envirowash

New Vapor Blast Machine Provides Additional Options For Toughest Jobs

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 01:20:33 GMT

Unlike traditional paint removal, vapor blasting leaves less residue and avoids harsh chemicals.

Most cleaning projects are easily accommodated with Envirowash’s standard equipment – pressure washers with modified pressure capability, including soft wash. But tougher jobs might need more.

That’s where vapor blasting comes in.

Vapor blasting – also known as wet blasting, media blasting, or abrasive blasting – takes cleaning to a new level. Water is mixed with different types of media – sand, crushed walnut shells, even recycled glass – to create a vapor/media mixture that removes paint or rust while creating minimal airborne particulars, which is better for people and the environment. “Vapor blasting is the most cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to remove something from a surface,” says James Herbert, Envirowash’s president. “And it’s also the tool we use when nothing else works.”

Earlier this year, Envirowash used vapor blasting to strip paint from the fountain at the center of Monroe Park in downtown Richmond. Once the coating was gone, the team sealed the multi-tiered fountain with a rust inhibitor and then applied a primer and fresh paint. Vapor blasting was the perfect way to approach the historic fountain, which dates to the early 1900s.

“Everybody who has lived in Richmond for any amount of time knows Monroe Park’s fountain,” Herbert says. “The whole park had been renovated, and we needed to come in and clean the fountain, to make it as beautiful as its new surroundings.”

Envirowash acquired the vapor blasting equipment nearly a year ago. The process has three variables that can be endlessly adjusted: pressure – controlled by a pressure dial; the amount of amount of media used; and the amount of water used. Technicians became comfortable with the technique by watching training videos and experimenting on different surfaces, including an old Radio Flyer wagon, old decking boards and “damaged” bluestone pavers. “When we purchased the equipment, it was a whole new discipline for us,” Herbert says. “We needed to learn how to control all those variables, because you can pretty much remove anything

from any surface with the right amount of TLC. “We got the scaling and rust off the wagon, blasted the decking boards with soda and got really

good results, and even got spilled epoxy off the paver,” Herbert adds. “It was fun testing different substrates with different media and pressure.”

Herbert says the variety of media that can be used in vapor blasting makes the technique suitable for a range of residential and commercial needs: removing sealers or paint from asphalt, cleaning pavers, refreshing ornamental metal work, washing fire lane curbs, reconditioning structured steel, and restoring brick to its original surface.

“If you had a bronze statue and you had discoloration, you could take walnut shells and have that statue look like a brass penny without damaging the surface at all,” Herbert says. “Vapor blasting is also useful for small projects, like an intricate wrought iron gate, because it can clean all the nooks and crannies without damaging the surface. No job is too small; no job is too large.”

The Equipment Behind the Business

Mon, 16 May 2022 17:10:52 GMT

It takes trucks, trailers and the right tools for Envirowash to ensure the right outcome for every job

To execute a cleaning job properly, you start with the right equipment.

For Envirowash, that equipment ranges from trucks to hoses to ladders to harnesses, with each item fulfilling a specific purpose.

“We have a checklist for each job to make sure we have everything we need from the ground up,” says Operations Manager Ryan Conner. “We always want to be prepared.”

The company’s six Ford F-250 pick-up trucks are the actual foundation for all projects. Running on diesel fuel, each vehicle has toolboxes alongside its rear bed, is equipped with ladder racks, and pulls a trailer loaded with gear. Typically, that includes a pressure-washing machine, water tanks, hoses, climbing harnesses and ropes, cleaning solutions, and occasionally a hot box – an adjustable-temperature water heater.

“Most house-washing uses a warm water wash, so you don’t shock the plants [around the house],” Conner says.

One trailer is dedicated to reclamation jobs – projects where water is collected after use so it can be disposed elsewhere. For those situations, two water tanks are on the trailer, one for clean water, and one for dirty water.

“Reclamation is necessary when we’re working a commercial job and nearby drains go directly to creeks or streams, instead of a water treatment facility,” Conner says. “We sometimes reclaim water at a residential job when the surrounding plantings are delicate and need extra protection.”

During the slower winter months, Conner and year-round technicians clean and rebuild every trailer, spending up to two weeks checking the structure and connections to prevent break-downs during the company’s busiest time, which usually begins in April and can last until November, if the weather holds. All the equipment – ladders, hoses, harnesses, ropes and hooking clips – are inspected to ensure they are in good condition and safe for the next season. Paint sprayers and plate compactors, necessary for some paving jobs, also get routine maintenance.

