1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,160
Picture this.
2
00:00:01,215 --> 00:00:06,880
Someone buys a 12 volt pump, a drum of
sodium hypochlorite and a handful of hoses.
3
00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,640
They watch a few softwashing videos from
America over the weekend,
4
00:00:10,672 --> 00:00:12,960
then book their first customer for Monday.
5
00:00:13,086 --> 00:00:14,480
Nobody stops them.
6
00:00:14,587 --> 00:00:18,000
There's no licence, no permit, no exam.
7
00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,120
And that's exactly where the trouble
starts.
8
00:00:21,513 --> 00:00:23,633
I'm Mark Cave from SoftWash UK.
9
00:00:23,900 --> 00:00:28,273
In a recent episode we looked at whether
softwashing is a legitimate business in the
10
00:00:28,406 --> 00:00:30,673
UK, and the answer was yes.
11
00:00:30,766 --> 00:00:34,713
There's no statutory licence, but you're
still bound by COSHH,
12
00:00:34,744 --> 00:00:37,553
environmental rules and your workplace
safety duties.
13
00:00:37,793 --> 00:00:40,673
So today we're tackling the obvious follow
up.
14
00:00:40,886 --> 00:00:45,713
If nobody legally requires you to be
trained, do you actually need training?
15
00:00:45,873 --> 00:00:47,873
Or can you just learn on the job?
16
00:00:48,028 --> 00:00:51,968
Let's start with those American videos,
because that's where a lot of people get
17
00:00:51,981 --> 00:00:52,768
their education.
18
00:00:52,928 --> 00:00:57,568
Most of them show vinyl siding, timber
clapboard and asphalt shingles.
19
00:00:57,712 --> 00:00:59,728
That's not what we work on over here.
20
00:00:59,995 --> 00:01:03,568
In the UK we're dealing with porous,
through coloured render,
21
00:01:03,675 --> 00:01:08,528
monocouche, silicone thin coats like K
Rend, Weber and Parex.
22
00:01:08,741 --> 00:01:14,208
We've got fragile clay and concrete roof
tiles, wet dash and old brickwork.
23
00:01:14,304 --> 00:01:19,168
Take a mix or a method that suits vinyl
siding and put it on a UK substrate,
24
00:01:19,208 --> 00:01:21,248
and you can get catastrophic results.
25
00:01:21,475 --> 00:01:24,075
And this is the part that catches people
out.
26
00:01:24,235 --> 00:01:26,795
The barrier to entry on equipment is low.
27
00:01:26,895 --> 00:01:29,035
The liability is not.
28
00:01:29,155 --> 00:01:32,075
One botched job can scorch lead flashings.
29
00:01:32,235 --> 00:01:35,355
It can turn UPVC pink through a metal
reaction.
30
00:01:35,542 --> 00:01:39,835
It can blow the binder out of painted
render, or kill a client's garden,
31
00:01:39,888 --> 00:01:41,115
or harm a koi pond.
32
00:01:41,382 --> 00:01:46,155
In my experience, a job like that can cost
somewhere between three and ten thousand
33
00:01:46,201 --> 00:01:47,275
pounds to put right.
34
00:01:47,403 --> 00:01:50,555
That can wipe out months of profit in a
single afternoon.
35
00:01:50,828 --> 00:01:53,388
So what does training actually give you?
36
00:01:53,588 --> 00:01:54,828
I'd say five things.
37
00:01:54,948 --> 00:01:55,948
Let's go through them.
38
00:01:56,122 --> 00:01:57,882
First, chemistry.
39
00:01:58,062 --> 00:02:01,082
The number on the drum is not the number
that matters.
40
00:02:01,178 --> 00:02:04,282
What matters is the percentage that ends
up on the surface.
41
00:02:04,406 --> 00:02:10,122
Standard sodium hypochlorite is around 14
to 15 percent, and it weakens over time
42
00:02:10,138 --> 00:02:12,202
with heat, sunlight and age.
