MMI Enterprises

'ConcreteScience Catalyst business development platform '...wow!!..sounds fancy! They implying 'concrete extraction' does something of a hoopla?..good gravy!. use a freaken wetvac or autoscrubber to suck the dirt off top if yer too lazy to rinse and call it a day. Is bogus idea IMHO this extraction of concrete having advantage to end look or making for a more proper sealing situation. Once you pressure wash or scrub and either sqweegie or vac off the top dirt concrete is clean as it gonna get. I've sucked plenty of concrete and nothing beats a hot pressure washer with proper chem for the actual cleaning. The only advantage of sqweegie or vacuuming is when ya still have dirt via a non proper clean and the standing water whicks dirt from underneith sorta like in carpet cleaning. I don't think the vac aspect dries a pad much if any quiker than a sqweegie does though and they dry plenty fast to prevent whickback even if ya only mop them. Standing water can be different situation, but again that is on a non properly cleaned pad. And but so what makes this process different then regular old deco concrete job?

Scott, sorry I meant what color was the first house.. On the price.. is good to hear I am neither high nor low :) But hey tell me this..Did you just do linear measure at an estimated height to come to tot sq. ft. or did ya use the full on triangular fancy math for the peaks?... that first one looks hard to estimate footage.

Scott, You didn't say how much.. oh and which wtw is the first house?

I get the worst kind of leads. Guy calls with a second story painted plywood balcony with metal rail. The paint isn't failing but he wants the seems sealed so it don't leak underneith and then repainted so the seems aren't seen. Told him not in so many words 'good luck' but that he should have me come take a look anyways... What's the question you may ask?..lol... Do I run?? ...or maybe 2 part poly coat it at full disclaimer? , ..or snow coat/tar coat or just tar paper it and reskin over top with 2x6 for a water proof situation? ..or do I rip out plywood (slider footer perhaps too close to allow for reskin), reskin, and check into one of them waterproof vinyl systems for underneith? I say tar paper, skin it, stain it...

Thanx Rich..Their grizzly grip sounds good although they generally abit expensive on the piece mealed stuff. For instance their Sealer Gloss Enhancer (Aliphatic Acrylic (anti graffiti) polyurethane; these types of coatings are the most durable coatings in today’s industrial industry.) runs $104 for 1.5 gal. worth after catalyization but before shipping or any hazmat. I get it for $80 no shipping. The grizzly product itself apparently is similar to that same aliphetic base but with fine rubber particles for $78. Still got to add color and uv. It must be different as they trying to sell the Gloss enhancer under premiss that the Grizzly grip "dulls up". That actually concerns me in that if it is same base then all the additions of other products to make the thick stuff actually messes with the durability of the main 2 part base. Regardless I would need such a base as the grizzly to get the leveling and texture unless I epoxy and then thin film it with the poly...Surely I can recreate what some current customers never meant to do in putting down goopy epoxy...on regular basis I'm like "yes sir I will polish or burnish your orange peel floors for you".

Make Noahs ark...mmm resin baby!!

Thanx for the confidence builder Rich...have worked with 2 part urethane and epoxy on hard surface interior commercial work and know the top urethane leveling coat to be the toughest stuff around. Never had the guts to try it on flexable exterior surface though. Maybe the stuff you refer to purposely has more body to it for the texture and formulated real specific to the task of binding on wood.. .Thick stuff like epoxy can do the texture/orange peel look all on their own with a roller if they not thinned down from the standard mix directions. If ya got a link or product name that be great.... maybe some clear rhino bed liner work eh?... :)

I hear some use moisture meter... Decks are a day or two for most stains except for stains that are suitable for wet application. Log's I don't know but would think it same unless it been floatin in a river. :)

NICE!!..7hr clean on something like that means good equipment and efficient crew..Downstreamed or no? Any defurring or sanding involved?. Any protections for the windows or surroundings during the clean part? ...Bet you just itchin to be back up there 5 rungs from the peak hu? :)

sorta feel ya Rick :)

Rick , FYI..This the 'DIY Ask the Pro's' section and last I heard it always open.. :) So I would ask what does wood or other sections being closed have to do with this? What ban? Ban has prerequisite of being a member first. Once someone is member they get to sections just like the rest.. If anything, my view would be that the 'ask the pro' section not require membership. What is possable with forum is somewhat foreign to me but isn't there a way for guest posting to where they can have ongoing contributions to the topic based on cookie or email info without going through member signup?

Hold onto them stainless, they not very commonly found these days last I heard. I have the stainless and beckett in mine and so if you should ever feel like getting rid of let me know :). Went through and redid my burner and insulation awhile back and even though I can say there really isn't all that much to a boiler I know the fabrication would take some time even if you have one to tempate it off. The hardest part to come by or to fabricate would be the inner chamber and outer skin end cap/donuts as they have lip going around each cyclinder. If I were to make one I would design it as a verticle boiler building it up off castors. First I'd make an open frame angle iron box a couple feet square which both houses the burner/blower and supports the boiler above. One flat sheet of metal on top of square supports the burner below and gives surface to build the boiler above. Instead of the shiny outer cylindrical skin I might just go with red painted sheet like a hotsy maybe in a box shape. Since the design is portable and meant to be combined with small portable washer a power source is needed. Going dc blower/burner off a battery would be one way or if you want to stick with the 110 then you either stick an inverter in your vehicle or you stick an inverter/battery combo on the box itself. In fact I just stuck a 2500 watt inverter in my truck to be able to power various things... Once in awhile portable propane whitco boilers do come up on Ebay..be easier that fer sure.. :) edit: I have seen steam box plans somewhere on the net..maybe delco..unsure..