“We always want to make sure that everything is in good shape at the start of the season,” Conner says. “Sure, things break, but we can prevent a lot of problems if we do that good maintenance work in advance.”

Filling out the team

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 18:13:34 GMT

Envirowash is looking for a few energetic and dependable people to join the seasonal crew.

Envirowash is looking for a few good people.

Six, to be exact.

While the company stays busy throughout the year, March to November is packed with customer requests, which the company tries to fulfill in a timely manner.

“When it’s nice outside, homeowners want to enjoy their decks, their patios, their porches, and they want them to be fresh and clean,” says Sales Manager Curtis Galbraith. “People host friends and family in the warmer months more than they do in the winter, and they want their homes to make a good impression.”

Envirowash’s year-round team of a dozen currently needs to grow by 50 percent to accommodate the surge in demand. “During the main part of our busy season, we need help to get all of our jobs completed while keeping the quality high for every customer,” Galbraith says.

“The job is an easy introduction to the construction or home improvement industry,” he notes, since power washing usually happens at the start and finish of many projects. Additionally, he adds, it’s common for technicians to hit the 40-hour mark in four days’ time; some weeks, there’s Saturday work and plenty of opportunity for growth.

Seasonal Envirowash team members often pair their Envirowash job with another seasonal job in the winter or work for themselves during the off-season. Or, if they’ve been able to save well, they may choose to work less in the colder months. “It creates a nice opportunity to take long breaks at Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Galbraith says.

New Envirowash technicians spend their first few weeks learning on the job working alongside a mentor technician, usually one of the Envirowash team employees who have been with the company for 10+ years. Every employee is provided with attire – shirts, pants or shorts and boots – so they don’t have to invest in work clothes. And technicians drive Envirowash vehicles to work sites, not their own cars, which saves on gas costs, and wear and tear. Comfort with heights – since some jobs require walking on roofs – is preferred, but not required. And while there is some need for strength, no one should assume they can’t do the job.

“There is a physical requirement to the work in pulling hoses and moving ladders, but it’s not terribly strenuous,” Galbraith says. “While we don’t currently have any women working with us on crews, we do have a woman project manager, and we’d be happy to welcome more women to the company.”

Perhaps the best benefit, Galbraith says, is the work itself.

“A landscaper might get tired of cutting grass and edging every day, but pressure washing is always different,” Galbraith notes. “We see some really unique and beautiful properties on a daily basis, which is a nice change of scenery. We don’t just do washing – we stain, seal, even paint, so our employees are always learning and doing something new. Plus, our work creates very visible change. There’s satisfaction at the end of the day, seeing a transformation. You can say, ‘That was me, I worked on this property and made something new again.’”

City Projects - The One to Call

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 16:41:44 GMT

Envirowash provides much-needed maintenance and special cleaning services throughout the city of Richmond

Glenn Lewis knows James Herbert and his Envirowash team are available whenever the need arises.

As operations manager for the City of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, Lewis oversees capital projects for the department, as well as maintenance and security for city structures.

“I call on Envirowash because of [the business’] reputation and responsibleness with me,” Lewis says. “I can call James day or night, and I get the response that he’ll deal with [the situation], and we’ll deal with the cost later.

“He is there when I need him the most,” Lewis adds.

Lewis began working with Envirowash more than a dozen years ago, when he was in the city’s public utilities department, and he hired the company to power-wash a building at the wastewater treatment facility. Since then, the company has handled graffiti removal on public walls and structures, sand-blasting of pipes and metal playground huts, interior cleaning of mold and mildew, and preventative treatments to protect statues or roadway pavers.

“We still do some power-washing [with city staff], but it all depends on how valuable or sensitive the material is,” Lewis says. “James and his crew have a better idea of how to attack the problem. Envirowash can loosen it up and babysit it, when the need arises.”

Lewis says he’s especially happy to have Envirowash tackle jobs where time is also a factor, pointing to the work the company has done to maintain the flood wall and to clean the now-removed Confederate statues on Monument Avenue.

“When road closures are involved and you have traffic detours, the work has to be done quickly and promptly,” he says.

The city’s flood wall, which was completed in 1995, is in place to protect vulnerable low-lying areas from the rising water of the James River. While the wall isn’t closed often – the most recent occurrence in November 2020 was the first time it was shut for weather since Hurricane Gaston in 2004 – the gates are tested yearly. “Once you pull the wall, you need to clean it, because of rust and paint,” Lewis notes. “If it’s not clean, it won’t open and close easily.”