43
00:02:12,415 --> 00:02:16,922
So if you're guessing, you're either
wasting chemical or you're overdoing it,
44
00:02:16,942 --> 00:02:19,642
and on render that can permanently change
the colour.
45
00:02:19,667 --> 00:02:21,187
Then there's the surfactant.
46
00:02:21,313 --> 00:02:23,667
Plenty of people reach for washing up
liquid.
47
00:02:23,747 --> 00:02:27,587
The trouble is that household detergents
aren't designed to sit alongside bleach.
48
00:02:27,667 --> 00:02:31,587
They can destabilise the mix, shorten your
dwell time and leave you with more
49
00:02:31,656 --> 00:02:32,147
runoff.
50
00:02:32,427 --> 00:02:37,347
A proper bleach stable surfactant, like
Clever Wash, lowers the surface tension so
51
00:02:37,387 --> 00:02:39,267
the mix clings where you want it.
52
00:02:39,379 --> 00:02:42,147
That's chemistry doing a job, not just
bubbles.
53
00:02:42,340 --> 00:02:44,800
And then the one that really matters.
54
00:02:44,987 --> 00:02:48,480
Acids must never be mixed with sodium
hypochlorite.
55
00:02:48,693 --> 00:02:53,360
Oxalic acid for rust, or an acid based
mortar cleaner, plus bleach in the same
56
00:02:53,417 --> 00:02:55,280
bucket gives off chlorine gas.
57
00:02:55,392 --> 00:02:56,640
That can be lethal.
58
00:02:56,773 --> 00:03:00,560
It's not a theory, and it's exactly the
sort of thing you shouldn't be finding out
59
00:03:00,613 --> 00:03:01,600
by trial and error.
60
00:03:01,808 --> 00:03:04,809
You also need to know when bleach is the
wrong tool.
61
00:03:05,088 --> 00:03:07,448
A fast oxidiser gives you quick results.
62
00:03:07,648 --> 00:03:12,968
A residual biocide, like Soft Wash Pro 50,
works over weeks or months on roofs and
63
00:03:13,048 --> 00:03:13,848
tarmac.
64
00:03:13,912 --> 00:03:17,768
Pick the wrong one and you've either
disappointed the customer or damaged the
65
00:03:17,828 --> 00:03:18,328
surface.
66
00:03:18,502 --> 00:03:21,291
Second pillar, knowing your surface.
67
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:26,491
Modern monocouche and silicone renders
need gentle, low pressure chemical cleaning.
68
00:03:26,631 --> 00:03:30,411
Too much pressure or the wrong chemistry
can lift the aggregate,
69
00:03:30,438 --> 00:03:32,811
leave ghosting or give you patchy
bleaching.
70
00:03:32,991 --> 00:03:37,131
And around the main surface there are
secondary hazards, like lead flashing that can
71
00:03:37,184 --> 00:03:42,811
go dark brown or orange, UPVC that can
discolour, and paint that was already failing
72
00:03:42,845 --> 00:03:43,851
before you arrived.
73
00:03:44,052 --> 00:03:46,425
Third, compliance.
74
00:03:46,525 --> 00:03:50,985
The Health and Safety Executive enforces
COSHH, and as a self employed contractor
75
00:03:51,085 --> 00:03:54,985
you're expected to assess the risks and
record them for the actual site you're
76
00:03:55,025 --> 00:03:55,545
working on.
77
00:03:55,705 --> 00:03:58,225
Not a generic page off the internet.
78
00:03:58,372 --> 00:04:03,065
On top of that, runoff must be kept out of
storm drains, because those can discharge
79
00:04:03,129 --> 00:04:04,745
untreated into waterways.
80
00:04:04,889 --> 00:04:09,705
Good training covers containment, plant
protection and the biocide rules under the
81
00:04:09,785 --> 00:04:11,625
Biocidal Products Regulations.
82
00:04:11,842 --> 00:04:15,979
Fourth, and this is the one I think gets
overlooked, insurance.
