We got a call for an emergency hydraulic spill cleanup at a large apartment complex.
Dumpster Enclosure Pressure Washing
The trash company that services the complex was the one who called. They said one of their trucks blew a hydraulic line around the dumpster area.
But when we got there, the property manager wouldn’t let us do the work!
The apartments are managed by a large national property management company. And most large companies know about the laws concerning EPA water recovery of the waste water from pressure washing. And large companies in all industries are the ones most concerned with following the laws to avoid penalties.
This particular management company has a policy that doesn’t allow pressure washing on their sites unless someone from upper management is there to supervise. Since they don’t know anything about our company in their out of state corporate office, its understandable.
They don’t want to gamble on some little pressure washing company.
Because if the water recovery isn’t done the right way, they could get in hot water with the EPA. Environmental fines are usually assessed against the pressure washing company and the company that hired them.
This property management company obviously knows the penalties for allowing waste water to get to a storm drain can be pretty steep. In Colorado they often start at $1000/day. Six figure penalties are not uncommon.
And the large national companies are much more likely to be fined.
They’re expected to know the rules and make sure they’re followed. Some of the largest companies we do work for have their own environmental specialist on staff to make sure all the different environmental regulations are complied with.
Smaller companies might get a warning first – but they shouldn’t count on it. Since the rules have been out for a few years now, it becomes more difficult for even the little guys to claim they didn’t know any better.
Our company spends a lot of time researching regulations, techniques and materials to stay on top of our industry. It’s important for us to be able to do the best job possible.
Our clients count on us to make sure things are done right – on a hydraulic spill cleanup or any other job - even if they don’t know just what “right” is.
We take that responsibility seriously.
Related pages and articles
- Denver Pressure Washing
- Emergency Spills
- EPA Water Recovery
- National Magazine Features Wash On Wheels
- Water Regulations And How They Affect You
- Pressure Washing a Hydraulic Spill From a Street Sweeper For The City Of Lakewood
Graffiti Removal On Playground Equipment
By · Comments
One of our property management clients needed some graffiti removal at a small neighborhood park.
Graffiti Removal On Playground Equipment
The property manager got a call from an HOA (home owners association) member saying they had a bunch of graffiti tags on and around the playground equipment.
This is a good example of the many different kinds of graffiti removal needed. And this time it was all in one place.
There was black and red spray paint on the plastic playground equipment. And there was felt tip pen with silly sayings in some places, too.
An amateur had tried some graffiti removal by painting over the tags.
While this paint was better than the graffiti it covered up, it still made the park look rundown. It needed to be removed to restore the look of the area.
Graffiti Removal - The Wrong Way
All these different kinds of graffiti, while on the same surface, often take different materials and procedures to remove.
Removing ink from a felt tip pen isn’t the same procedure as removing spray paint. And removing graffiti from metal and brick is different from the graffiti removal on this plastic swing-set.
But sometimes even different colors of the same brand of paint take different procedures to remove. And no, we’re not saying which ones are more difficult. We’re not going to provide helpful tips to the kiddies so their silly tags are harder to remove.
This is a nice little park in a suburban neighborhood, not a dirty downtown city park. It’s the kind of place you would think the kids would feel was their own and be less likely to vandalize. But that’s probably why they want their messages there – so their friends would see them. Who knows - why anyone thinks graffiti is a worthwhile use of their time is beyond reason.
And the biggest problems with graffiti removal is that it often comes back.
Graffiti Removal In A Suburban Neighborhood Park
But if it isn’t kept up, the park itself and the surrounding areas quickly start to look trashy like no one cares.
Then property values start to fall. Most people shy away from the sight of graffiti and are less likely to buy from stores that are tagged, much less buy a home in that area.
Graffiti removal isn’t cheap.
The equipment and materials to do it correctly are expensive. But it will cost more in the long run if you leave it there.
The best recommendation is to remove it quickly. Once the taggers realize their hard work isn’t going to stay around long enough to be seen, they’ll move on.
We once removed a large tag from the back of a recreation center and the taggers put it back on the same night. But when we were called back the next morning to remove it again, they never came back.
So getting your graffiti removal done quickly -
- by someone who knows how to do it right – is the best solution in the long run.
