but the diameter of the tubing is small. Drieaz turbo vents will allow much more airflow if you drill vent holes using a 3/4 paddle bit.

While we had a few of them, we have 100 turbo vents.

 

[Hack Attack]

Is that a Viking? While it's not an injectidry, I still like them for drying in a variety of situations. The added heat from the motor is also a nice benefit.

Coverage is good but the diameter of the tubing is small. Drieaz turbo vents will allow much more airflow if you drill vent holes using a 3/4 paddle bit.

While we had a few of them, we have 100 turbo vents.

I "think" its a rebranded viking..

Trade Me

www.trademe.co.nz

 

[Desk Jockey]

Try one, see if you like it. They are loud but effective.

 

[Nomad74]

Since the "gurus" are here @Desk Jockey @dealtimeman Any opinion on these units?

View attachment 87205
I'm torn between more air movers and some of these for next purchase?

There’s a guy on ine of the FB groups selling some for $200 each.

 

[dealtimeman]

You really only need one or two injection type units most of the time.

 

[Mikey P]

I dumped water damage 100% in 2005 and never looked back. Sold my security guard business the same year and for the first time in twenty years turned off my phone when I went to bed. So wonderful to not have one of 34 guards call me at midnight when their relief calls off. Even better to not be getting up at 1am and working 24-36 hours straight while soaking wet doing water damage. Think long and hard about water damage, Damon. Test the waters in a low cost way, like working for another provider on a subcontract basis for a year. You may find other avenues of expansion more easily assimilated into your business. Are you currently doing Tile, area rugs or better yet chasing commercial accounts ?

Water damage sucks if you are an owner operator or 1-3 truck guy. Over the years I have seen a ton of carpet cleaners get over leveraged with water damage debt. If you don't have $100,000 in spare change to carry your costs while waiting on insurance checks, forget it. If you aren't "juiced in " with a preferred provider network it can also be challenging.

The average carpet cleaner thinks "if I had a couple hundred grand a year in water damage I would be set ". Been there, it's a nightmare and a 24/7 operation for weeks at a time when it HITS. Then there will be nothing for weeks. Water damage ruins your core business as it's a whole different business within a business with the same people. The costs continue when you have zip coming in. Then it hits when you are extraordinarily busy and falling down tired Carpet cleaning. Frankly our industry exaggerates the profitability of water damage and minimizes the required capital costs and impact on core operation. When you add in the LONG TERM cost of lost carpet cleaning customers that are pissed when you have to cancel and reschedule them because of massive water damage work and the 24/7 nature of the business it's not such a great add on because its NOT an add on, it's a whole new business.

Go get $200,000 in commercial carpet cleaning and then think about water damage.

I love these every six month visits when they let Randy out on good behavior..

 

[Mikey P]

If it wasn't for ladders and that pesky gravity, I'd suggest Window Washing as add on.


Rugs and Restoration are for multi truckers with managment.

 

[DAT]

Yup...

 

[Fat Mike]

If it wasn't for ladders and that pesky gravity, I'd suggest Window Washing as add on.


Rugs and Restoration are for multi truckers with managment.

learn too clean windows from the ground.

but yeah ladder work is still not 100% avoidable

 

[Hoody]

Lots of great information here. I'll just add a few things.

For equipment, check out Craigslist in January/February. Nothing wrong with buying decent used equipment you don't have to do brand new. Even a little dinged up, most of it cleans up really well and WD-40 will make it shine like new. If you have a distributor near by, check if they have a rental division and what the pricing is.

When we started we rented a trailer full after a lot of sump failures happened in the area. We went and got 2 trash pumps from Home Depot and were sucking bulk water out of 2 at a time with a Y connector and our standard 2" hose. We got 8 houses all next to each other and played leap frog. That gave us time for the rental trailer to be picked up and delivered 1.5 hours away.

It was a stroke of luck that one of our regular carpet cleaning clients simply called to have the water removed. I was fresh out of WRT class and we hustled that week. We had already planned on getting into it and we were going to only purchase 2 dehus, 10-20 airmovers and variety of meters.