83
00:04:16,105 --> 00:04:20,779
Public liability typically covers damage
to third parties, like dropping a ladder
84
00:04:20,808 --> 00:04:22,739
through someone's conservatory roof.
85
00:04:22,809 --> 00:04:26,379
But it commonly excludes damage to the
property you're actually working on.
86
00:04:26,491 --> 00:04:29,179
That's usually called treatment risk.
87
00:04:29,248 --> 00:04:32,219
Please check your own policy wording,
because they do differ.
88
00:04:32,250 --> 00:04:35,690
Now imagine you've ruined a customer's
render and you put in a claim for six
89
00:04:35,743 --> 00:04:37,370
thousand pounds.
90
00:04:37,410 --> 00:04:40,970
A loss adjuster is likely to ask what
proof you have of competence.
91
00:04:41,068 --> 00:04:45,290
Training certificates, site specific RAMS,
your COSHH paperwork.
92
00:04:45,557 --> 00:04:51,690
If you've got none of that, claims can be
turned down, and then it's you personally
93
00:04:51,747 --> 00:04:52,810
paying the bill.
94
00:04:52,912 --> 00:04:57,290
Commercial clients, like schools,
facilities managers and property owners,
95
00:04:57,322 --> 00:05:01,050
will often ask for the same documents
before they give you a contract.
96
00:05:01,253 --> 00:05:03,640
Fifth, support.
97
00:05:03,696 --> 00:05:05,800
Something unexpected will happen on a job.
98
00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,120
A yellow stain appears on the render.
99
00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,280
A customer rings you in a panic.
100
00:05:10,342 --> 00:05:14,760
Internet forums will give you ten
different guesses, and some of them are dangerous.
101
00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:19,560
Having proper technical backing and a
community of trained contractors around you
102
00:05:19,670 --> 00:05:21,321
changes what you do next.
103
00:05:21,504 --> 00:05:25,648
That's why we built the SoftWash UK
Approved Applicator Programme.
104
00:05:25,861 --> 00:05:30,688
It's an online course you take at your own
pace, accredited by The CPD Certification
105
00:05:30,748 --> 00:05:31,248
Service.
106
00:05:31,515 --> 00:05:36,288
It covers chemistry, equipment, surface
identification, safety,
107
00:05:36,408 --> 00:05:38,288
RAMS and business basics.
108
00:05:38,437 --> 00:05:43,168
Finish it and you're certified and listed
in the Approved Softwash Applicator
109
00:05:43,224 --> 00:05:44,208
Directory.
110
00:05:44,308 --> 00:05:48,288
You also get your first twelve months of
membership of the National Association of
111
00:05:48,352 --> 00:05:51,488
Softwash, with member meetings and
resources.
112
00:05:51,759 --> 00:05:54,132
So, what can you do this week?
113
00:05:54,251 --> 00:05:58,852
One, read your insurance policy and ask
directly whether damage to surfaces you're
114
00:05:58,892 --> 00:06:02,612
working on is covered, and what proof of
competence they expect.
115
00:06:02,772 --> 00:06:05,972
Two, stop copying recipes from social
media.
116
00:06:06,132 --> 00:06:10,772
Work out your dilution from your stock
strength and the porosity of the surface.
117
00:06:10,905 --> 00:06:14,852
Three, run a pre flight routine every
time.
118
00:06:14,914 --> 00:06:19,732
Identify the surface, do a test patch, wet
the plants, isolate the runoff,
119
00:06:19,772 --> 00:06:23,092
and take before photos, all before you
pull the trigger.
120
00:06:23,288 --> 00:06:27,528
Podcasts like this are a great start, but
if you're serious about offering
121
00:06:27,592 --> 00:06:32,168
softwashing professionally, have a look at
the course at softwashing.uk.
122
00:06:32,301 --> 00:06:36,009
Think of training as insurance for your
business, not an overhead.