Lewis says these preventative measures are important for maintaining city holdings. In Byrd Park, Envirowash has powerwashed the Round House foundation and applied a protective coating on the brick to deter organic growth. At the Maggie L. Walker Memorial Plaza at Broad and North Adams streets, Envirowash cleaned graffiti tags and then added a solution that creates a layer between the statue and future paint.

“I’ve been in maintenance for 40 years, and I know preventative maintenance,” Lewis says. “It’s a lot cheaper than replacing something. No matter what I have going on, [James] is the one I call.

“In the position I’m in, it’s very important that the emergency work I assign get attention ASAP, without delay and less confusion,” Lewis adds. “It’s about taking care of the assets for the City of Richmond and our citizens.”

Special Properties Require Special Touch

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 16:50:07 GMT

Historic structures require a sensitive approach. Envirowash knows which cleaning products and techniques will protect delicate surfaces and materials.

First, do no harm.

While the Hippocratic Oath is most often associated with M.D.s and their human patients, it’s a tenet followed by Envirowash with every job – even more so when the project in question includes a historic or architecturally significant structure.

Over the past two decades, Envirowash has cleaned or removed paint from delicate buildings throughout the region, including the Virginia State Capitol and the C.F. Sauer Co. headquarters at 2000 West Broad Street.

“There are very few people who are skilled at removing paint that’s been on a building for 75 years without damaging the brick,” says Bradford B. Sauer, chairman of Sauer Properties. “[Owner James Herbert] always has first-class equipment and people who really understand what they are doing. They are very thorough, very smart, and very focused on each individual challenge that we’ve put them up against.”

Before starting projects, Sauer says, the Envirowash team will test a small area with different cleaning agents, making sure, through a trial-and-error process, that the approach is safe. “We’ve done historic renovation and restoration on 100-year-old buildings,” he says. “The exteriors would have all kinds of problems. If you use the wrong [cleaning] technique, you’d destroy the

mortar between the bricks or take the finish off the brick.”

Envirowash has also worked inside C.F. Sauer company buildings, Sauer says, which brings another set of challenges. “Inside a food plant, you have to work around equipment and be careful about the substances you’re using and how you clean everything,” he says. “James and the team always figured out a solution.”

Anthony Griffin, director of maintenance and operations with the Virginia Department of General Services, believes the first job Envirowash completed for the state was cleaning the Shrine of Memory at the Virginia War Memorial, a space that includes stone and glass walls, each engraved with names of Virginians who have died in military service.

“We’ve used [Envirowash] for many graffiti issues, buildings and monuments over the years,” Griffin says. “They know how to do low-pressure cleaning, which is very important on historical buildings. They’re our go-to people.”

Envirowash now power-washes most state buildings Griffin oversees, including the State Capitol, the Executive Mansion, and other buildings on or around Capitol Square.

“We have a very good partner relationship with [Envirowash],” Griffin says. “When they come to do a job, you have the same crew that knows the ins and outs. We recommend them to other state agencies when asked.”

Residential Cleanliness Starts at the Top

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 17:18:41 GMT

Homeowners know that property maintenance is an important aspect of protecting their investment. An often-overlooked element of that protection is the roof, which is the first line of defense against water and weather damage. Keeping organic growth at bay helps to preserve the integrity of whatever material the roof is made of: shingle, slate, metal, or clay. Any roof can be damaged by the presence of algae and lichens, which can break down the material’s surface or invade seams, allowing for water and insects to enter. Once the integrity of the roof is compromised, its lifespan drops dramatically.

“You don’t want to pay for a 20-year roof and have to replace it in 12,” says Envirowash Sales Manager Curtis Galbraith. Dark streaks on a roof indicate algae, which is caused by airborne spores that land on a surface and find a comfortable environment, usually a shady spot. Commonly used asphalt composite shingles include crushed limestone, which is a food source for algae, leading to more rapid

growth than homeowners might expect. By the time the tell-tale black streaks are noticeable from the ground, the algae have been growing for three to four months.

Green stains indicate lichen, which thrives in sun. Lichens appear crusty and will branch out along the surface, eventually turning into moss. Moss retains water, preventing the roof from drying thoroughly after rain or snow. Constant moisture makes the roof heavier, which can lead to structural damage. In winter, moss can freeze and thaw repeatedly, encouraging cracking as the roof expands and contracts.

