Thread: Nature vs. Manager - Nature 1 - Mgr 0

Help! I'm surrounded by woods and they are creeping in on me!

Actually, now that the weather is nice and I can get outside to do cleaning and maintenance, I'm finding that a) this place has been severely neglected for years and b) I need bigger tools for the jobs at hand.

So, I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction for an adequate leaf vacuum and an affordable pressure washer. My property is right next to the woods and I have an everyday battle with leaves, fallen branches, critters, debris, etc. My doors that face the forest really get the dirt...and they surely haven't been cleaned for a long, long time.

To stay cost efficient, I would like to purchase a pressure washer for the drives, doors, etc...my little hose just isn't cutting it. We were going to sub out the doors, but in trying to keep expenses down and seeing the benefit of prevention in the future, I think buying the machine and doing it ourselves makes more sense. So any clues as to what brand, model etc? We are a small property (under 400) so I don't need a super model - just something strong enough and portable enough to get 'er done.

I would also like to pick up a leaf vac. My shop vac just gets clogged with all of the wet leaves, etc. I am out there almost every day at this point and the blower just redirect the piles...

Any other suggestions for staying a step ahead of mother nature would be greatly appreciated and my back thanks you in advance too!

Happy Memorial Day!

StorGal

I feel your pain -- I don't have the trees, but I do have the desert with all the tumbleweeds and sand it can produce.

first thing is -- sometimes a forest fire is a good thing

Seriously thou for a pressure washer I would go with a Karcher - they are the best and most durable units for the money - you can get a Factory-Reconditioned 2,600 PSI 2.3 GPM Gas Pressure Washer for about $430.00 -- they have less expensive units also, but this one balances power with durability. If you need a link shoot me an e-mail and I will provide it.

As for the Blower/Vac -- that's gonna be a tough call. I use an electric Toro that works pretty good - as long as the leaves are dry! With damp leaves it will clog very easily.

Damp leaves are the hardest to get rid of - outside of gathering and bagging it's gonna be hard to find a good solution.

StorGal - Check these links out. Lawn Sweeper We had one of these when I was a kid. We lived on quite a bit of acreage and my kid brother and I used to push this type together. It worked on soggy debris on lawns, so I'm sure it would do fine on asphalt.

I also found a pull behind one. Maybe you could hook it up to your golf cart?

Anyway, just a couple of cost-effective ideas. Otherwise, a gas blower/vacuum would be a good bet. But watching the landscapers use the backpack types, they struggle with wet leaves even with that kind of power.

For a great website to compare various power washers check out this site.
Power_Washers they have replacement parts and all too.

Like Wayne, we have a gas model Briggs & Stratton, 2300 PSI I believe, and it's perfect for doing our place. 675 units, 100,000 sq. ft. rent-able, all you need is water and enough hose to reach your buildings.

Just think of the forest as job security, you're always busy and your place will always sparkle, PLUS you get a free muscle-building workout! Cleaning your buildings is not for sissies, it is work, but the satisfaction you'll feel for the few days everything sparkles before Mother Nature visits again is well worth it!

How do you guys keep water from entering the units when you pressure wash? We use just a hose and a man on a soft scrub brush with a bucket of suds to clean our doors, and we're VERY careful around the door jambs and the top of the doors as to not let water creep in to an occupied unit.

A pressure washer scares me to death blowing water around the jambs and over the top of the door into the units.....

Originally Posted by Storman

How do you guys keep water from entering the units when you pressure wash? We use just a hose and a man on a soft scrub brush with a bucket of suds to clean our doors, and we're VERY careful around the door jambs and the top of the doors as to not let water creep in to an occupied unit.

A pressure washer scares me to death blowing water around the jambs and over the top of the door into the units.....

Just keep doing what you are doing. You are on the right track..

Simple methods often work the best without spending a dollar.

We are doing the same thing as you do.

Originally Posted by Storman

How do you guys keep water from entering the units when you pressure wash? We use just a hose and a man on a soft scrub brush with a bucket of suds to clean our doors, and we're VERY careful around the door jambs and the top of the doors as to not let water creep in to an occupied unit.

A pressure washer scares me to death blowing water around the jambs and over the top of the door into the units.....

Hey Storman! The tricks with the power washer are simple.

1. Use it in a spray/sweep mode as opposed to a hard stream.
2. Stand back about 15 feet from your doors so you are spraying face on, and you don't spray up over the top of the roll up doors.

We've been doing this for over 12 years with never a drop inside the units.
It helps if your rubber door seals are all in good condition just in case!
We did the bucket routine also, but a power washer uses less water, is quicker and easier on you as well.

Borrow one and try it on a vacant unit so you can see for yourself. It is so worth $300-400.
I believe in the old 'work smart, not hard' adage!

Originally Posted by Gina6k

Borrow one and try it on a vacant unit so you can see for yourself. It is so worth $300-400.
I believe in the old 'work smart, not hard' adage!

We borrowed one of those Karcher power washers from a other fellow manager and hubby used it to try it out.

His comments were that it would not make any different in what he has been doing for 7 years and it was making things more complicated instead of the simple elbow steam.

Just a hose a brush and some detergent but...... WHAT EVER YA FANCYYY!!!!

I also like to mention that the home made weed killer recipe works but very poorly and I am still in favor for Round Up after trying it.
Also using Mop and Glo on doors or any other surface than floors DON"T DO IT !!!! and I do not even use it on floors either because when you put it on “ ONE DAY YOU NEED TO TAKE IT OF”.