123
00:06:36,208 --> 00:06:39,848
The aim has always been to raise standards
in this industry,
124
00:06:39,888 --> 00:06:43,128
and it starts with knowing why you're
doing what you're doing.
125
00:06:43,265 --> 00:06:47,151
Thanks for listening, stay safe, and I'll
catch you in the next one.
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,160
Picture this.
2
00:00:01,215 --> 00:00:06,880
Someone buys a 12 volt pump, a drum of
sodium hypochlorite and a handful of hoses.
3
00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,640
They watch a few softwashing videos from
America over the weekend,
4
00:00:10,672 --> 00:00:12,960
then book their first customer for Monday.
5
00:00:13,086 --> 00:00:14,480
Nobody stops them.
6
00:00:14,587 --> 00:00:18,000
There's no licence, no permit, no exam.
7
00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,120
And that's exactly where the trouble
starts.
8
00:00:21,513 --> 00:00:23,633
I'm Mark Cave from SoftWash UK.
9
00:00:23,900 --> 00:00:28,273
In a recent episode we looked at whether
softwashing is a legitimate business in the
10
00:00:28,406 --> 00:00:30,673
UK, and the answer was yes.
11
00:00:30,766 --> 00:00:34,713
There's no statutory licence, but you're
still bound by COSHH,
12
00:00:34,744 --> 00:00:37,553
environmental rules and your workplace
safety duties.
13
00:00:37,793 --> 00:00:40,673
So today we're tackling the obvious follow
up.
14
00:00:40,886 --> 00:00:45,713
If nobody legally requires you to be
trained, do you actually need training?
15
00:00:45,873 --> 00:00:47,873
Or can you just learn on the job?
16
00:00:48,028 --> 00:00:51,968
Let's start with those American videos,
because that's where a lot of people get
17
00:00:51,981 --> 00:00:52,768
their education.
18
00:00:52,928 --> 00:00:57,568
Most of them show vinyl siding, timber
clapboard and asphalt shingles.
19
00:00:57,712 --> 00:00:59,728
That's not what we work on over here.
20
00:00:59,995 --> 00:01:03,568
In the UK we're dealing with porous,
through coloured render,
21
00:01:03,675 --> 00:01:08,528
monocouche, silicone thin coats like K
Rend, Weber and Parex.
22
00:01:08,741 --> 00:01:14,208
We've got fragile clay and concrete roof
tiles, wet dash and old brickwork.
23
00:01:14,304 --> 00:01:19,168
Take a mix or a method that suits vinyl
siding and put it on a UK substrate,
24
00:01:19,208 --> 00:01:21,248
and you can get catastrophic results.
25
00:01:21,475 --> 00:01:24,075
And this is the part that catches people
out.
26
00:01:24,235 --> 00:01:26,795
The barrier to entry on equipment is low.
27
00:01:26,895 --> 00:01:29,035
The liability is not.
28
00:01:29,155 --> 00:01:32,075
One botched job can scorch lead flashings.
29
00:01:32,235 --> 00:01:35,355
It can turn UPVC pink through a metal
reaction.
30
00:01:35,542 --> 00:01:39,835
It can blow the binder out of painted
render, or kill a client's garden,
31
00:01:39,888 --> 00:01:41,115
or harm a koi pond.
32
00:01:41,382 --> 00:01:46,155
In my experience, a job like that can cost
somewhere between three and ten thousand
33
00:01:46,201 --> 00:01:47,275
pounds to put right.
34
00:01:47,403 --> 00:01:50,555
That can wipe out months of profit in a
single afternoon.
35
00:01:50,828 --> 00:01:53,388
So what does training actually give you?
36
00:01:53,588 --> 00:01:54,828
I'd say five things.
37
00:01:54,948 --> 00:01:55,948
Let's go through them.
38
00:01:56,122 --> 00:01:57,882
First, chemistry.
39
00:01:58,062 --> 00:02:01,082
The number on the drum is not the number
that matters.
40
00:02:01,178 --> 00:02:04,282
What matters is the percentage that ends
up on the surface.