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 1
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 2
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 3
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 4
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 5
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 6
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 7
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 8
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 9
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 10
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 11
-
- Graffiti Removal In Park 12
Related pages and articles
- Graffiti Removal
- Removing Graffiti From Brick
- Kudos To Randall Janda, Thornton’s Graffiti Removal Officer
- Graffiti Removal Is Way Too Unpredictable To Bid In Advance
Pressure Washing Park Shelters For The City Of Longmont
By · Comments
One of our crews spent the day last week pressure washing park shelters for the City of Longmont.
Pressure Washing Longmont Park Shelters
They have quite a few park shelters they needed cleaned up for a busy season of picnics, softball, frisbee throwing, and all the other things people do at the park in the beautiful Colorado summers.
When you’re doing a pressure washing job like this, logistics are a big part of making it work. You have to make sure you have enough water for each location since not all the parks have turned on their water. We worked with the city to make sure it would work.
There are many small details to consider in a job like this. There’s a lot of driving in between pressure washing the park shelters. And setting up, tearing down, and traveling between locations have to be factored in to the job.
You have to make sure you have enough hose to reach from the parking lot to the shelter since they’re not always close together. And you have to be ready to collect any waste water that runs toward a storm drain and dispose of it properly.
One of our managers spent a large chunk of a day checking all the locations before we sent the crew to do the work. Then he wrote up the specifications for each location and routed the truck so it would make the best use of the crews time. The time our manger spent has to be factored into the job as well.
We’ve done hundred of large jobs and we know how to make them work efficiently so we can keep the cost down for our clients.
If you have a large pressure washing you need done right – the first time – give us a call.
Related pages and articles
- Government Agencies We’ve Worked With
- Denver Pressure Washing
- Pressure Washing a Hydraulic Spill From a Street Sweeper For The City Of Lakewood
- Has Pressure Washing Season Finally Arrived?
- Longmont closes two skate parks deemed dangerous (denverpost.com)
Water Regulations And How They Affect You
By · Comments
We stay on top of government regulations concerning water and and water treatment -
- especially how they affect our business and our clients businesses. We focus not only on water recovery but also being efficient with the water we use. For example, we use less than two gallons of water to wash a car. We have to supply our own water to many of the jobs we do so using it efficiently is important.
Most people take water for granted and don’t realize what it takes to have safe, clean water come out of the faucet. Because we’re on all the lists for water related issues, we recently read the notice of changes taking place at the Argo Tunnel Water Treatment Plant. This is a great example of how much is involved in keeping clean, safe water flowing.
BACKGROUND AND SITE HISTORY
Argo Tunnel Water Treatment Plant
The Argo Tunnel Water Treatment Facility was constructed to treat the acid mine drainage from the Argo Tunnel. The tunnel discharge is part of the Central City/Clear Creek Superfund Site. Superfund is the popular name for CERCLA – Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act.
The 4.18 mile long Argo Tunnel was originally constructed between 1893 and 1910 for drainage and ore transportation. Acid mine drainage still exits the tunnel at a rate of about 250 gallons per minute. The water contains high concentrations of dissolved metals including iron, manganese, zinc, aluminum, copper and lead. The Argo Tunnel water is very toxic to some aquatic species.
Based on feasibility studies evaluating the Clear Creek drainage basin, the CDPHE and EPA issued a Record of Decision on September 30, 1991, selecting active chemical precipitation of the Argo Tunnel water.
The Facility was designed and constructed during the mid-1990s, and full-time operations began in April 1998. In addition to the Argo Tunnel discharge, the facility treats mining impacted water from two other sources, Virginia Canyon groundwater and The Big Five tunnel drainage.
Clear Creek Runs Into The South Platte River
Now imagine if that 250 gallons per minute was draining straight into Clear Creek! It runs down the canyon into Golden, then on through Denver into the South Platte River.
The number of people, businesses, and acres of land that would be affected would be incalculable. Something to keep in mind next time you turn the water tap.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is the lead agency for operation and maintenance of the Argo Tunnel Water Treatment Facility. Wash On Wheels has a great working relationship with CDPHE.
We spend a lot of time and effort staying on top of water regulations and how they affect our business. We put the same attention to detail into taking care of our clients.
If you have a pressure washing project you need done right, call a company who stays on top of things.
Related pages and articles
- Stormwater Regulations
- EPA Water Recovery
- Water Recovery And Keeping Debris From Storm Drains
- World Water Day Reminds Us Not To Take Our Water For Granted
- New Colorado Water Documentary By Robert Redford
- EPA Violations In Downtown Denver
- National Magazine Features Wash On Wheels
Pressure Washing A Grease Spill On Pavers
By · Comments
We recently got a call for pressure washing a grease spill on pavers.
