There is no one in the acoustical ceiling cleaning ...€¦ · Web viewThere is no one in the acoustical ceiling cleaning industry as advanced in technique, knowledge, and product

CALTEX INTERNATIONAL LTD.

ACOUSTICAL TILE AND WALL CLEANING

OPERATIONS MANUAL

Table of Contents

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Introduction

There is no one in the acoustical ceiling cleaning industry as advanced in technique, knowledge, and product as Caltex International Ltd. We are years ahead of our competition. Caltex International Ltd. has cleaned ceilings for many years, in many states, while most other acoustical ceiling cleaning product manufacturers were not even involved in this industry yet. In fact, most of them didn’t even know this industry existed. All of the products that we manufacture have been designed, engineered and tested by our own acoustical ceiling cleaning company which has specialized in acoustical ceiling cleaning since 1985. This equipment has been refined and constantly improved. Yet, we are constantly researching for faster more efficient ways and methods of cleaning ceilings. Acoustical ceiling cleaning equipment, however, has little to do with the end results. The chemical solutions are what actually clean the ceiling. The equipment, however, does make a great difference in the amount of personnel and the amount of time required to complete a job. This is why our equipment is superior to others. Our equipment is designed to be time and labor efficient. Money invested in good equipment pays for itself on every job from day one. Poor equipment, on the other hand, only continues to cost you additional labor and expense every time you use it.

No one will ever know what pains and hardships we endured before we developed our Odorless Acoustical Dry Cleaning Chemicals for cleaning acoustical ceilings. Caltex International Ltd. employed experienced chemical engineers, microbiologists, and chemists to help us develop a quality product for our own use. Investing both money and out vast experience into research with the help of our scientists, we proceeded to develop hundreds of different formulas. Each formula needed to be tested on many different types of ceilings. This was done as we serviced many customers’ ceilings that were in many different types of environments. Every ceiling cleans in a little different manner than the other. Because of this, we wanted a chemical solution that would be capable of cleaning as many different ceilings as possible. This research and testing took several years as well as thousands of ceilings that were cleaned. Throughout this process of testing, we continued to improve and perfect the product. A solution that was easy and safe to work with was finally found. Before we began to market this product, however, we used it in our own acoustical ceiling cleaning company on thousands of different jobs. Along with this use, we continued to improve the product until we felt there could be no better solution for acoustical ceiling cleaning. Today, this product is Caltex’s Odorless Acoustical Dry Cleaning Solution. This product is safe to use and provides an excellent job of cleaning acoustical ceilings. You are not on trial and error basis with our products. You can and will feel confident when using our products. Like all products, good basic training is required to use these products correctly. A sound foundation of knowledge is necessary to enable you to build upon your experience. This training is the first step in your success in the acoustical ceiling cleaning industry.

Caltex International Ltd. wants each and every one of our product users to be successful. Their success is our success. We are the front runners in the acoustical ceiling cleaning industry and we fully intend to stay there. We are not trying to sell everyone in the

cleaning business our products. We believe that properly trained quality product users will provide us all the success desired. Remember that success breeds success, it is only a direct result of people and product. When a company represents our products to a customer, it is a direct reflection on Caltex and its products. We hope that each and every customer serviced with our products is a success story. This success helps all of us using these products. It provides credibility to each and every user of Caltex products. Our hope is that some day customers will request their cleaning company to use Caltex products by name. This recognition can only help every company using our products..

Quality Control

We all know that the most important part of any service is the quality of service work performed for their customers. The training you receive in our Caltex ceiling seminar is the best in the industry. You receive from us years of acoustical ceiling cleaning experience, but it is you who has to be sure your customers are receiving the best possible service available. Being good enough is not what most customers want. The want the best possible service at a competitive price. You, as a Caltex product user, become a direct reflection on the acoustical ceiling cleaning industry and on Caltex products. It is up to you to maintain the highest quality of ceiling cleaning in your area. It only makes sense that your customer will use your company again and again and refer others to your company if you provide a very good cleaning job. To make a mistake and not provide your best job only opens the door for your competitors to take business from you. The training you receive from this manual or from the Caltex cleaning seminar is only as successful as you make it.

Knowledge not used is of little help when trying to provide quality service to a customer. Having a thorough knowledge of acoustical ceiling cleaning is the first step in being able to provide a quality job. The second step is having a quality chemical cleaning solution. Step three is having a well trained service crew. The fourth step is having quality equipment designed for acoustical ceiling cleaning. Giving second best to any of the above only lessens your ability to provide the quality of cleaning service your company should be capable of producing. Knowledge is by far the most important requirement. Knowing how to provide quality service helps the experienced person select chemicals and equipment required to provide quality service. How clean is clean?

Is the ceiling capable of being cleaned? What results can be expected? How much time should each job take? How many service personnel do you need? Where to start? What to do first? Only knowledge and experience will provide these answers. Learn from every job and build your knowledge further each day. Let’s face facts, if your chemical solution is not capable of cleaning ceilings well, your knowledge is worth nothing. Knowledge can help you see problems before they arise. It can also help you overcome problems. The fact still remains that you are limited by your product. There is no chemical solution that will clean every ceiling no matter how dirty. Learn the limitations of your products. Don’t try the impossible. It’s better not to provide cleaning service than to provide a second rate cleaning service. Customers never remember what a good quality cleaning jobs costs. They never forget the cost of a poor cleaning job. What I am

saying is, a low price for poor results will never make a customer happy. Refuse to clean an overly dirty ceiling before losing a potential good customer. Be honest with yourself. If the ceiling should have been cleaned three years ago, do not expect the chemical solution to do the impossible. The chemical solution should be capable of cleaning an average amount of dirt from the ceiling. Some dirty ceilings are better than others. The chemical solution along with your knowledge is the key to quality acoustical ceiling cleaning. Personnel that have received training are important to job quality. The best chemicals and equipment are still limited by the people using them. Your cleaning crew should know the basics such as how to use extension poles, fixi clamps, in addition to vacuum and spray equipment. They should have an understanding as to the importance of each step of the cleaning operation. Of course, experience is one of the best methods for training your personnel.

The dictionary defines a ceiling as the overhead interior lining of a room. This lining can be composed of many different materials. there are thousand of different ceiling types and styles within building structures today. It would be impossible to describe each one of them to you. It is not necessary to know each and every one of them in order to clean them. However, you do need to know if they are porous or non-porous in order to clean them. Without this knowledge it would be impossible to teach you how to clean the thousands of different ceiling types and styles. Knowing if the ceiling is porous or non-porous is the first step in cleaning a ceiling. The dictionary defines porous as having or full of pores. The dictionary describes pores as any minute surface opening or passageway, The fact is, porous surfaces absorb liquid, Non-porous surfaces do not absorb liquid. Many surfaces appear to be non-porous but almost all surfaces have some pores. Example: Is a common rock porous? If you wet a common rock and wipe it off with a paper towel, in most cases you will see that the rock is still damp. The rock has actually absorbed some liquid into it. Is the rock porous or non-porous? The fact is that the rock is semi-porous. This means that the rock is capable of absorbing some liquid, we know it will absorb gases as well. Ceiling surfaces are broken down into three distinct classifications: porous, non-porous, and semi-porous. No matter what the ceiling is made of, it falls into one of these three classifications. Before cleaning any ceiling or wall surface, you should know the composition of the surface.

This manual has been written for instructing you on how to clean commercial and residential ceilings. Following the basic knowledge provided in the manual, you should be capable of cleaning most ceilings properly. But, it is you who have to expand upon the basic foundations that are provided within this manual. Learn from each job performed.

Commercial ceiling are usually found in commercial buildings. The most commonly installed commercial ceiling is the suspended acoustical ceiling. A suspended ceiling is constructed of metal grids or metal strips and ceiling tiles or panels. These are suspended in the building by the use of wires that come down from above the ceiling. You do not see these wires because they are above the suspended ceiling and are attached to supports. The suspended acoustical ceiling was developed in the early 1950’s. Although the designs of the metal grid, tile and panels have changed over the years, the basic concept is still the same. They provide acoustical value, light reflection, architectural

design, besides covering pipes, wiring, air ducts, and many other items above ceiling. (Not all suspended ceiling provide acoustical value.) The acoustical value comes from the ceiling tiles or panels that are installed into the metal grid system.

Residential ceilings normally are fixed ceilings. These ceilings are normally fixed permanently to the building structure. The most common ceiling in residential use is made up of dry wall (sheet-rock) with some type of coating for design and color. The most common coatings are latex paint, spray or popcorn texture, and plaster. The coatings are usually sprayed or painted dry wall surface. The textured surface is usually very rough or bumpy looking, which makes it almost impossible for an inexperienced person to clean or paint them. For us, these ceiling are normally faster and easier to clean than suspended ceilings. Most motels, hotels and apartment buildings use these textured ceilings. You will find fixed ceilings in commercial building, but they are not as common as suspended ceilings.