41
00:02:04,406 --> 00:02:10,122
Standard sodium hypochlorite is around 14
to 15 percent, and it weakens over time
42
00:02:10,138 --> 00:02:12,202
with heat, sunlight and age.
43
00:02:12,415 --> 00:02:16,922
So if you're guessing, you're either
wasting chemical or you're overdoing it,
44
00:02:16,942 --> 00:02:19,642
and on render that can permanently change
the colour.
45
00:02:19,667 --> 00:02:21,187
Then there's the surfactant.
46
00:02:21,313 --> 00:02:23,667
Plenty of people reach for washing up
liquid.
47
00:02:23,747 --> 00:02:27,587
The trouble is that household detergents
aren't designed to sit alongside bleach.
48
00:02:27,667 --> 00:02:31,587
They can destabilise the mix, shorten your
dwell time and leave you with more
49
00:02:31,656 --> 00:02:32,147
runoff.
50
00:02:32,427 --> 00:02:37,347
A proper bleach stable surfactant, like
Clever Wash, lowers the surface tension so
51
00:02:37,387 --> 00:02:39,267
the mix clings where you want it.
52
00:02:39,379 --> 00:02:42,147
That's chemistry doing a job, not just
bubbles.
53
00:02:42,340 --> 00:02:44,800
And then the one that really matters.
54
00:02:44,987 --> 00:02:48,480
Acids must never be mixed with sodium
hypochlorite.
55
00:02:48,693 --> 00:02:53,360
Oxalic acid for rust, or an acid based
mortar cleaner, plus bleach in the same
56
00:02:53,417 --> 00:02:55,280
bucket gives off chlorine gas.
57
00:02:55,392 --> 00:02:56,640
That can be lethal.
58
00:02:56,773 --> 00:03:00,560
It's not a theory, and it's exactly the
sort of thing you shouldn't be finding out
59
00:03:00,613 --> 00:03:01,600
by trial and error.
60
00:03:01,808 --> 00:03:04,809
You also need to know when bleach is the
wrong tool.
61
00:03:05,088 --> 00:03:07,448
A fast oxidiser gives you quick results.
62
00:03:07,648 --> 00:03:12,968
A residual biocide, like Soft Wash Pro 50,
works over weeks or months on roofs and
63
00:03:13,048 --> 00:03:13,848
tarmac.
64
00:03:13,912 --> 00:03:17,768
Pick the wrong one and you've either
disappointed the customer or damaged the
65
00:03:17,828 --> 00:03:18,328
surface.
66
00:03:18,502 --> 00:03:21,291
Second pillar, knowing your surface.
67
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:26,491
Modern monocouche and silicone renders
need gentle, low pressure chemical cleaning.
68
00:03:26,631 --> 00:03:30,411
Too much pressure or the wrong chemistry
can lift the aggregate,
69
00:03:30,438 --> 00:03:32,811
leave ghosting or give you patchy
bleaching.
70
00:03:32,991 --> 00:03:37,131
And around the main surface there are
secondary hazards, like lead flashing that can
71
00:03:37,184 --> 00:03:42,811
go dark brown or orange, UPVC that can
discolour, and paint that was already failing
72
00:03:42,845 --> 00:03:43,851
before you arrived.
73
00:03:44,052 --> 00:03:46,425
Third, compliance.
74
00:03:46,525 --> 00:03:50,985
The Health and Safety Executive enforces
COSHH, and as a self employed contractor
75
00:03:51,085 --> 00:03:54,985
you're expected to assess the risks and
record them for the actual site you're
76
00:03:55,025 --> 00:03:55,545
working on.
77
00:03:55,705 --> 00:03:58,225
Not a generic page off the internet.
78
00:03:58,372 --> 00:04:03,065
On top of that, runoff must be kept out of
storm drains, because those can discharge
79
00:04:03,129 --> 00:04:04,745
untreated into waterways.
