I Finally Did It!!!!!!!!!!

[YUKON 659]

I got my first gutter today....I felt like an idiot!!!!!!! It wasn't really that bad I only crushed the end of it in a "little". The worst part about it was the homeowner was right there watching The tree was a black cherry, about 14"16" dbh and it went up straight about 20' and the rest of the tree grew like a "banana" over the corner of a big shed. Anyhow my son set a pull line (with a come-a-long) and I notched it to go about 90 degrees from the corner of the shed....and it didn't!!!!!!! I left a pretty beefy hinge and pulled the tree over. I didn't check the hinge wood (too pi$$ed at myself for what had happened) but I suspect it didn't hold. Anyhow when you hear that little voice inside your head telling you something...you better listen. I didn't!!!!! Fortunately the damage was "only" minimal and I will take care of it.

Jeff

 

[MasterBlaster]

It sounds like some limbs shoulda been rigged and removed, maybe...

 

[Dadatwins]

Any damage always hurts, hopefully learn what went wrong and do not do it again. Prepare to be second guessing yourself for the next couple of jobs until you get your groove back. Glad no one got hurt and damage was minimal.

 

[Ax-man]

I hate gutters with a passion, especially those with that screen over them to keep the leaves out.

I've never pulled one off the side of a house, but I've dinged a few in my time, seems like the more you try to fix it the worse it gets.

What gets me is those little annoying trim jobs with limbs that are over the roof that you don't need to climb for, with a pole saw you can do a direct the limb and manuver it somewhat, with a pole clip, you cut and the butt falls on the edge of the gutter, then slides off, making a heck of a noise, owner thinks your tearing the house down your not damaging anything just making noise.

Some people ask why we don't get on the roof to do the trimming. I myself don't care to get near the edge of a roof, especially using something like a saw or pole cutting equipment. Another reason is I don't know if the roof is in good shape or not, I'm not going to pay for someone's roof to be redone if a leak just some how happens to appear, after we finish our work.

Larry

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Q: Ya, know what they call a biker without a Brain Bucket?








A: An Organ Donor!

Ooops wrong joke;.....
Excuse me,




Q: Ya know what they call a biker that laid his nice bike down?








A: An Experienced Rider!







Or, something like that!
:alien:

 

[geofore]

gutters

The pitts is a commercial building with all the downspouts (drops) plugged up and full of stink water, leaves, trees growing in them and mosquitos ready to hatch. The gutters with water weighs more than ???lbs per foot of legnth and if you so much as touch them they may come down. You know the customer does not want to get billed for cleaning the gutters but take a picture and bill for the gutter cleaning as part of the job. Rather than risk the gutter falling from the weight of the water and debris, clean them and bill for it or have the customer get it done before you start to remove a tree over a building. A gutter with no water will stand a brush with tips but a gutter loaded with water and debris may not, poor maintainance. It is a cost you can justify if the customer fails to keep his gutters clean but get a picture of it to show the customer if he questions the bill. Commercial gutters are larger than residential gutters and more expensive to replace but if the customers fail to maintain them you don't want to be buying them new ones because of the customers poor maintainance habits. Many times I request the customers cut the lawn, weedwack around the building and clean gutters before I work so it is easy to spot anything left on the ground otherwise they get charged for the crew doing it. More often than not they are willing to pay to have the crew do it. Too easy to loose small things in the tall grass and weeds. Make your life easier, ask the customer to take care of the mess before you start. And Please move those vehicles to the other side of the parking lot. They like to work in a clean office, they want the place cleaned before you leave and I prefer a clean work area, they understand that concept.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I've broke a lotta stuff...

But never a gutter. Must be a yankee thang.

:alien:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I think he was talking about the kind of gutter on the eve of a house, not the kind you wake up in once or twice a week.

 

[MasterBlaster]

What?

Somebody say something? Worth taking note of?

 

[Dadatwins]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
I think he was talking about the kind of gutter on the eve of a house, not the kind you wake up in once or twice a week.

Instant classic!!
<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_17_11.gif' border=0></a>

 

[M.D. Vaden]

It's nice when damage does not grow by tale telling.