Ceilings are really very basic. Although there are thousands of different styles and types (approximately 2,500) they fall into one of the three classifications (porous/non-porous/semi-porous) and they are suspended in or permanently fixed to the building. Suspended ceilings use a metal grid system for supporting the ceiling tile or panels. There are (2) basic metal grid systems, exposed and concealed. The exposed grid is the most common and all of us have seen them. When you look at a suspended ceiling and you see metal strips around each ceiling tile or panel, you are looking at an exposed grid system. When you look at a ceiling that has 12” X 12” tile in a commercial building, the tile is usually suspended by a concealed grid system. The exposed grid system is made up of three main components; the main tee, cross tee, and wall molding. The first piece to be installed is the wall molding. This L-shaped metal is 12’ long and is cut to size before mounting to the wall. The wall molding provides the edge for the ceiling. It is not designed to hold the weight of the ceiling tile, it is simply for appearance. Wall molding comes in many different colors to match the other components of the grid system. The second piece of ceiling grid to be installed is the main tee. The main tee provides the support strength suspending the ceiling. The main tee is 12’ long and will be cut only at the end next to the wall. The wires are attached above the ceiling area are tied to the main tee about every 4’. Main tees are spaced every 4’, running parallel to each other, main tees also come in many different colors, the most common two colors being white or black. The last piece of metal ceiling grid to be installed is the cross tee. The cross tee is 2’ or 4’ long. A 4’ cross tee is connected to the main tees every two feet. This creates a two foot by four foot section in the grid system. At this time you could install a common two foot by four foot ceiling tile or panel, you would need to install a two foot cross tee in the middle of this section, attaching it to the four foot cross tee. Then there would be two, two foot by two foot openings. Place two, two foot by two foot tile or panels in theses openings would complete the ceiling. Exposed metal grid is most commonly made of steel with a painted metal cap attached to the surface. These metal caps come in many different colors and this is what determines the color that you see after it is installed. The structural strength of the grid comes from the upright position of the grid. not the cap. Grid systems are also made from aluminum and stainless steel. There are two fire-ratings given to commercial grid

systems. These fire-ratings are very important for the safety of the people within the building.

Class-25 is the standard fire-rating and UL is the superior fire-rating. UL fire- rating is usually required by law to protect people in public places, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, etc. Class-25 is usually found in office buildings, restaurants,malls, and other places where people can move about freely. These fire codes are set by Federal , State, County and Local Governments. These codes vary from town to town and really don’t concern us as ceiling cleaners. It is important to know, as customers sometimes need advice about repairs, etc., and you can give some quality advice to the customer. Commercial ceiling tiles and panels also have these two fire-ratings. However, don’t assume that all grid and tile made has a fire-rating. Normally, only commercial ceiling products have a fire-rating. Ceiling components that you find in local stores are designed for residential use and have no fire-rating. To obtain commercial ceiling tile, you normally have to find a ceiling products distributor. You can find them in the phone book under the heading of Acoustical Materials and Ceiling Materials. Purchasing products from local distributors is usually not hard to do. Most sell ceiling grid by the pieces or by the case. It’s cheaper to purchase by the case, than by the piece. Ceiling tile or panels are sold in case lots only, although there are some tiles that can be purchased by the piece. Ceiling products are made by a small number of companies in the United States. There are only about six major commercial grid manufacturers. Each manufacturer makes grid that looks like the others, but the method of attachment is different. Because of this, you can not mix the different grids together and use them. The manufacturers change the methods of attaching the grid together every six-ten years, so that you cannot match the new with some of their old product. However, an experienced acoustical ceiling installer can attach the old and new together using special tricks of the trade.

Concealed grid systems are very similar to an exposed grid system. They are suspended by wire and installed piece by piece. Almost every concealed grid ceiling is made of 12” X 12” ceiling tiles (12 inches square). You do not see the metal ceiling grid because there is a groove cut in the side of the ceiling tile, which the metal grid fits into. The first component of a concealed grid system is the same as an exposed grid system, the wall mounting is installed first. The wall molding is the only piece in a concealed grid system that is painted or colored. It is the only piece of grid that you will see when a ceiling is completed. The structural strength is provided by a Z-bar that is ten feet (10’) long. The Z-bar is suspended by wire from above and serves the same purpose, for strength, as a main tee in an exposed grid system. The Z-bar is not painted or finished. You will not see this grid once the ceiling is completed. The cross tee for a concealed grid system are two or four feet (2’ or 4’) long. These cross tees attach to the Z-bar providing a resting area for the ceiling tile when installed. Because the concealed grid system uses 12” square tile, the ceiling has a 12” metal spline also. This spline is made of very thin metal and is the last piece of grid to be installed around a tile. As with exposed grid ceilings, the concealed grid ceiling, when completed, has a lot more grid in it than an exposed grid system. The concealed grid system requires a more experienced acoustical ceiling installer to install or repair it. The tiles are much more expensive than

tile for an exposed grid ceiling. Concealed grid ceilings, because they are difficult to repair, present many problems for building managers who have them. However, they are the easiest suspended ceilings to clean because they have only the metal wall molding exposed.

Commercial ceiling tile or panels are manufactured in approximately 2000 different designs and styles. They come in many different colors with the most commonly found being white. White is used most often because it provides excellent light reflection and it looks so clean and bright when installed. White ceiling tiles are mass produced, which makes them less expensive than colored ceiling tile or panels. Commercial ceiling tiles are usually acoustical. Acoustical ceiling tiles are designed to control noise and sound waves in the building or room. Non-acoustical commercial ceiling tiles are designed to provide ceilings for use in areas where special conditions exist. Acoustical mineral wool fiber-board tiles and panels are by far the most common. Some others are fiberglass, metal, plastic, aluminum, and sheet rock (dry wall). Although there are thousands of different styles and designs, they will usually be composed of one of the above compositions. Commercial ceiling tiles or panels are class-25 or U.L. fire-rated. The most common size is 24” X 47”, next 24” X 24”, and then 12” X 12”. There are other sizes manufactured, but they are not very common and, in many cases, are a special factory order. Mineral wood fiber-board tiles or panels are the most commonly used commercial ceiling. The mineral wool fiber-board ceiling tile or panel is commonly called an acoustical ceiling tile or panel. The porous tile or panel provides acoustical wave value to the building or room because it will absorb the sound waves. These tiles are designed to absorb sound waves from inside the room and keep sound waves from outside from entering the room. An acoustical tile has a double role. It keeps noise waves out and absorbs noise waves within the room or building. When you look at a miner wool fiber board ceiling tile or panel, you see a design or pattern on the surface. These designs are for architectural style and also for acoustical value. These crevices help breakup the sound waves into smaller waves while absorbing some of them. The rougher the ceiling surface, the more effective this sound wave breakup is. The density of the tile or panel determines the ability of the tile to absorb the sound waves. The density and porous ability of the tile determines how much dirt it can absorb. If an acoustical ceiling can absorb large amounts of dirt, films , or sound waves, it will absorb more cleaning chemical than a tile that absorbs less dirt and films. Density is not easy to measure. One method that we use to determine the density of the tile is to rub the edge of your fingernail across the surface of the tile and by feeling and watching, you will be able to tell if the surface is soft, firm, or very firm. The firmer the surface of a ceiling tile, the less porous and the lower the acoustical value of the tile or panel. This also tells you that the tile has not absorbed dirt films as deep into the pores as a more porous tiles. This tile will absorb the chemical as deep into the pores as a more porous tile. As you can learn from above, the more porous the tile, the deeper into the pores the chemical will clean. Mineral wool fiber board tiles and panels are manufactured by the six major companies.

There are several steps in the manufacturing process of acoustical wool fiber board tiles or panels. First, they make a very large tile, about 20’ wide and 40’ long. A mixture of waste paper products, liquids with binding agents, and other ingredients are used to make

what looks like a soup or stew. This mixture is used to form the mineral wood fiber board tile. This tile is almost always five- eighths (5/8”) of an inch thick. As the large tile moves along the manufacturer line, the moisture is drawn from the tile so that the tile starts to become more like a wafer board. As the moisture is being removed, the design is put onto the surface. We call this fissuring. These designs are created in many different methods. The most common methods of creating fissures are rolling, pressing, shaking, and punching. This depends on what design or surface appearance is required on the end product. A large roller with knobs and bumps on it rolls over this large tile pushing down the fiber in many different places. By pressing a shaped plate on the surface another type of fissuring or design is formed. Shaking is usually used to form a very rough looking surface, commonly called a designer tile. Punching the tile provides holes or fissuring. The fissuring provides the design on the tile. The most difficult type of mineral wool fiber board to clean is the eroded surface tile or panel. The eroded surface is created by a method much like sand blasting. A certain pattern is eroded onto the surface of the tile and this eroded area has many tiny fibers hanging loose in this eroded area. These tiny fibers act like fish hooks and catch the loose lint and dirt that passes by them. This is most common near the air diffuser. After the fissures or pattern is created on the tile, the tile moves along and the next step is either to paint or cut the tile to size. What happens first depends on what type, style, or size the tile will be when finished. Most 24” x 48” and 24” x 24” lay in tiles are painted at this point. The finish is applied to the surface while still damp. This allows the color to absorb into the tile or panel in a wicking method. This wicking method allows color to be not only on the surface but in slight depth as well. This is so that small dents and scratches do not show the natural color of the tile without destroying the acoustical value of the tile or panel. While the large tile moves under the paint spray tips, the special value of the tile or panel. While the large tile moves under the paint spray tips, the special paint is sprayed onto the surface of the tile. These paints are mixed in batches. The batches are not always the same and will vary from one to another. There is always a lot number on the outside of a ceiling tile package. This lot number tells you which batch of paint was used. When installing a new ceiling, all packages of the tile should have the same batch lot number. After the large tile is painted, kit moves along to be cut to size. The tile passes through saw blades that are set to cut the tile to the correct size. After the tile or panel is cut to size, it is sealed with a special moisture inhibitor that will help prevent the tile form absorbing moisture from the air after it is installed in the ceiling. If the tile absorbs moisture after it is installed in the ceiling, it will cause the tile to warp. This special moisture inhibitor does not prevent the tile surface from absorbing sound waves, gases, dirt, film, or liquids. After the tiles are completely dried, they are packaged in a paper cover. Slight variations to this flow take place depending on the size style of the tile or panel being manufactured.