Pressure-Washing-A-Grease-Spill-On-Pavers-2
The pictures shown here are a great example of why you should clean a grease spill right away. You can see the footprints where people walked through the grease spill and tracked it into the store.
Pressure-Washing-A-Grease-Spill-On-Pavers-5
And if you look closely, you’ll see why pressure washing pavers is a tough job to get right. You have all the spaces in between where the dirt will get blasted onto the pavers is you’re not extremely careful. Even with an experienced steady hand, you’ll still pressure wash some of the dirt onto the pavers and surrounding area.
Pressure-Washing-A-Grease-Spill-On-Pavers-6
Pressure-Washing-A-Grease-Spill-On-Pavers-4
This is one of those jobs you need to think twice about. There’s a good chance the customer won’t be happy when you’re finished unless you really take a lot of time. And that will usually cost more than most people are willing to pay for pressure washing.
Pressure-Washing-A-Grease-Spill-On-Pavers-3
Pavers are being used a lot more these days – they give a nice effect. But they’re a real pain to keep clean and they tend to settle unevenly over time. Maintenance is something to consider, especially for a commercial application. Stamped concrete may be a more cost effective choice in the long run.
Pressure-Washing-A-Grease-Spill-On-Pavers-1
Pressure washing is usually a great solution on most walking surfaces. But it can’t restore a surface to new condition if it isn’t maintained.
If you’re thinking about pressure washing pavers or a different unique surface, we’ll let you know what your options are – before you spend money on a something you might regret.
Related pages and articles
- Emergency Spills
- Cleaning grease spills quickly can save on higher costs later
- How Our Pressure Washing Experience Saved The Broadmoor’s Colored Sidewalks
- Grease Spill Cleanups Take A Lot Of Hard Work
- Pressure Washing At Denver’s City Park Plaza
- Testing New Pressure Washing Products To Stay On The Leading Edge
RTD called us to clean the smoke damage from a car fire in their parking garage in Boulder.
Parking Garage Fire Before Pressure Washing 23
They needed us to do the cleaning on the weekend when the parking garage was mostly empty. Even blocking it off they still had to tow some of the cars out of our way.
They needed us to control the water flow and water recovery is part of our service. This time we even had to supply a generator.
The smoke went everywhere so we had to wash the stairwells and the ceilings. Our custom made soap does a great job on smoke and soot and we can set it up to shoot it with a high- pressure gun.
The car that caught on fire was close to the elevator so we had to be careful of electrical connections and making sure the water didn’t go down the elevator shaft.
We specialize in situations that call for flexible scheduling. We have the capacity to adjust our work schedule so we can send five or six trucks if we need. This allows us to clean things on tight schedules without upsetting the regular use of the building.
A good example is when pressure washing a parking garage, we can do the cleaning after the tenants leave and be gone before they get back. This kind of flexibility makes it easy for building owners and property managers to get the work they need done – and keep everyone happy.
To get your parking garage cleaned, call us at 303-937-7181 or email us at info@washonwheels.net
Related pages and articles
- Parking Garage Pressure Washing
- Cleaning Parking Garages – Pressure Wash or Fire Hose?
- Our New Video Shows Three Different Levels of Parking Garage Pressure Washing
- Construction Pressure Washing On A Tight Schedule – Video
- Pressure Washing Warehouse Interior Walls And Ceilings
- Trash Chute Cleaning Takes More Than Just Pressure Washing
Grease Spill Cleanup For An Auto Repair Shop
By · Comments
We got a call from an auto repair shop for a grease spill cleanup at the home of one of their customers.
Driveway Before Pressure Washing Grease Spill
Their customer’s car was in for service and something came lose on the way home. When the customer went outside the next morning, there was a puddle of oil under their car.
Driveway After Pressure Washing Grease Spill
The auto repair shop called us right away to take care of cleaning up the grease spill. Usually, if we can get to a grease spill, oil spill or hydraulic spill within 24 hours, we can get it all cleaned up. The longer the grease or oil sits before we clean it, the deeper it soaks in.
Concrete is very porous, like a hard sponge. Unless you clean it up right away, any kind of spill will soak deep into the concrete and become impossible to remove completely.
And when you pressure wash a grease or oil spill, you can’t just let the wastewater run down the gutter. You have to collect it and dispose of it properly.