Customer: "They bent my gutter"

Person 1: "They damaged the gutter"

Person 2: "They crushed the edge of the roof"

Person 3: "They smashed the roof"

Person 4: "The house got damaged"

Person 5: "The house was crushed"



Hey, that out of thin air comment about bikers and "brain buckets" (had not heard that in a while) reminded me of convertibles.

I'll never own a convertible. Can you imagine rolling one? Picture what a cheese grater does to a cheese block, and picture the asphalt grinding down a head the same way.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Re: gutters

Originally posted by geofore
Rather than risk the gutter falling from the weight of the water and debris, clean them and bill for it or have the customer get it done before you start to remove a tree over a building. but get a picture of it to show the customer if he questions the bill.

Good idea, I do this regularly. Even when the gutters aren't crammed full, it's nice to do the service of cleaning them out with the blower. If it's extra work they pay, it's cheaper for them than to hire a guttercleaning service.

 

[a_lopa]

sounds like a money grab to me guy,opertunistic sell sell sell

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by aussie_lopa
sounds like a money grab to me guy,opertunistic sell sell sell

A needed service sold at a fair price. Unlike selling removals because of ants--or have you found any backup for your theory that Australian ants decrease trees' stability??:alien:

 

[murphy4trees]

There are only two ways to increase cash flow... You need either more customers or to sell more to your existing customers... That's it... So how do you sell more to the existing customers... Add-ons... peperoni on that pizza... supersize them fries... voice mail and caller ID... the big companies knwo how to do it... Does that make them opportunistic money grabbers, sell sell selling?

To tell you the truth... that's the way our society is designed... any good business man would fit the above description...

I've cleaned gutter for years and get top dollar for it... We were just about finished work today and I got a call on the cell phone... He wanted gutters cleaned today... big house a little out of my turf... $200 and that was only cause it was easy... I had verbal agreed to $200-250 before coming.... Took longer in travel time than doing the job... Job was about 15 minutes... Now this customer was a bond salesman that was taking water in the wine cellar... So who is more lokely to be an opportunistic money grubber... me or him? I provided a service he wanted in a timely and professional manner and got paid well... He has a dry basement guarenteed... Good deal to me...

 

[a_lopa]

its like fishing at the trout farm

 

[a_lopa]

Originally posted by murphy4trees
There are only two ways to increase cash flow... You need either more customers or to sell more to your existing customers... That's it... So how do you sell more to the existing customers... Add-ons... peperoni on that pizza... supersize them fries... voice mail and caller ID... the big companies knwo how to do it... Does that make them opportunistic money grabbers, sell sell selling?

To tell you the truth... that's the way our society is designed...

Thats why i totally go against your thinking,i run along the lines of people seeing how efficiently i work 70%off my work is follow on recomendations,neighbours.i own my chipper, tipper, saws absolutely no debt.i dont have to do alot to make alot as i do 95% off my buisness's work on a chainsaw/lifeline,the worst case senario is that i do all the climbs .that is 100 times more profitable on jobs 100-$1000. hiring as i see fit to get the work done.and yes big companys selling rubish food are money grabbers!did you just leave the 80s or something

 

[a_lopa]

but of course no one here is opportunistic,only daily

 

[geofore]

gutters/treework

Aussie, it's not about a money grab, it's risk reduction on the job. A heavy, plugged up gutter does not do the job it is supposed to do (take the rain water away from the foundation) and it is more likely to come down with a light touch. If your chainsaw quit running because the airfilter was plugged up with sawdust, you'd clean it. Some would take it to a dealer to fix it because they don't do maintainance (pay someone else to do it). I was removing trees overhaning a shop (commercial building) so the guys could rebolt the roof without the trees in their way (limbs touching the roof). 60' of gutter with 2 drops (should have a drop every 10' but didn't) both plugged up, more than 800lbs. of water & debris in it. The gutter should hold a mans weight but it's doubtful it could with that load already in it and there is a crew coming to work up there. Clean it and charge for the work, it's about safety issues not grabbing more money. You ever try to walk on a metal roof with wet shoes? About as much fun as limbwalking a moss covered tree after a rain. It's about safety. You're making the work area safer and saving the building from water damage to the foundation.