Twelve inch square tile and tiles or panels with revealed edges are usually cut first and painted after they are cut to size. Then they are sealed with special moisture inhibitor and packaged. A 12” square tile is always cut to its true size. It is a twelve inch by twelve inch (12” X 12”) square. Remember that a concealed grid system uses a true 12” square tile. All other tiles or panels are cut just a little smaller so that they can fit into exposed grid system. These tiles are called lay-in tiles or panels. They lay into the

exposed grid system. Because of the T-shape of the grid, there is not enough room for a full size tile. The grid always measures correctly, the tile is cut smaller so as to fit into it. Example: a 24”X48” tile or panel really measures 23 3/4”X47 3/4”.

We call a 24”X48” tile a two foot by four foot (2’X4’) panel or tile. A 24”x24” square ceiling tile will measure 23 3/4”X23 3/4”. We call this a two foot by two foot tile because it lays into the metal grid system. We install the tile by pushing it up through the opening in the grid system, we lower the tile into the fitted opening in the grid. The tile now rests on the edge of the grid system without laying below it. A revealed edge panel fits into the grid system in the same manner. The difference is the revealed edge panel is lower that the metal grid system. it allows you to see the edge of the panel or tile. This is called a revealed edge or panel. Because you see the edge of this panel after it is installed, it is painted after it is cut to size. These panels are usually three quarter (3/4”) of an inch thick. They do make these panels in five-eighths (5/8”) of an inch thick, but they do not have that defined individual look after they are installed into the grid system.

Standard tile/panel sizes: 12” x 12”, 2” x2”, 2” x 4”

Standard tile/pale edges: straight, beveled, revealed.

Equipment Required

Vacuum Cleaner

This is used with a combination of extension tubes and brushes to remove soot and dust from around the air diffusers in the ceilings. You will use a variety of lengths of extension poles depending upon the ceiling height. The majority of diffusers are vacuumed from the floor. The extension tubes are usually made from PVC pipe that is 1” to 1/2 inch or aluminum tubing. The PVC pipe is much lighter to hold for hours thought than aluminum tubing and can be replaced for just a few dollars. Remember that taller people will not require as long of a pipe as a shorter person. The brush attachment should be soft bristle and preferably have a rubber bristle holder for durability. We have found that a good quality dust brush made by many vacuum cleaner manufactures works well. It may seem a little slow when using, but the end results are usually very good, if the vacuuming is done correctly. The vacuum should have a good strong pull, so when vacuuming the ceiling surface it will draw the loose soil of the fissuring of the ceiling tile. To ensure vacuum power, be sure to keep the vacuum bag emptied.

Extension Poles

Extension poles are used in a variety of job duties. For the most part, though, they are used with the fixi-clamp. This clamp opens so that a sponge can be clamped into it. The sponge is used to wipe non-porous items, The extension poles are also used with scrub brushes to clean wallpaper, and hard surface ceilings, etc. These poles come in a variety of lengths and are adjustable to the length that is required. These extension

poles are also used to hold cups for protecting lights and other items from the chemical spray mist.

Drop Clothes

Drop clothes are used to cover items where the chemical may drip heavily or to protect equipment. There are many different varieties of drop cloths. We prefer the paper/plastic drop cloths because of their light weight and excellent light reflection. The white paper provides light to the ceiling surface. The plastic under the paper gives us the protection from chemicals, water or dirty chemicals that have fallen onto the drop cloth from passing through. The plastic side is laid down, leaving the paper side towards the ceiling. This way the paper absorbs the water or chemical that may drop onto it. Also, you will always have a dry bottom with these, thus nothing that is covered will become wet. How many you have supplied in your truck depends on the type and size of the job you are going to do. If there is a lot of covering on a certain job, you may need two dozen in order to cover enough area so that you can move at a fast cleaning rate. You always want enough drop cloths so that you can clean at a fast rate.

Ceiling Cleaning Machine

A machine is required to apply the chemicals to the ceiling in a spray mist. The machine, however, has very little to do with the end results from cleaning. The end results come from the chemicals and the method of using the chemicals. The big difference in machines comes in the amount of time it takes to apply the chemicals and move the room. Because you will be on the move all the time and you are always moving from one area to another, you need a machine that is light and portable. The machines we use are designated for ceiling cleaning. There are different spray tips and spray assemblies available which speed up the spraying process. One good crew leader with the proper cleaning equipment can keep 5-8 wipers working steadily.

Before the Job Preparation

Once you have received confirmation from the customer, you need certain information before you can proceed. You need to know what day, time, who to see, where to enter the building, and any other additional instructions you may require. The person in charge of scheduling jobs should fill in the service work sheet with this information. The service crew leader should then receive this work sheet and prepare for the job. By following the information provided on the service work sheet, the crew leader should be able to set up the number of crew personnel required, chemical supply, and other needed items. Coordination for each job is very important so that you provide your customer with a very professional image and have the job completed correctly in proper form and manner. It looks much more professional if everything goes smoothly and in a set order when on the job. Many times a customer forms an opinion of your service not by the end results but by the professional image that your company has given them. If a crew acts and looks like they really know what they are doing and that they appear to be true

professionals., the end results may not be perfect but the customer feels he has been provided with the best cleaning available. That is the most important part of your service business, making the customer satisfied that he has received the best possible service available, not always a perfectly cleaned ceiling. It lets the crew leader know what, how much, and what type of area he is cleaning. This better prepares him for performing a professional job.

Before Job Checklist

Service Work Sheet- correctly filled out Clean Equipment-in proper working order Correct Chemical Supply-always have an extra on hand Clean Service Vehicle- good supply of sponges, drop cloths etc.

Suggestions for Providing a Professional Image

Uniforms, clean and neat, shirt, pants, baseball cap. Service personnel that control their language, work without creating any more mess than possible, are careful of items about the work area, and take a direct interest in the quality of the service they are performing.

On Job Arrival

When the service crew arrives at the job location, the crew leader, with his service work sheet, should report to the person whom he should see. he would ask this person for any special instructions such as which door to use, alarm system, light switches etc. They should walk through the job area together. The crew leader should observe the types of ceiling, grid systems, and environment. He should also observe ceiling heights, equipment, furniture and fixtures in the area they will be working in to see if any special tools are needed for the job. This will tell him if there are any special drop cloths needed and the amount of drop cloths needed. As they walk through this area, there may be other questions he may need to ask this person such as, should the door be locked when he leaves, is there going to be anyone occupying the areas to be cleaned etc. This will help tell the crew leader what area he should start in and what order to follow through the job. While the crew leader was inspecting the job, his or her crew should have removed the cleaning machine and other regularly used tool from the service vehicle. Once the crew leader has given the special instructions to the crew, he will mix the odorless acoustical chemical solutions into the chemical tank. He will then install the tank onto the machine and attach the proper hoses. He will select the proper lengths of spray extensions, spray tips, and double sprayer that will be necessary to perform the cleaning job ( see equipment operations).While he is doing this, the crew members should be gathering and preparing the extension poles, fixi-clamps, vacuum cleaner, and attachments per the special instructions. Once all the equipment is ready, they will go into the building as instructed by the crew leader to the first area to be cleaned.

On The Job

The crew leader will then assign jobs to his crew. One normally will be vacuuming around the air diffusers, the others will normally be drop clothing the areas as instructed by the crew leader. The size of the crew varies with the amount of area to be cleaned, number of rooms, type of ceiling, and the amount of time available to complete the job. The normal crew consists of three people, the crew leader, who will do the spraying, and two people to assist him with wiping, drop clothing and vacuuming. It is possible for one person to perform an entire job. However, in most cases it would require less man hours if two or more persons are used rather than one. Once the room has been drop clothed properly and the air diffusers are vacuumed clean, the person vacuuming should go to the next area instructed by the crew leader. At this point you are ready to start the special odorless acoustical dry cleaning process.

