Concrete Coatings and Window Washing Service

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Advice I would give is check out the credentials of anyone you wish to hire. Check business license, ROC license, if applicable and most of all check out internet ratings. People are very candid when reviewing service from companies that give less than excellent service. Just look at any car wash, its very difficult to make everyone happy. That is my goal.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. The best secrets I can share is, do your homework! I always think that the customer has very little clue how much prep work actually goes into doing a concrete floor. That is the biggest secret. The prep and knowing what to do and when to do what. That comes with many years of practice. Not to quote a cliche...Practice makes perfect! Ask any concert piano player!

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Information to have on hand is somewhat important. Approximate square footage. Any cracks. Are there any heavy items that need to be moved. A site check is so important. An estimate given over the phone is no way to do business. A rough estimate is one thing, but you can never bis with first looking at the job. Doing a job site unseen is unfair to both the customer and the contractor.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. Our work stands out for a variety of reasons. 1. Experience. 2. Keeping up with the latest in technology. We keep the best equipment to do the job right the first time. 3. Employees that are uniformed professionals. 4. Attention to detail and always striving to do best job possible. We give a no B. S. assessment of the job and any problem that can be foreseen BEFORE we start. This separates us from the company with very little experience. All these ingredients make you the customer a winner every time!

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. What I like most about my job? I feel that beautifying & helping a person increase the equity in their home or business gives me a very good feeling. From start to finish, making someone happy to see such a transition in such a short time still brings a smile to my face. I feel the most rewarding, is seeing the face on the client when they see such a night and day change. That makes it all worth it. I love and enjoy what I do and its very contagious.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. One of the most common questions is how long will it last? I always tell the truth. I can not honestly say how long it will last. I can, however give you tips to make it last a long time. Like keeping it clean. Sweep up any sand or dirt. Mop it at least once a week or more. Its easy. That would be akin to asking a new car salesman how long the paint will last on the car. if he gives you a date of when the paint will fail. He's giving a campaign promise. The truth is always best!

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. We actually got called to do a motuary in Demming New Mexico that cremated bodies. It was really creepy. They moved the crematorium out and we coated the floor with slate gray epoxy. When night time fell on us, it was real creepy. We ended up having a 18 hour day. The drive home was a very long one. Mr. Baca was a great host!

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. Customers think that applying a epoxy floor is easy until they give it a try. Even floors that are put down by following the directions sometimes end up peeling and popping. Unless your versed in pressure washing and prepping floors. leave to the pros. I once tried to replace a shower faucet myself, it broke, had to call the plumber, what a mess! I learned from that.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I was at my cabin in Michigan and a man was pressure washing the cabins of all the webs and moss. I asked him about if I could do that in Arizona. He said "if I lived in Arizona, I'd do this year round!" That's all it took. I took the ball and ran with it and never looked back! Failure is NOT an option!

Q. What are your most common types of jobs?

A. The most common jobs are two car garage floors. Back patios are common too. I'm finding out that when people are getting their garage floor done, I really enjoy giving the driveway a free pressure wash as a bonus! This one of the many things that make us stand out. Its not all about money, its about service. Revenue is a bi product of superior service!

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. We recently had a call to wash some train locomotives for Union Pacific. The job was a challenge, yet very rewarding. We went to El Centro California and wash two great big engines. The engine were leaking oil going Westbound in California and that state would not allow the leaking oil to be dripping. We donned all the safety gear: Hard hats, ear protection, coveralls, eye protection and made it happen in one day! Working around the locomotives was a very nice change of pace. We overcame and adapted.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. There are many things to stay up with in this business. Equipment can make or break a contractor. If you buy cheap equipment, it will break down at the worst time. If you purchase cheap hose they will burst when you need them the most. I also keep up on the different mixes of cement additives like fly ash and alkalies have an effect on the finished product. Moisture plays a huge role in have a garage or shop either become a showroom or a disaster.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. There are a lot of recent developments in the field. Safety is a very big concern and so is the environment. All of our products are "green" Earth friendly. This is paramount. We have one earth, we need to take care of it! Things that are going to be here in the future? MMmm. There are a lot need overlays and feaux flagstone floors I like to try, but right now the technology is still not quite there for me to stake my reputation on it not cracking. The future will tell. We shall wait and see.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. I had a project with a very large driveway that needed staining and sealing. We had to acid wash, neutralize all the surface and then blow the entire driveway & then apply the acid stain. Then we applied three coats of sealer. It cam out really nice! The time was about 7 hours of labor with 4 men. Good Job!!

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. There is nothing complicated about the pricing system. Its by the square foot. No surprises. No hidden costs or surprises.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Do your homework on any endeavor that you decide to pursue. In day and age new business fails because of poor money management. I would suggest working for successful company and then making an intelligent decision as to when its a good time to go out on your own.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. What is a good explanation of a warranty?

A warranty is only as good as the person issues it. That's why we have checks and balances such as ROC and insurance. The usual time for a warranty is two years by law. This the standard.