That 'Monster' is Revelationesqe...If Revelationesqe could be a word that is.. Mkes my head hurt the same anyway.

Raiders..lol Still have some season tickets available in the Black Hole if any Cali folks interested..$250 a pair..

Yea on a verticle it will run down and if old coating is thick enough or chem not strong enough it'll dry without emulsifying the finish. You only get 5 min or so before ya got to rewet. A horizontal surface you can just remist with water as the chem is still there but on verticle it runs down and dries quik. If wood stays light or dry looking it usually a sign of it not cutting into the finish. In comparison if the wood gets darker wet look to it and stays that way for some time then the finish is likely eaten and it just sitting there waiting for to be washed off. The water has been able to absorb into wood in other words and says the chems worked...Regardless, Can't let it dry in such case as most finish will just go back to a hardened state. Wetting ability and emulisfication ability are the processes at play. Too thick a finish and the chem combinations involved just run out of power.

ooo yea.. stick in higher octane super along with domed pistons and a turbo charger and we can turn a engine suitable for 5gpm pump into one able to run an 8gpm...um err hell that aint a bad idea ya know..think about it. Which is better a whole new machine or slapping a few parts on?..haha.. Ah who am I kidding..I can't even keep my porsche running.. got to stick a copper head gasket in it to try and keep the compression under control one of these days. It'll probably blow the whole engine up when I do it being askets are a kind of safety valve of sorts... But anyways, for the cleanest longest engine you go synthetic oil and convert to propane.

Pull start ?..yikes!! I hold open as I want to be on my starter as little as possable. Even though in theory the bypass should just let the water on out and it be no different then trigger open it just isn't. Seems to take a few seconds for things to equalize within the lines or unloader to start passing, as well as the engine to lube and warm up. Warm starts are way easier then cold start. (what Ron said :) )

After you get it all squared away please show us some after pics. That would be cool.. btw..I think the rate is perhaps low to fair for full on log home restore. 1100'=144' lin.X approx. 10' high(adding a foot or two for end peak footage) =$2.77 per sq. ft.

Nothin wrong with shooting for a heart attack from hearing some outlandish lowball price of say a few hundred..lol..:) Just wanted to sort of make sure things are up and up and in reality far as ball park figures.. Oh but Ken..speaking of confusion..do you hear medic saying contractor thinks it is done stripped? Still...no time to be too hasty. Just be clear to the guy and tell him your not happy about staining over what we see in pics.. Can all work out good..maybe it looks diffeent when wet and the guy will see it and totally agree to another strip..

A strip is a strip is a strip. Yes sometimes a second strip maybe in order and actually figured into the bid as a whole but whether it takes 1 or 3 it needs to be done. At some point it comes down to inefficiency of mix and abilities of contractor being in question. Whether it takes 1 strip or 3 it still has to be done if you paid for a fully stripped surface. If you paid for what I call a strip cycle in an itemized way then you have to be sure the pricing of that item is proper and proper chem strength is used. Kind of becomes too subjective and you can get ripped off if ya got a scrupulous contractor milking you this way. With that said you don't always want to be using so powerful a stripper that it all comes off at once in every case. You could damage other things and the area too hazzardous to work in.. :)

Think about calling Roger or Celeste of CarolinaProwash..maybe they can help..: Wood Siding & Log Home Care - The Grime Scene Links Directory

Medic, I have a probing question for you.. Did you sign a contract for having your whole house stripped and redone and if so, you mind sharing how much the charges are either in a sq. ft. or a linear foot way? I'm scared for you in that if this guy is not insured properly that your going to be looking at many thousands of dollars to complete the job by a pro. Wonder if your prepared for that...In other words if the guy does this sort of work it is also likely he is what people would call a lowballer and perhaps not carrying suitable insurance coverages for the actual item he is working on..

Oh man... I was under impression he had not put sealer/stain on yet.. I believe what I see and it aint good.. In reference to tricks of the eye..Is all the overhang muffed with stripper??!!!

Thanx for posting..yikers!... yer gonna have to explain to him that it isn't stripped and rinsed well enough to put stain on yet. Maybe he has plans for a second strip? The verticle streaks are not gonna blend is my feeling and will not allow proper penetration or adhesion of the new stain/sealer. The horizontal light/dark differences is just your woods character and will look awesome if you use a semi transparent product. The neutralizing/brightening process after a thorough strip may take some the contrast out and prep wood good and proper. Regardless, If my screen isn't playing tricks on me I think his strip has eaten some the roof overhang paint. Is that part of the plan?..stapeling up some plastic might be a good idear ahe?

Medic, You have already heard from one of the best in the industry telling you to take a deep breath and rightly so.. You need to let a contractor finish their job and their method. I mean you hire someone to do a process you think you know how to do or you hire them for their ability to do a good job start to finish without your intervention? Contractor implieing it is what it is or ya got to live with it is one thing but for you to bounce around looking for people to agree with you that a log home restoration includes the wood looking like it is finished when it is only part way through is a bit hasty. Removing gray dead wood or using stripper to remove old finish usually entails some furring....it doesn'tmean something is broken or a fix or a change is in order..just part of a process. Often times the fur comes off by itself a bit later on or contractor can mechanically grind or sand it off..no worries :)