Sample Job

Job description: Office Building

1. 3 offices with desks, furniture etc.2. Office sizes: 24’ x24’3. Tile Type: 24” x 48” lay in mineral board grid4. Grid: exposed white grid5. Walls: vinyl wallpaper & paneling6. Air Diffusers: 18” square aluminum7. Ceiling Height: 9’

How To Clean The Above Job

The crew leader has selected one office to start cleaning in. Upon entering the first room, the crew leader instructs his crew as to who is to vacuum the air diffusers and surrounding tiles and instructs the other crew member to start covering the proper furniture and fixtures with the proper drop cloths. While this is being done, the crew leader should select a corner to start spraying in. The machine should be placed in a position where it is convenient for both the sprayer and the wiper. This is important because the wiper will need to rinse the sponge frequently with out losing time. It is important for the wipe to keep the sponge clean or he will leave streaks and smudges on the grid and fixtures which are hard to remove. The machine must also be positioned so that there is enough hose to the sprayer can spray the selected area without moving the machine.

Spraying

The crew leasser (sprayer) will select the proper spray tip and length of spray pipe. After attaching, he should clean the air out of the spray hose. This is done by turning the machine on until the spray comes out even. Be sure the spray tip is directed at the ceiling while doing this so the chemicals do not spray onto the walls, desks, furniture or floor. The sprayer should then make sure that the spray form the spray tip is coming out in an even flow and in a fan spray. You should see an even mist, with no

breaks, in the shape of an open fan. If not, the spray tip is possibly dirty or clogged. It should be replaced or cleaned to ensure an even spray in order to attain an effective cleaning job. Trimming is an important part of the cleaning operation. It serves two purposes. One is to clean the mold grid and the other is to clean the perimeter of the ceiling so while cleaning the rest of the ceiling the chemicals will not be sprayed onto the walls. A single spray tip is used for trimming this leaving a ceiling area cleaned of approximately eight inches wide around the perimeter of the room.

The sprayer holds the spray handle in one hand and the attached spray pipe in the other hand. The spray pipe and handle assembly should be held at approximately a 45 degree angle. The spray handle assembly should not be held straight in front of you, but off to one side. It should be in position where you can see the chemical spray as it is applied to the ceiling surface. While spraying, it is important to constantly watch the spray. This is to help guide you and you will also be able to tell if the spray tip clogs up. In that case, you should stop immediately to clean or replace the spray tip. To spray, depress the ON button, keep the spray pipes steady in front of you, walking slowly backwards. Never spay in a sweeping motion. When moving your arms always move then both the same distance. If you do not move both arms the same distance you get a sweeping motion, rather than a steady, even, straight line spray. If, for some reason, you can’t take another step backwards, for example a desk is in your path, stop and move to the other side, rather than using a sweeping motion to reach more of the ceiling. The single spray tip should be help approximately seven inches from the ceiling. Be sure to keep the tip at a constant level of seven inches from the ceiling during all the spraying, or the chemical will be dispensed unevenly onto the ceiling. Watch where you are dragging the hose so that you do not knock thins off the desks, etc.

Note: In most all of the cleaning operation the sprayer and wipers will be wailing backwards. To prevent damage to furniture or fixtures and ensure safety of the cleaning personnel, it is important that they select a path where they will not stumble, trip, fall over or break anything from backing into it. With experience, they will find walking backwards while working becomes very ease, but job safety must always be remembered.

The sprayer start in the corner using a single spray tip, which has a spray width of about eight inches. He should, therefore, hold the tip approximately four inches out from the wall and about seven inches below the ceiling. The sprayer should start at 45 degree angle from the corner, rather than straight on. By doing this, the spray will reach all the way into the corner and spray only one wall without spraying the other. The object is to spray the chemical on the ceiling edge without spraying very much on the wall. He should spray approximately one and one-half feet in one direction from the corner. The wiper immediately wipes the walls with a clean sponge to remove the chemical before it drips down the wall.

To wipe the corners, one should hold the sponge straight up and down, with the sponge laying flat against the wall. The wiper then pushed the sponge pole up the wall so that the sponge fits exactly into the corner. Full straight across, wiping the sprayed wall. The top of the sponge should be wiping the wall mold grid and the side of the

sponge wiping the excess spray off the wall. The wiper will then make room for the sprayer to spray in the other direction from the corner. Again, the sprayer will start at a 45 degree angle, slight overlapping the other 45 degree angle sprayed ceiling. (first one side of the corner, than other side.)

After wiping the corners (one and one-half feet), the sprayer then informs the wiper which edge of the ceiling he will spray. The sprayer and wiper now work together as a team. The wiper stands in front of the sprayer, walking slowly backwards in time with the sprayer, while wiping the walls. The wiper will hold the sponge pole at an angle, leaving the sponge flat against the wall, with the top edge of the sponge on the wall mold grid. If you press to hard, the fixi-clamp will scrape the wall and the sponge will drip chemical, rather than absorbing it. The sprayer should not get too far ahead of the wiper. He may have to stop occasionally to let the wiper catch up. It is best to trim the entire room first. However, depending on the size of the room and the placement of the furniture, you may find it easier to do only a portion rather than the entire room. Then do the remaining trimming and the remaining ceiling afterwards. Move the machine, as necessary.

As the sponge surface becomes dirty or full of chemicals, it must be rinsed. The wiper should clean the sponge as often as necessary. To clean the sponge, rinse it in the water, squeezing the sponge with hand to remove the dirt. Keep the pole slightly higher than the bucket and over the bucket so the water does not run down the pole onto the floor. After the sponge is rinsed clean, fold the sponge back against the bottom of the fixi-clamp and squeeze it with both hands to remove the excess water. Do not wring the sponge out. While cleaning the sponge, be careful not to break or knock objects over with the end of the sponge pole.

Spraying - Double Tip

After the trimming has been done, spray the ceiling using a double spray tip assembly which has a spray width of about 24 inches. Always check the spray pattern of the spray tips after attaching them for clogs or blockage. A double sprayer is used instead of a single spray tip because the spray width is three times of a single spray tip, making it much faster to spray. The sprayer holds the spray wand and the handle the same way as with the single spray tip. There are two ways to spray a ceiling, spraying the tile length wise and widthwise. Which way you choose will depend on the circumstances. If you are spraying widthwise on a 2’ X 4’ tile, you will need to make two passes across each tile to clean the entire tile. If you spray lengthwise, you will center the tips between the grid, one pass would clean the whole tile. Remember the trimming has already been done, so you do not have to worry about spraying all the way to the edge of the ceiling. The sprayer sprays the ceiling moving his body to the right side and then to the left side. He then steps back and continues spraying from right to left on the next row of ceiling tile. The sprayer should slightly overlap the areas where he is spraying to ensure that strops of the ceiling are not missed. When using a double sprayer, it is important that it is not held too close to the ceiling. If it is, the spray from the two tips will not meet in the center, thus leaving a strip on the ceiling that the

chemicals did not reach. The double sprayer assembly should only be used after the sprayer had had a lot of experience.

Wiping

The wiper follows, wiping the grid, speaker, vents, lights, any surface which is non-absorbent. When wiping the grid, he should stand directly underneath it, walking backwards while pulling the sponge on the grid surface. First, he should hold the pole as if he were going to wipe the grid and ceiling tile on each side of the grid. Now he should move the sponge over so that only the top corner of the sponge is on the grid. He should be tilting the pole so the sponge is on an angle and the only place the edge of the sponge should be making contact is on the grid, not on the tile. The grid should be wiped with the sponge in this manner and position. When the corner becomes ditty, rotate the pole 180 degrees, this will give you two more corners of the sponge to use. Again, wipe the grid using the same method described above, one edge of the sponge at a time.

When the vacuuming of the air diffusers in each room has been completed, the crew leader may ask this person to help wipe or possibly to start moving the drop cloths to the next room t get ready to be sprayed. the same spraying and wiping process should be followed throughout the other offices.

After completely cleaning the ceilings in all three offices, the crew leader should instruct his crew to start folding the drop cloths and preparing to leave. The crew leader will inspect all the rooms to ensure that they have been cleaned properly. The crew leader will be looking for any sections of the ceiling or other items, such as fixtures and ceiling components, that may need additional cleaning. In most cleaning situations, the tile directly around the air diffusers will need to be resprayed and wiped again. The crew leader should make sure that any mess that the crew has created is cleaned up and all the items that were moved should be put back in place. When everything is satisfactory, they will then finish preparing the equipment to leave and return all the service equipment to the service vehicle. The crew will then prepare the machine for loading and complete the service work sheet. While he is doing this, the crew will load all the equipment into the service vehicle.

If all of the above is completed properly, you will have a job that has been done well, a job that you and your service personnel can be proud of. Good service is an art, not a job. If all the service you provide is done as if it were a show piece, you can be assured there will be many more jobs ahead.