80
00:04:04,889 --> 00:04:09,705
Good training covers containment, plant
protection and the biocide rules under the
81
00:04:09,785 --> 00:04:11,625
Biocidal Products Regulations.
82
00:04:11,842 --> 00:04:15,979
Fourth, and this is the one I think gets
overlooked, insurance.
83
00:04:16,105 --> 00:04:20,779
Public liability typically covers damage
to third parties, like dropping a ladder
84
00:04:20,808 --> 00:04:22,739
through someone's conservatory roof.
85
00:04:22,809 --> 00:04:26,379
But it commonly excludes damage to the
property you're actually working on.
86
00:04:26,491 --> 00:04:29,179
That's usually called treatment risk.
87
00:04:29,248 --> 00:04:32,219
Please check your own policy wording,
because they do differ.
88
00:04:32,250 --> 00:04:35,690
Now imagine you've ruined a customer's
render and you put in a claim for six
89
00:04:35,743 --> 00:04:37,370
thousand pounds.
90
00:04:37,410 --> 00:04:40,970
A loss adjuster is likely to ask what
proof you have of competence.
91
00:04:41,068 --> 00:04:45,290
Training certificates, site specific RAMS,
your COSHH paperwork.
92
00:04:45,557 --> 00:04:51,690
If you've got none of that, claims can be
turned down, and then it's you personally
93
00:04:51,747 --> 00:04:52,810
paying the bill.
94
00:04:52,912 --> 00:04:57,290
Commercial clients, like schools,
facilities managers and property owners,
95
00:04:57,322 --> 00:05:01,050
will often ask for the same documents
before they give you a contract.
96
00:05:01,253 --> 00:05:03,640
Fifth, support.
97
00:05:03,696 --> 00:05:05,800
Something unexpected will happen on a job.
98
00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,120
A yellow stain appears on the render.
99
00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,280
A customer rings you in a panic.
100
00:05:10,342 --> 00:05:14,760
Internet forums will give you ten
different guesses, and some of them are dangerous.
101
00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:19,560
Having proper technical backing and a
community of trained contractors around you
102
00:05:19,670 --> 00:05:21,321
changes what you do next.
103
00:05:21,504 --> 00:05:25,648
That's why we built the SoftWash UK
Approved Applicator Programme.
104
00:05:25,861 --> 00:05:30,688
It's an online course you take at your own
pace, accredited by The CPD Certification
105
00:05:30,748 --> 00:05:31,248
Service.
106
00:05:31,515 --> 00:05:36,288
It covers chemistry, equipment, surface
identification, safety,
107
00:05:36,408 --> 00:05:38,288
RAMS and business basics.
108
00:05:38,437 --> 00:05:43,168
Finish it and you're certified and listed
in the Approved Softwash Applicator
109
00:05:43,224 --> 00:05:44,208
Directory.
110
00:05:44,308 --> 00:05:48,288
You also get your first twelve months of
membership of the National Association of
111
00:05:48,352 --> 00:05:51,488
Softwash, with member meetings and
resources.
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So, what can you do this week?
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One, read your insurance policy and ask
directly whether damage to surfaces you're
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00:05:58,892 --> 00:06:02,612
working on is covered, and what proof of
competence they expect.
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00:06:02,772 --> 00:06:05,972
Two, stop copying recipes from social
media.
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00:06:06,132 --> 00:06:10,772
Work out your dilution from your stock
strength and the porosity of the surface.
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Three, run a pre flight routine every
time.
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Identify the surface, do a test patch, wet
the plants, isolate the runoff,
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and take before photos, all before you
pull the trigger.
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Podcasts like this are a great start, but
if you're serious about offering
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00:06:27,592 --> 00:06:32,168
softwashing professionally, have a look at
the course at softwashing.uk.
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Think of training as insurance for your
business, not an overhead.
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00:06:36,208 --> 00:06:39,848
The aim has always been to raise standards
in this industry,
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and it starts with knowing why you're
doing what you're doing.
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Thanks for listening, stay safe, and I'll
catch you in the next one.