Water recovery is part of our spill cleanup service. We have permits from all the required government agencies so you don’t have to worry.
So if you have a grease spill, the sooner you call us, the better chance we have of removing it completely.
Related pages and articles
- Emergency Spills
- Cleaning grease spills quickly can save on higher costs later
- Pressure Washing A Grease Spill At A Denver Restaurant – Video
- Pressure Washing a Hydraulic Spill From a Street Sweeper For The City Of Lakewood
- Grease Spill Cleanup in Winter Can Be Difficult
Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades
By · Comments
Vestas V47 wind turbine with double windmill in background. American Wind Power Center, Lubbock, TX (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
We got a call from Vestas for pressure washing the blades to one of their wind power plants.
You don’t realize how big they are until you get close enough for pressure washing. When you see them out in the field, they don’t look that big – but they’re immense.
Most people never see them up close, just off in the distance while they slowly spin, generating electricity from the wind.
Up close, they look as long as a football field. Just take a look at picture 7 below where one of our guys is pressure washing the blade.
If you look closely, you can see the trailers are specially designed to stretch out to the length needed to haul these blades. The front of the blade where it attaches to the center mast is almost as big as the trailer, which is eight feet six inches wide.
Vestas just needed pressure washing to remove the dirt that had accumulated while they were waiting to be shipped to be mounted on a tall tower in the middle of a field somewhere.
If you need pressure washing for something huge, give us a call.
-
- Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades 1
-
- Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades 2
-
- Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades 3
-
- Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades 4
-
- Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades 5
-
- Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades 6
-
- Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades 7
-
- Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades 8
-
- Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades 9
-
- Pressure Washing Huge Windmill Blades 10
Related pages and articles
- Special Services
- Denver Pressure Washing
- Equipment Pressure Washing
- Service Our Clients Depend On
- National Magazine Features Wash On Wheels
- Making Cheaper, Better Windmills (fastcompany.com)
- Wind Turbines for Alternative Energy (scforgreen.com)
- Blowing Away the Windmill Lies (pjmedia.com)
Has Pressure Washing Season Finally Arrived?
By · CommentsAfter one of the coldest winter’s in many years – no matter what the rest of the country had – it’s finally warm enough for pressure washing in Denver.
Parking Garage Fire Before Pressure Washing 31
We’re getting calls for all sorts of different pressure washing jobs.
Our regular weekly schedule includes pressure washing a few thousand cars, hundreds of trucks, and the sidewalks and back areas of a bunch of restaurants and shopping centers. And we schedule the other jobs around them.
This week, we detailed a boat out at Chatfield Reservoir that the owner had no way to bring to us. Many boats need a good sized vehicle to tow them. The owner had made arrangements last year to bring it to us when they took it out of the water, but they fell through. So we went to the reservoir and polished it for them there so it will be ready to go back in the water.
We had a graffiti removal job on a house we went to bid. The homeowners are trying to decide whether pressure washing the graffiti off is their best choice or just to paint the brick.
We washed a motorhome to get the winter’s dirt and grime off.
And we had one of our crews pressure washing the walls and ceiling of an RTD parking garage in Boulder. They had a car fire that made a pretty big mess. RTD had to make arrangements to get us a water supply since there wasn’t a good source on site. We’ve done this many times on different construction pressure washing projects, parking garages, etc. so we knew just what needed to be done without creating a huge plumbing bill.
And we got called to clean a couple of grease spills at restaurants. They were cleaning out their grease traps and and the mess ran across the parking lot. After a few cars drove through it, it got tracked around and became a much bigger mess on one location.
Fortunately we have the pressure washing trucks and crews to handle the extra work. The parking garage dire damage and the grease spill cleanups aren’t the kind of jobs you can put off. The pressure washing needs to be done quickly to bring things back to where they should be.
If you have something that really needs pressure washing now, give us a call and we’ll get it taken care of for you.
Related pages and articles
- Building Pressure Washing
- Parking Garage Pressure Washing
- Cleaning grease spills quickly can save on higher costs later
- Pressure Washing Colored Concrete Takes Extra Care – Video
- Wood Fence Damaged By Amateur Pressure Washing Company – Video
- Pressure Washing An RV Roof
- Pressure Washing Heavy Construction Equipment | Equipment Pressure Washing
- Pressure Washing Warehouse Interior Walls And Ceilings
- Construction Pressure Washing On A Tight Schedule – Video