Air Diffusers (vents) / Vacuuming

It is always important to take note of the diffusers used and the dirt conditions surrounding them. As you start looking at different ceilings, you will notice that some diffusers deposit much more dirt and soot onto the ceiling than others. You will learn from cleaning them how some are very easy and fast to clean. But, because of the design, some must be cleaned using the flush and drip method. It is very important that

as much of the physical dirt around the diffuser be removed as possible before applying any chemical solutions. This is done by using a powerful vacuum cleaner. Attached to a vacuum cleaner will be a tube that will allow you to stand on the floor while you vacuum the surface with a soft brush. Most people think that all there is to vacuuming the ceiling surface is moving the brush back and forth. It is best to use a set pattern of vacuuming, going with grain of the tile whenever possible. A poor job of vacuuming , no matter how terrific the chemicals being used are, will not give you the results necessary to have an excellent cleaning job. It is very important that the vacuuming is done properly. When you are doing areas that have many rooms, (there is usually a minimum of one air diffuser per room), you may need to bring one person just to vacuum. There have been past jobs where we have had two or three people vacuuming at one time.

These diffusers are in the ceiling surface and they disperse the air conditioning and heat into the room. They are normally either square or round, but there are many other shapes as well. The sizes vary from approximately eight inches square to five feet square. The larger the room, normally larger the diffusers. Most of the diffusers have a number of formed openings. These formed openings are what directs the air flow in s set direction. All of these open edges and exposed surfaces must be sprayed with the chemical and wiped clean. Experience will help you master the coordination required to do an excellent job. If there is air blowing out of the diffusers, the chemical when sprayed on the diffuser or onto the ceiling tile next to the diffuser, will be blown into the air. It is best to stand on the opposite side of the air diffuse while spraying the far side, if the air is blowing. The crew should stay away form the side that is being sprayed, as the spray in the air can be blown into their faces. If the air is off, you can usually spray the whole diffuser at one time. The wipe should start wiping immediately after the first section is sprayed. This is done to prevent the dirty chemical from dripping. Once the bulk of the excess chemical has been wiped off, the wiper should rinse the sponge and then wipe each edge as clean as possible. If there are three edges on each side of the diffuser, it is usually best to start wiping the outer edge first, on one side and then each edge inwards towards the center on the same side. You then repeat for each side of the diffuser. Once all four sides of the diffuser have been completed, it is best to go over them with a clean sponge to make sure that all drips and dirty areas are taken care of. If the air is blowing, it is best to spray only one side of the diffuser and wipe that side and then repeat one side at a time until the diffuser is entirely clean.

The more modern air diffusers have metal screens on the ceiling surface and the edges that direct the air flow are up above the screen. In order to clean this type, you first must spray very heavy up through the screen, flushing the fixture and dirt off the diffuser. The excess dirty chemical is going to drip through the screen surface, so it is best to put a paper/plastic drop cloth directly underneath the diffuser. Wipe the excess from the screen when it starts to drip. You will continue wiping until the drips slow down to a few. Once they slow down to a few, let it continue to drip slowly, and continue on with your normal cleaning. Approximately one-half hour later, or when it is convenient, you will go back to the diffuser and inspect it and respray and rewipe, if necessary. If it is not necessary to respray, remove the drop cloth.

Round diffusers are wiped with similar to a round speaker cover. If you walk backwards in a circle pulling the sponge on the round surface of the vent, it will clean quite smoothly.

The larger the diffuser, normally, the easier to wipe clean. Many diffusers are permanently tarnished or the aluminum, or metal has some corrosion on it. In these cases, it will be impossible to make these look perfect. However, always clean them s well as possible because it is the first area your customer will usually inspect or view.

Fire Sprinkler Heads & Sensors

These Heads are usually chrome plated and they protrude through the ceiling tile. These discolor from the nicotine in the air and collect dust and soot from the air diffusers. If there is a lot of dirt and soot, the excess should be vacuumed off before cleaning. This should be done when the crew man is vacuuming the air diffusers near them. When the crew leader is spraying the ceiling he would give a little extra spray to the sprinkler head using a semi-flush method. The crew leader should have a wiper blot the excess chemical off the sprinkler. This must be done carefully, because if you remove the aluminum trip plate on the sprinkler head, water from the head will spray all over. If there is an abundance of films or grease, it maul need to be flushed off and left to drip. Be sure to drop a cloth beneath it, if necessary. Never confuse a fire alarm sensor (smoke detector) with a sprinkler head. The fire alarm sensor can’t tell the difference between spray mist and smoke. The spray mist may set off the alarm. It is best to cover the sensor before spraying by attaching a styrofoam cup to the fixi-clamp on the extension pole. While the ceiling in the vicinity of the sensor is being sprayed, have a wiper hold the extension pole with the clamped cup over the sensor. After the ceiling has been sprayed and the chemical mist has fallen , the wiper can lower the cup.

Sales

Sales leads come from cold calling, advertising, referrals and repeat customers. The best of these leads is the repeat customer. He is normally familiar with your service and it is usually a matter inspecting the job are and giving him a price. Referred customers are the second best lead. They have usually been informed about your service from a satisfied customer of yours. When you meet with this person, he usually has confidence and respect for your company. It is important to thoroughly inform him about your services, how you price, your companies policies, and about your guarantees. The first time you price a job for him you should thoroughly explain to him what service he will receive, what results he can expect and how you arrived at your price. It is best to give the customer an example of price differences between the ceiling he want cleaned and the same amount of ceiling with a different type of tile.

The lead that is generated from advertisement is the third best lead. When the customer responds to the advertisement, it showed that he had a desire for your services. It is very important to present a professional image when meeting him. In most situations, the customer knows little about your type of service. You should thoroughly

inform him about your services, company, and any guarantees. The manner in which you present this information will make the difference between being a professional or someone just informing this person. If you fail to impress him as to your professionalism, he is simply going to be a price buyer. Remember, first impressions are lasting impressions.

The cold call is going to be the lease effective in generating sales per person talked to. The reason for this is many people are not familiar with your service and may feel that you are wasting their time. But, cold calling can be at first, the best way to introduce your company to large businesses, rather than door to door. Your time is too valuable to use on a person that has only one store or restaurant. You use the same amount of time talking to someone who has 100 stores as someone who has one. It really depends on your area and the company you are approaching as to calling on the phone first or going there without calling. A person who is good on the phone can sometimes reach the correct person and set an appointment which is usually the best method of introducing your service to them.

Professional Image

The image that your account manager projects is a direct reflection on your company and service. It is important that he be dressed businesslike. The style of clothing will vary with your area. In Florida, in the summer, a three piece suit will not only be uncomfortable but will also look out of place. In Minnesota, in the winter, a three piece suit may be practical, but on the very cold days, dress pants and a shirt with a sweater may look and be more practical. The important thing to remember is that you present a professional appearance and image.

Personal grooming is an important factor. If you look sloppy or dirty, that image will be projected to the customer. For instance, a man with long shaggy hair that is not groomed, will present a sloppy image. The customer, when he sees this image, could form an opinion that the service that the company is sloppy as well.

When talking to the customer, it is important that the proper words and language be used. Swearing and derogatory remarks will not project a professional image. It is important hat you talk professionally and intelligently about your service. Should a customer ask a question, never lie in order to give an answer. It is better to be honest, and if you do not know the answer, tell him you will find out for him. It is an important question that must be answered before he makes his final decision, it would be best to call someone who knows the answer and inform the customer of the answer before leaving.

Remember, everything the customer sees and hears will be giving him information from which he forms an opinion about you, your company and your service. If the customer talks to three companies and the price is similar from each company, the deciding factor will normally be the image that was projected to him. He will usually choose the company that projected the most professional image.

Product Knowledge

Before an account manager (salesman) ever approaches a perspective customer, he should be thoroughly trained. Product knowledge is a very important selling tool. It is best to know and fully understand the how’s and why’s and if’s of all the services your company offers.

A customer depends on your knowledge to give him the required information that he needs to decide if he should clean the ceiling, when he should clean the ceiling and what results he will have. Knowing the answers to his questions and being able to give him detailed descriptions of the way your services and process work, will help him forma professional image of you and your company’s services.

Product knowledge consists of knowing and understanding all the types of ceilings and ceiling components. Knowing and understanding all facets of the ceiling process used in cleaning all the different types of ceilings. Knowing and understanding the results of the cleaning processes. Understanding the problems that each particular customer has to contend with, such as the type of environment, being familiar with the customer’s operating hours and procedures, being familiar with their paying habits and your company’s billing procedure. Being able to communicate your product knowledge to your product knowledge to your customer is the key to your success.

Professional cleaning companies that have been trained in our seminars will be providing many benefits to their customer. One is that the customers can have the ceiling cleaned many, many times compared to the cost of replacing it only one time. Also, the cleaning can be performed in a fraction of the time and with little or no mess, compared to replacing or painting the ceiling. When a customer replaces a ceiling, he not only spends money, but he also creates an interference to his business because of the exorbitant amount of mess. When a ceiling is replaced, all the dirt, dust and debris above the ceiling tiles fall down into the room. In most cases the entire room needs to be cleaned after a ceiling is replaced. With cleaning, it is up to you to leave the customer without any more mess than possible.

The #1 Benefit

Saves Money!! Time is money; the number one concern of all business is how much money they can save, not spend. The number one benefit we can offer the customer is the saving money. The savings provided a customer for cleaning per square foot versus the cost of replacing an existing ceiling per square foot is unbelievable. This must be pointed out to the customer. Unless he is told, in most cases he will not know how much he is saving.