“The best way to protect your roof is just a little maintenance cleaning along the way,” Galbraith says. “We can remove these harmful growths without causing any other damage.” Galbraith says the process begins with a proprietary cleaning solution that softens the organic material that needs to be removed. After the stains and matter are loosened via a soft wash of heated water, technicians will follow with the rinse. “Our technicians literally cover every area and walk down the roof, injecting our cleaning solution and then again with our heated water application,” Galbraith says. Galbraith says it’s typical for Envirowash to hear from other homeowners after a neighbor has his roof washed.

“It’s about ‘keeping up with the Joneses,’ ” he laughs. “Most people will think about how it looks – they want the appearance to be fresher. They’re not even thinking about how that appearance can lead to problems down the road. “We can remove harmful growths without causing any other damage and help your roof look beautiful at the same time.”

20 Years Later ... And Still Washing

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 16:12:33 GMT

20 Years Later ... And Still Washing

Envirowash began in James Herbert’s garage, with a single converted U.S. Postal Services truck and a 4 GPM (gallon per minute) pressure washer. Herbert was hoping to create a business of his own in Richmond after years of working for others. He turned to power washing after cleaning his own house and feeling an instant sense of accomplishment when the work was done. “It was the first time in years I had the gratification of working and getting results immediately,” he says.

In his early 20s, Herbert left a steady but “slow-moving” job and struck out for Alaska with a friend. Driving – and sleeping – in a VW van converted into a camper, the pair ended up on the banks of the Tonsina River, in the southeastern part of the state, where they built a log cabin from spruce trees burned in a previous year’s forest fire. They ate salmon from the river, berries from the land, and even bear, shot by Herbert’s friend. A few months later, they left for Anchorage, where they would find work and an easier supply of food. Eventually, Herbert’s friend returned to the lower 48, but Herbert stayed and began working in the amusement industry, placing coin-operated machines in stores. The next year, he persuaded his girlfriend, who was still in Virginia, to come to Alaska with him. She agreed – as long as they got married. After eight years in Alaska – and with three children – Herbert and his wife needed to be closer to family. They moved first to South Carolina, then to Richmond, where both had grown up. Herbert cashed in his 401K to purchase the equipment needed to start Envirowash and began advertising his services in his neighborhood and nearby. After a year in business, he was able to hire an employee to work with him. The following year, he hired someone else and more equipment. Expansion continued. “It was a nice, linear, upward-sloping revenue stream,” Herbert says, noting that the COVID pandemic did force some downsizing from a company high of 23 employees. “I had never really let anybody go,” he says. “One guy stole gas, and I fired him. Other than that, I give people chances. I think we have the strongest team now we ever have.” Now, Envirowash has five trailers, each transporting four pressure-washing machines that heat the water used in cleaning. One trailer has a reclamation system that collects run-off so it can be reused or discarded safely. “Water molecules are a lot faster when they are heated, so cleaning is more effective,” Herbert notes. “It’s like trying to clean a greasy dish with cold water and detergent. It’s almost impossible to get the film off. But when you have hot water, you need less detergent and it gets

clean faster and more effectively.”

The reclamation equipment is important because some jobs require that all water used be recovered. For example, Envirowash was recently awarded a contract to clean the local holdings of a fast-food restaurant chain. Several restaurants are close to storm drains, meaning they carry water from the parking lot to creeks, rivers, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay, so Envirowash will recover wash water run-off so as to protect Virginia’s waterways. The ethos of protecting the environment is embedded in the company’s name and a way of doing business. “I hate polluted water and dirty air; I have a real love for the environment,” Herbert says. “Unless it’s the law, no one wants to be environmentally responsible, because of the price tag. But change is coming faster than we think, and we’re ready.” Envirowash is also ready to start a new decade with a staff that Herbert believes will sustain and grow the company’s residential and commercial business. A team-based approach, he says, is the best way to ensure the company’s continued success. “We have a collaborative, more democratically run office,” he says. “My final word needs to be in unison with what is suggested. I can’t put stock in any one person – everyone is replaceable, even me.”

While he remains dedicated to Envirowash, Herbert sees his role in a new light. “One of the biggest things I recognize is that [life’s] not all about money; it’s about spending quality time with family and friends, and being of service to them,” he says. “With Envirowash, I’ll continue to be the visionary and mentor, but will leave the day-to-day operations to our qualified staff.”