We rented 12 dehus and 120 air movers and as Lockhart said, them seem to come in bunches and ended up keeping the trailer to do a large church. We worked out a deal to get the rental at a discounted rate if we bought brand new and ended up buying 10 dehus and 100 air movers. We broke even on those 8 houses but all of our equipment was paid in cash.

Don't put a note on equipment. Buy as you need and set money back to purchase new but always look for decent use.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

I dumped water damage 100% in 2005 and never looked back. Sold my security guard business the same year and for the first time in twenty years turned off my phone when I went to bed. So wonderful to not have one of 34 guards call me at midnight when their relief calls off. Even better to not be getting up at 1am and working 24-36 hours straight while soaking wet doing water damage. Think long and hard about water damage, Damon. Test the waters in a low cost way, like working for another provider on a subcontract basis for a year. You may find other avenues of expansion more easily assimilated into your business. Are you currently doing Tile, area rugs or better yet chasing commercial accounts ?

Water damage sucks if you are an owner operator or 1-3 truck guy. Over the years I have seen a ton of carpet cleaners get over leveraged with water damage debt. If you don't have $100,000 in spare change to carry your costs while waiting on insurance checks, forget it. If you aren't "juiced in " with a preferred provider network it can also be challenging.

The average carpet cleaner thinks "if I had a couple hundred grand a year in water damage I would be set ". Been there, it's a nightmare and a 24/7 operation for weeks at a time when it HITS. Then there will be nothing for weeks. Water damage ruins your core business as it's a whole different business within a business with the same people. The costs continue when you have zip coming in. Then it hits when you are extraordinarily busy and falling down tired Carpet cleaning. Frankly our industry exaggerates the profitability of water damage and minimizes the required capital costs and impact on core operation. When you add in the LONG TERM cost of lost carpet cleaning customers that are pissed when you have to cancel and reschedule them because of massive water damage work and the 24/7 nature of the business it's not such a great add on because its NOT an add on, it's a whole new business.

Go get $200,000 in commercial carpet cleaning and then think about water damage.

That is good preaching!

 

[Nomad74]

Ok guys. I wasn’t avoiding the question about how big my shop is. I just didn’t know. I looked at it and said, “This will work”.

I just measured it. Its 1,000 sqft. Lots of overhead storage. Has an office, “Chem room” , bathroom, hot water, 110v and 220v, telephone and internet able, and a big ass roll up door I can drive my Promaster under.

I’m building a workbench today.

 

[Fat Mike]

Ok guys. I wasn’t avoiding the question about how big my shop is. I just didn’t know. I looked at it and said, “This will work”.

I just measured it. Its 1,000 sqft. Lots of overhead storage. Has an office, “Chem room” , bathroom, hot water, 110v and 220v, telephone and internet able, and a big ass roll up door I can drive my Promaster under.

I’m building a workbench today.

View attachment 87229View attachment 87230View attachment 87231View attachment 87232

for $450/month that seems like a sweet deal

 

[Nomad74]

for $450/month that seems like a sweet deal

I agree. Thats why I jumped on it. Much beeter than Scuz prices

 

[KevinD]

My first job would have been to clean them floors

 

[Nomad74]

My first job would have been to clean them floors

I will. I just moved the stuff out that was bothering my wife immediately.

 

[Fat Mike]

does it have any fire suppression systems

 

[Ivan Turner]

Soooooooo then....you water people....
What happens when you get served legal
Papers on the house that is destroyed by the mold and mildew that YOU missed?

I've been actively involved in water damage work for close to 30 years and have never been served or sued. Knock on wood!

 

[Small town janitorial]

You could fit all kinds of broke down harleys in there! Just kidding. That is a sweet shop. I have a 2.5 car garage with tons of sq footage, but the roof is low and the garage doors are low so I cant fit my truck or trailer in it. Nice that yours has a big door.

 

[Nomad74]

You could fit all kinds of broke down harleys in there! Just kidding. That is a sweet shop. I have a 2.5 car garage with tons of sq footage, but the roof is low and the garage doors are low so I cant fit my truck or trailer in it. Nice that yours has a big door.

I might put the bikes in there for the winter.