Example: To replace an existing ceiling. Here are some of the costs to consider:

1. Cost of new ceiling tiles.

2. Cost of labor to remove old tile.

3. Cost of labor to clean existing grid, fixtures, etc.

4. Cost of labor to install new ceiling tile.

5. Because of tile waste, 10-20% more ceiling tile than actual square footage of the

area is needed.

6. Cost of clean up after the ceiling has been installed.

7. Cost of disposing of old tile, etc.

As you can see from the above, there are many unseen costs that have to included to get a replacement cost. Usually ceiling costs 1/5 to 1/20 of the actual cost of replacing.

The #2 Benefit

Saves Time!! The second most important benefit is the savings of time and avoidance of business interruptions. Example: It would take for the average 2’ X 4’ ceiling, utilizing two experienced ceiling mechanics, approximately three working days to replace and existing 2,000 square foot ceiling. Cleaning can be done in as little as one hour. As you can see, one hour would certainly be much less interruption to their business. This wouldbe especially significant in a retail business, such as a 24 hour restaurant, convenience store, etc.

The #3 Benefit

Maintenance Program!! The third most important benefit is that a ceiling can be cleaned more than once. It can be cleaned many times for the price of one replacement. Also, it is possible that your customer may never have to replace the ceiling, provided ceiling is always maintained in a cleanable condition.

Additional Benefits To Customers

1. Keeps ceiling in acceptable manner at all times.

2. Disinfects and deodorizes.

3. Extends ceiling life (possibly life of building)

4. Can be scheduled on a maintenance program to keep the ceiling always looking

presentable.

5. One company serves all ceiling needs.

6. Possible Nationwide service.

7. No change in acoustical value (In fact, cleaning would improve acoustical

value.)

8. Satisfaction guaranteed

9. No change in fire rating, may lesson fire hazard conditions.

Our objective is to give the customer ultimate satisfaction. Remember, all personnel should be neat, clean and congenial. Remember, image is the key word.

Contacts

Who to see (in order)

Hospitals

1. Head of Housekeeping (Environmental Services)

2. Head of Engineering

3. Hospital Administrator

4. Purchasing Department

Commercial Real Estate Property Managers

1. Manager of Company

2. Property Managers

3. Maintenance Manager (or engineer)

4. Janitorial Department

Office Buildings

1. Property Manager (leasing manager)

2. Maintenance Manager


Banks And Savings And Loans

1. Property Manager

2. President of Operations



Large Factories



3. Head of Janitorial Service

4. Plant Manager


Restaurant Chains

1. Manager of Operations

2. Area Supervisors

3. Maintenance Managers

4. Store Managers

Restaurant (small, privately owned operations)

1. Owner

2. Supervisor

3. Manager


Malls

1. Mall Manager

2. Leasing Manager




Retail Chain Store

1. Operations Manager

2. Construction Manager

3. Area Supervisors

4. Store Manager

5. Maintenance Department

Large Department Stores

1. Store Manager



Utility Companies

1. Head of Construction

2. Engineering Department




City and County Government Offices

1. Building Maintenance Manager

2. Engineering Department



Business Structures

Usual Structure of Large Corporations(Such as McDonald’s Restaurant)Corporate Home Office(Controls All)

Regional Office Regional OfficeControl District Office

District Office District OfficeControl Area Offices

Area Office Area OfficeControl Store Managers

Area Supervisors Area SupervisorsControl Store Managers

Store Manager Store Managersupervises store operations

Usual Structure of Large company with a large number of stores(example: local restaurant chain)

Main OfficeControls all

District Manager District ManagerControls store manager

Store Manager Store Managersupervises store operations

Usual Structure of Most Small Businesses

Owner Controls All

Manager Supervises Operations

By understanding the structure of large corporations, chain store, etc. it will help you decide what segment of business you want to utilize your time in approaching. The order of people listed should give you a guide to follow. It will be best while you are at these businesses to try and present the presentation to more than one of the persons listed. In many situations the people you deal with control a budget for their department. They usually have not allocated money in their budget for ceiling cleaning. In order for them to use your service, the money must come from someone else’s budget. The maintenance manager will usually want the money to come from housekeeping or the janitorial budget. Housekeeping and janitorial management will want the money to come from the maintenance budget. Sometimes, they will pay a portion. It is best after completing your first job that you go back to both people and try to point out problem areas they may have to influence them to budget funds for ceiling cleaning in the future. Many of these budgets are made up a year in advance. They are usually altered throughout the year. It is important that you understand how different companies budget their money. For instance, a large corporation may use funds from their construction account budget to clean the ceiling while remodeling a store. The ceiling may again require cleaning before the next remodeling. The money to pay for the cleaning this time, however, will usually come from the maintenance department or the store’s own general operations budget. As you can see, it is important to understand who to approach. Most corporations have a number of people that you should inform about the company’s services. As you deal with these different people and businesses, you will find that they each have their own ideas and methods of operation. It will help you deal with these people if you understand their budgeting problems and reasoning.

Following up on Sales Leads

When following sales leads of any type, no matter how familiar the person seems to be about ceiling cleaning, if he hasn’t used your company before be sure to go completely through your presentation. The more the person understands, the better for you. In this

situation, you will be able to point out many of the differences between your company and the one that he has been using. Some of these people will have the attitude that all cleaning companies are the same. Do not be afraid to remind him that as with all service work, the quality varies. Some painter perform better than others. Be sure to point out to him that although you are similar to other companies, you are different. Act professional, be polite and make yourself and your company look as professional as possible in your customer’s mind.

In closing this section, remember image, professionalism, quality of service, and competitive pricing, all will give you new accounts, repeat business, and the best advertising, word of mouth. The section is only an outline for you to learn from. It is important that you constantly improve your image, your knowledge, and your concern for a lasting business relationship. As your experience in the ceiling cleaning industry grows, you should become more confident, have more knowledge and be more professional. The sooner you attain these traits, the sooner you will have an established business relationship and the sooner success will come to you. Never forget, to be a winner, you play to win. To win, you must practice hard and strive to be the best. As in a game, business is the same, it is up to you to work hard, strive to be the best and work at becoming a winner. The measure of a business winner is success.

Pricing

The pricing of jobs is the determining factor as to the success or failure of making a profit. If your price is too low, you can lose money and if your price is too high you may not receive any business. In between the high and low is the ideal price. The ideal price will vary with the competition and labor costs in your costs. Still, if you have no competitors and you price too high, the prospective customer may find other solutions for their ceiling problems rather than cleaning. But remember that you must make a profit on each job. There is no future for anyone if you only break even or lose money on a job,. You must learn what prices are suitable for the customer and what prices will allow you to earn a profit.

It is imperative when pricing a job, the factors of the ceiling, the environment and the job area be considered. We suggest that you price by the hour rather than by the square foot. In order to price by the hour you must be able to estimate job time accurately. A kitchen ceiling that must be wiped completely is going to take longer to clean a mineral board ceiling in a vacant office area.

You may be able to clean 2000 square feet per hour in the vacant office area. In the kitchen, using the same number of personnel, you may be able to clean 300 sq. ft. per hour. If you priced each job at $100 per hour, the cost per square foot for the two jobs would vary greatly. The office ceiling would cost the customer $.05 per square foot and the kitchen ceiling would be over $.33 per square foot. As you can see from this example, if you used a fixed price per sq. ft. ( for example $.15) you may possibly lose money on the kitchen job. You would make more money on the office job, but your competition would most likely beaten your $.15 per sq. ft. price. Remember that in most

cases, a company will pay a little more for higher quality service. However, it is best to be competitive in price, as well as offering the best quality service. If you follow these two rules, there will never be room for your competitors. This choice is yours to make and I am sure that you will choose success.

Items to Consider When Pricing

1. Type and size of ceiling tile2. Type of grid system3. Type of air diffusers4. Type of lights5. Ceiling height6. Number of rooms7. Size of rooms8. Total square feet9. Environment10. Room furnishings11. Type of walls12. Type of floor13. How much to clean up.

How to Price

After thoroughly inspecting all of the above items, you should be able to estimate job time. As you , some tiles must be wiped, different grid types require more work than others. The amount of dirt and type of air diffusers requires different amounts of cleaning time. The size of the lights and the way they are to be cleaned will alter job time. The higher the ceiling, the longer it will take to clean. The number of rooms in an area and the size of the rooms may dramatically change the amount of time required to trim. With a larger job, you will be able to clean more square feet per hour. The reason is that you set up the job one time and you should have team momentum.

It is important to consider the environment the ceiling is in. By inspecting furnishings, you will be able to estimate how much time will be required to drop cloth. Vinyl wallpapered walls will trim faster than rough wood. Some tile or marble floors may need to be drop clothed to protect the wax, etc., which takes additional time. After noting all of the above, you should be able to determine how much of a mess you will create and how long it will take to clean up.

By putting all the above information into perspective with prior job experience, you will be able to estimate how many hours it will require to complete the job. Then take the number of hours and multiply it by the hourly profit you want your company to earn.

Example:

Area: Office building with desks, furniture, etc.

Ceiling: 2’ X 4’ mineral board with exposed white grid

2 ‘ X 2’ square metal diffusers

Total square feet: 10,000

Job Time: at 1,000 square feet per hour = 10 hours

Personnel Required: 1 crew leader, 2 wipers

Labor Cost Per Hour: $36.00/Hour ($12.00 per hour)

(approximately 15 gallons)

Job Costs

10 hours @ 36.00 = 360.00

15 Gallons @ 12.00= 180.00

Miscellaneous (spongesdrop cloths, etc.) 25.00

Total Job Cost 565.00

Cost To Customer

At $0.25 per square foot = $2500.00

Job Cost= 565.00

Profit For The Job = 1935.00

Profit Per Hour = 193.50

In this example above, the customer’s cost per square foot is $.25 sq/ft. As you can see in the above example, although you are earning $193.50 per hour profit, you could usually charge the customer a lower price and still be very competitive.

Note: For a regular customer or a very large job, you may decide to reduce your hourly profit rate.

Here is another pricing example:

Most McDonald’s Restaurants have a dining room that is approximately 1800 sq/ft. You should be able to clean at least 900 sq.ft per hour with an experienced two man crew. Therefore, the total job time should be approximately two hours. Most McDonald’s restaurants are going to require cleaning on a regular basis (interval), therefore you probably charge them a lower or reduced hourly profit rate (for example $125.00 per hour). Therefore, in this example, two hours at the hourly profit rate of $125.00 per hour would give you a total job profit of $250.00.

Customer cost and your profit

Labor: 2 hours @ 24.00 = $ 48.00

Chemical: 3 gallons @ 12.00 = 36.00

Miscellaneous expense = 8.00

Expenses = 92.00

Your Profit = 250.00

Total Customer Cost = $342.00

The reason you should always price by the hour is it can take you up to ten times longer to clean the same amount of square feet of ceiling in different conditions. An example is one large room, 50’ X 200’ (10,000 sq.ft), vacant, with a 24” X 48” lay-in mineral fiber board tile. This could be cleaned in as little as four hours. On the other hand, if the room had furniture in it that needed to be drop clothed, it could take six hours using the same service crew. If this area had 20 separate offices, instead of being one large room, it would take approximately 10-20 hours. As you can see, the amount of time required to do the job can vary drastically depending on the conditions. The more time it takes to do a job, the higher your costs. If you use a fixed hourly profit rate and multiply it by the estimated number of hours, you should always make a profit.

Once you have reached the price, divide the total number of square feet into the price. This will give you the price per square foot. We suggest this square foot price never be less than $.175 sq/ft for a vacant space and never less than $.18 per sq./ft for space with furnishings and normally never less than $.20 per sq/ft for ceilings that require wiping. There are very few exceptions, but a very good account, a very large job or sometimes when you are against competition that also provides very good service, it may require you to reduce your square foot price. Remember that if a competitor offers service equal to yours, price will be a deciding factor as to who will get the job.

In order to obtain a competitive price, you may need to lower your hourly profit rate. In other situations, you may need to raise your hourly profit rate to keep from pricing too low. The reason for this is you are sometimes able to clean much more ceiling than your competition in the same amount of time. The competition will be pricing their job using more hours because they will require more hours to do the job. These situations, of course, will help offset the times when you must lower your hourly profit rates. The important thing is that you are average of all hourly profit rates is at least what you set as a minimum hourly profit rate.

At first until you have an experienced service crew, you will probably need to work with a lower hourly profit rate. As your crew becomes more experienced, your hourly profit rate should rise, along with the amount of square feet that your service crew can clean per hour.

An experienced crew should be able to average

Type of Area Approximate sq/ft cleaned per hour

2-Man 3-Man

Mineral Board Tiles

Furnished offices (approx. 10’x10’) 1200 2000

Vacant offices (approx. 10’x10’) 2000 3000

Furnished large open rooms 2000 4000

Vacant large open rooms 3500 5000

Restaurant dining rooms 900 1400

Plastic / Metal Faced Tiles (wiping req’d)

Vacant space 900 1200

Furnished space 600 900

Note: These figures are only estimates, with a 24”x48” lay-in mineral board tile you may be able to do more area and with a 24”X24” revealed edge, maybe slightly less.

Setting Your Hourly Rate

As discussed earlier, this will vary with local competition and local labor costs. It can also vary with the number of personnel you have on a crew. For instance, a five man crew would require wages for five people making your cost per hour more than if you were using a three man crew. This can be figured when you estimate the job on the service work sheet, the account manager will fill in the suggested number of personnel needed. On the bottom of the service work sheet there is a section where the crew leader fills out the number of personnel and number of hours worked. The number of personnel times the number of hours worked will give you total man hours used. From reviewing your old completed work sheets, comparing the type of areas cleaned, number of sq/ft, number of man hours per job, it will give you more of an idea on how to set your prices. You will find that you can use the same section when estimating to help guide you in selecting the proper number of personnel. An example: A job may require three people for approximately five hours. You could use four people, and do the job in four hours. Which job costs you more? To see find this out, you must multiply the number of personnel by the number of hours; three people times five hours equals 15 man hours (3 men x 5 hours = 15 man hours), and four people times four hours equals 16 man hours (4 men X 4 hours = 16 man hours of labor). More personnel is not always better or more cost effective.

WALL CLEANING

I. GENERAL

II. ON THE JOB

A. Wall Type

B. Special Treatment

C. Floors

D. Spraying

E. Wiping

III. SUMMARY

IV. PRICING

Wall Cleaning

I. General

Odorless Acoustical System cleans walls with the same success as it does ceilings. All types of wall cab be cleaned. Latex, enamel painted, wall papered, paneled, wood, brick, etc., can be cleaned easily and quickly.

II. ON THE JOB

This section outlines the step by step procedures for the acoustical wall cleaning job. Prior to beginning a wall cleaning job, a few items need to be considered:

Is the wall porous or non-porous?

Are there any extremely dirty areas that require special treatment?

Is the floor area carpeted or hard surface?

The following are the answers to these questions and the actual steps required in the wall cleaning process.

A. Wall Type

Before you can begin to clean the wall, you still have to determine if the wall surface is porous or non-porous. The golden rule still applies the same as with the ceilings. Porous surface walls are sprayed and you let the chemical dry. Non-porous walls are sprayed and then after the chemical has had time to loosen dirt and films, you wipe off the excess chemical.

B. Special Treatment

Before cleaning the wall, determine if the wall is in need of any special cleaning treatment (heavy dirty areas). Not all the wall will have to be specially treated, only those areas that are extremely dirty. Most common areas of heavy dirt are found around light switches, traffic lines where people rub against the wall and where chairs are placed against the wall.

If the heavy dirt areas are loose soil on a porous wall, they should be vacuumed before spraying the chemical on the surface. This is to prevent the loose soil from being drawn into the pores of the wall, when the chemical is applied.

If the loose dirt is on a non-porous wall, it can either be vacuumed or it can just be wiped after spraying.

If the heavy dirt areas are not loose soil, the special treatment will be to brush or scrub with a sponge. This special treatment will be done after you spray. Whether you use a sponge or a brush is usually based upon the type of wall surface. The rule is: If the wall surface is porous, you use a sponge to scrub the extra dirty area. If the wall surface is non-porous, you use a brush to lightly scratch the extra dirty areas. This brushing is done with a medium firm brush. Brushing helps the chemical attack the dirt film. The scrub brush offered by our company easily attaches to the fixi-clamps on the extension poles. After brushing or scrubbing the wall areas, allow the chemical time to loosen the set in soil and films. Be sure not to damage the wall surface by over scrubbing or brushing.

Examples

Scrubbing with a sponge Brushing

Latex paint Enamel paint

Paper Wallpaper Vinyl Wallpaper

Paneling Marble

Formica Formica

Metal Brick

Varnished Wood Lumber

Field Stone / Rock

C. Floors

Normally, the wall requires a light application of chemical, thus there is no need to protect the floor area. If you need to spray a heavier application, some protection is recommended.

If the floor is carpeted, a towel or drop cloth will be placed at the base of the wall. The chemical solution will not harm the carpet or floor. However, will cause the dirt and films to loosen and this dirty chemical mix could possibly run down the wall and onto the carpet/floor. By putting a drop cloth or towel at the base of the wall will prevent the carpet from being soiled by this mixture.

If the floor is hard surfaced, the same step should be taken or you will have to wipe up the chemical off the floor with a sponge or cloth. Also, on a hard surface floor this step should be taken to avoid a slipping hazard.

D. Spraying

Walls are always sprayed from the bottom to the top. Apply the chemical starting at the base of the wall working up to the top of the wall. Spray about 4-feet across the bottom of the wall with a fine spray across the wall another 4 feet allowing for a small overlap of chemical. Continue to spray across and up the wall overlapping with each pass. Spray over the entire wall in this fashion. Remember to use a light spray mist. You can even spray over electrical wall outlets, but don’t overspray them, as you could possibly get an electrical shock. Moving along the wall in 4 foot sections makes this a very fast method of cleaning. However, once experienced at this cleaning process, larger sections than 4 feet can be taken.

E. Wiping

On porous wall surfaces, wiping is only required on those items on the walls that are non-porous (light switches, doors, trim work, etc.) This particular wiping is usually done by hand.

Non-porous walls will not absorb the chemical. It is important when spraying a non-porous wall not to over wet the wall because as the chemical loosens the films they will run onto the floor. A light chemical application is nicotine, grease and oil films. Allow the chemical to remain on the wall long enough to use its cleaning powers. The process does require that the chemical have time to penetrate the wall to clean it before the wiping takes place. You will actually see the dirt films loosening as the chemical starts to work. Wiping should be done after the chemical has had time to work on the dirt films, but before the chemical starts to dry. The wall is to be wiped from the top of the wall down to the bottom using an extension pole with a clamped on sponge. The sponge is used to wipe off excess chemical and the loosened dirt films. It is important to keep the sponge rinsed clean at all times. You cannot clean a wall with a dirty sponge. If the wall is real dirty, after it is wiped off, it should be resprayed with a light application of chemical. Remember, when spraying a non-porous wall, the more chemical you spray on, the more you must wipe off. Also remember, Wiping is not scrubbing, it is simply removing the excess chemical and dirt films.

On textured walls or wallpaper, you will not be able to wipe off all the chemical from the rough texture. The chemical, because it dries residue free, will clean this for you. However, when wiping, be sure to keep your sponge clean at all times.

III. Summary

This type of wall cleaning is very fast and easy. The overall appearance of the wall will be greatly improved. However, this process will not remove all scuff marks

and stains. On scuff marks, stains and other bad marks, a special duty wall cleaner will have to be used. These types of wall cleaners are usually available in most paint stores.

This cleaning process is so easy it can be done with little or no effort.

IV. Pricing

Recent studies in the industry show that cleaning services are charging anywhere for .14 to .20 cents per square foot on porous walls and .15 to .25 cents on non-porous walls. Using a two or three person crew makes this a very fast process. It is not uncommon or unrealistic to be able to do 2,000 square foot per hour.

After qualifying the job, it will be much easier for you to decide which way to charge the customer; by the hour depending on the condition of the wall, as opposed to charging by the square footage.

Example A

A two to three man crew could clean 2,000 square feet of wall in an open area with carpeted floors and no removal of items from the wall in one hour.

Job time Crew Size Man hours Job Price

1 Hour 3 3 $280.00

2,000 sq/ft x .14 cents = $280.00, which will net your company a $215.00 profit per hour (as shown below)

3 man hours X $8.00/hr. = $ 24.00

3 gallon chemical

3X $12.00 gallon = 36.00

Miscellaneous expense = 5.00

Job Cost $ 65.00

Job price $280.00

Job cost 65.00

Profit $215.00

Some jobs where articles are to be removed and replaced, and some areas requiring special treatment will take you almost two hours. If you charge the same job price of $280.00 you will net your company a profit of only $107.50 per hour.

The correct way to price this particular job would be to take an hourly rate of $125.00 profit per hour, which we feel is average in this industry. Multiply that by two hours, take your total labor, chemical and miscellaneous cost and you would come up with the total job cost. This will enable you to maintain the $100.00 plus per hour profit we teach you at our schools. (see figure below)

The job cost would increase to $339.00, which still would be a competitive price

Example B

Job time Crew size Man hours Job price

2 hours 3 6 $339.00$125.00 Profit rate per hr. x 2 hours $250.006 man hours x $8.00 per hr. $48.003 Gallons chemical x $12/ gallon $36.00Misc. Expenses $5.00

_______Total Job Cost $339.00

Summary

Pleasing the customer is important. With practice and experience you will have a very profitable business. Versatility is the key. “ yes Sir, I can clean your ceiling and while I’m at it, may I clean your walls?”

Auditing the Prospect’s Facility

Typical Procedure: Armed with a clip board, calling cards, and brochures. Walk in , introduce yourself, and explain. “ I represent a new company called__________. Which is offering a new service for restoring acoustical tile ceilings. At this time we are conducting a survey of businesses that have acoustical tile which will identify for them the condition of their tile and provide information regarding a neat, efficient, and relatively inexpensive process for restoring it. There is no obligation for the survey or the results. It’s our way of identifying who has a need for our service and providing information and demonstrations of our service.

If you are talking to the decision maker answer all questions and use you fact sheet. If you are speaking to anyone else, give them a brochure and make sure that you get the name, phone number and a good time to contact the decision maker. Next, get through the rough measurements of the ceiling. You can do this by counting the number of tiles wide and long the ceiling is and multiplying each measurement by the width and length

of one tile. Also, note how dirty the tile is. Direct canvassing is probably the way of gathering useful information and disseminating it.

Logo

This proposal is prepared for_____________________________ located at _____________________________________. The problem: The ceiling at the above location has been in place for approximately__________ years. During that period of time the tiles have been exposed to the following atmospheric conditions___________airconditioning_______cooking grease________soot________smoke_____other

As a result of these conditions the tile at his location is classified as:

1. New- no need to treat, good luminosity and sound absorption.2. Slight discoloration, slight loss of luminosity and sound absorption-needs treatment to restore tile qualities.3. Noticeable discoloration: noticeable loss of luminosity and sound absorption-needs treatment to avoid replacement.4. Unsightly discoloration; little if any luminosity or sound absorption-needs treatment to avoid replacement5. Gross discoloration; unsightly and possibly unsanitary conditions. Needs to be replaced.

Resolution of the Problem: After a survey was performed, a demonstration of the acoustical dry cleaning process was made on tile at the location. The application of the chemical process demonstrated its effectiveness in restoring the luminous and sound absorption qualities of the tile. The remainder of this proposal explains acoustical dry cleaning in greater detail, spells out the work to be done and the costs involved.

Proposal Work Sheet

I. Ceiling Area To Be Treated: draw a likeness of the area giving dimensions and including location of any fixtures.

II. Tile Condition: 1 2 3 4 5III. Recommendation: One application_________

Two Application________Other_________________

IV. Pricing InformationCeiling Area _______________ sq. ft.Cleaning Cost _______________ sq. ft.

$______________ tile cleaning costs

FixturesLights _________@________ _____________Vents__________@________ _____________

Fixture Cleaning Cost $___________________

Other Cleaning and Costs__________________________________________________Total Cost $___________________

Payment is due in full upon completion of services. I, the undersigned agree to the performance and terms of the proposed work.

Authorized Signature__________________ Date__________________________

Add in cost for second application if needed.Fixtures to be cleanedlights__________@__________=__________vents__________@__________=__________other__________@__________=__________

Total cost

Payment is due in full upon completion of services.

Authorized Signature__________________ Date___________________________

Follow Up

When following up on a lead regardless of where it came from:1. Review who and what your company is and does.2. Review the work process and what it does.3. Compare your process to other solutions to the problem.4. Explain that your company is making a special pricing offer to those places which will allow them to refer to them as a demonstration for their new processes. Approximately 100,000 sq. ft. will be done at 30% off the regular rate. Go on to explain that you are looking for a cross section of as many types of tile locations as possible, so that you will be able to refer any type of client to a demo site much like their own situation.5. Ask if you may prepare a proposal.6. If the answer is yes, prepare a written proposal which includes the following:A. An introductory page that identifies who the proposal is prepared for and that it was prepared as the result of a survey of the premises.B. A second page should be a product overview sheet.C. A third sheet would be a worksheet that identifies:1. The ceiling are to be cleaned with a drawing of the area and the location of any ceiling fixtures.2. A description of the condition of the ceiling.3. Pricing informationa. total sq. ft._________b. price/sq. ft._________

$_______ Total tile cleaning one application

The following is an estimated cost of the 3 options available for Ceilings today. The prices are based on your actual ceiling.

Replacement Painting Cleaning

1. Tile Cost 1. Cost of Paint 1. Cost of complete job2. Waste Factor 2. Cost of Supplies 2. Extra Cleaning Cost Cost (10%)3. Labor to remove 3. Labor & Paint 3. Cost of Businessclean grid and fixtures, to clean up Interruptioninstall and clean up room4. Cost of Tile Disposal 4. Cost of Business

Interruption

Total Estimated Total Estimated Total EstimatedCost $________________ Cost $____________ Cost $____________

________________________________________________________________________Advantages Advantages Advantages

1. 100% New 1. Temporary Cure 1. Low Cost that covers cracks 2. Little or no

& chips business interruption3. Restores its acousticalvalue.4. Improves your firerating.5. Extends the life span.6. Increases your light reflection.

________________________________________________________________________

Disadvantages DisadvantagesDisadvantages

1. High Cost 1. High Cost2. Business Interruption 2. Business Interruption

3. Loss of acoustical Value

Documents

There is no one in the acoustical ceiling cleaning ...€¦ · Web viewThere is no one in the acoustical ceiling cleaning industry as advanced in technique, knowledge, and product