RPetry

Celeste, From one of my earlier posts in this thread. This was a reference to ESI's former WoodTux problem.

Brian, What is your handicap? For others, golf of course...

Tom, Medium brown RS is one of my slower sellers. A few cedar decks over the years. Light brown on decent WRC looks best to me. We do use MB on ipe', its a good color for customers that do not like any red tint. Ready Seal medium red is by far our biggest seller. I'm getting pernickety in my elder years but I do have to take exception to this statement. Second to ebony, ipe' is one of the most dense woods in nature. Certainly for high end decks. Anyone ever heard or seen an ebony deck? !!! We work on a lot of ipe'. As dense as the wood is, it does fir. Not much, but enough to require a quick, light sanding after a medium strip or hard cleaning. Otherwise, oil stains look a bit blotchy after application. You are welcome, but no need for thanks. You earned it.

Daniel, Pictures #3 and #4. What's the deal on the shakes?

Diamond Jim, I totally agree with you and have no qualms about informing each other of product problems on this web site. There is no question that you and Daniel, and I imagine others in certain climates/regions have had performance issues with some AC stains. What I do object to is a blanket "this product sucks" type of statement or discussion when it is not warranted. Too many contractors have been using AC stains for years now with fine results. Included in this is me. Jim, we're only what, 130 miles apart as the crow flies? The few jobs that I have used AC stain have turned out fine without mildew or degradation problems. Go figure. In fact, the AC Mahogany on ipe' is to this point performing better than any stain I have ever tested.

Tom, Middle picture, nice job on the stripping and prep. What color of Ready Seal did you use?

Consider this source as they provide true old growth redwood at an expensive, yet reasonable price considering the age and quality of the wood. A designer customer of mine is ordering 15K of multi-grained old growth for a new outdoor "living" area here in NJ. Ceilings, of all things! Go to:Overview

Daniel, You still do not understand. Put yourself in Jake Clark's shoes, or Alan Broom's shoes, Scott Paul's shoes, Tom Vogel's shoes, Charlie Snoden's shoes. You may very well be hurting their businesses. The general public and probably some newer contractors do not know your context or intent. All they read is that AC blackens and feeds mildew. Which, from what I have experienced and understand, is false for most people in most areas of the US.

Daniel, I think you are missing the point, or at least my point. No one is denying that you, Diamond Jim, and others may be having mildew problems with some applications of AC stain. But the evidence suggests that this may be in part due to geographic region and climate. I am not far from Diamond Jim. We did a job two years ago together and the drive was about 1.5 hrs. away for each of us. I've applied AC stain on 4 jobs, the first 3 about 3 yrs. ago, and have not seen any finish issues. I am in NJ, not Conn. or Mass. Back in 2009 in another thread, Alan Broom of Shine Brite in Georgia posted the following: From what I understand, Alan was one of the first East coast wood contractors to use AC stain.I met Alan nearly 2 yrs. ago at the ***** convention in Orlando. He is no "backwards dummy" but a well educated, intelligent man who comes from a family that owned a sawmill and lumber yard. His restoration business has been using AC stains since ~ 2006 and continues to use the stain today. If he had serious issues with the product, I can guarantee he would drop it in a heartbeat. AC stain has been around for probably 20 yrs. or more on the West coast. Jake Clark purchased the company many years ago from a Mr. Armstrong, and has been distributing/retailing stain primarily in California and the Pacific Northwest. I know that Sherwin Williams stores in that area have been carrying the line for many years. If there was a quality issue with the product, do you think these retailers would continue to offer it to their customers? What really set me off Daniel was your following post on this thread. - Charlie of Apex Deck Savers in NC is obviously one of the more accomplished wood restoration contractors on The Grime Scene. Do you think Charlie, who has been using AC stains for maybe 3 years now would continue if he had any serious problems with quality or performance?The Woodtux drying debacle deserved public airing as it was obvious that this was a serious product flaw experienced nationwide. Unless other contractors from around the country weigh in on AC mildew issues, there is no evidence that it is an overall quality - mildewcide product problem. The public reads these boards. I personally get a decent amount of new business from customers that have read my postings here. Other wood restoration contractors from around the US and world reads these boards. Distributors, manufacturers, painters and others reads these boards. Be responsible and aware of the impact before publicly "bashing" a product.

Agreed.

Diamond Jim, So many years ago, you, along with Tom of ACR and Peirce Fitchette of Ready Seal were my mentors. You took the time and trouble to help a new wood contractor with equipment, chemicals, and stains. Thank you. I have only used AC stain 4 times, 2 on WRC, 2 on ipe'. Aside from the Rustic Brown fading a bit fast on one ipe' job, the stain has performed well here in NJ. No mold /mildew and the associated "blackening" problem. But this is NJ, not New England. I have no doubt that you have had problems. Knowing you personally, I certainly trust you and your word. But my earlier point to Daniel is this. You have been honorable. Instead of blanket disparaging public posts maligning a stain product, you have worked with the manufacturer to help identify and solve the problem. Anyone that has been in this business seriously knows that wood stains can perform differently in various regions of the country. Too many contractors in most regions of the U.S. have used AC stains for years now with success. For many, if not most, AC is a good product. We both know of another very well known, major stain manufacturer that had some serious issues in the North Central states. Instead of a public hue and cry from the affected contractors, they worked with the manufacturer to identify the cause. A slight tweak in the stain formulation solved the problem. This is how professionals help both themselves, their customers, manufacturers, and industry perception. All that being said, these boards can serve as a "early warning" system to contractors and homeowners. Many remember a countrywide, instead of regional, drying issue with a popular "contractor grade" wood stain. In that case, a public outcry was justified. Working together, contractors found a possible solution and moved on. I don't know if the manufacturer did. I stand by my earlier statements in this thread. Think and act responsibly before publicly condemning a manufacturer, distributor, or God forbid, a specific contractor on these highly visible web sites.

Daniel, Let's see. 9 months through a New England winter. Not 7 months most readers would assume through spring into fall. After all, that is the typical exterior deck staining cycle. For new ipe', 9 months is a decent lifetime. Oh, and the containers of AC stain colors are mis-labeled as to the type of pigment? Maybe Jake Clark can clear that up. Remind me to take another photo of AC Mahogany stain on ipe' in the spring, a full 12 months after application and a NJ winter. I believe your speculation will prove to be unfounded. Meanwhile, you publicly denigrate a stain that you appear to know little about. No pictures, no customer comments, no credible evidence aside from a diatribe. Do you realize how many homeowners and contractors read these boards? Misinformation or uninformed jabber not only hurts our specialized trade, but directly affects a stain manufacturer. Think. I do not have any skin in this game. As many know, my little company has been using Ready Seal stains for nearly a decade. But I know the owner of Armstrong - Clark personally, and have had numerous conversations with his distributors and employees. Jake is an honest, stand up guy who produces a fine product. He is more than willing to talk with retailers, distributors, small contractors, and even Ma & Pa homeowners. Be careful and respectful in what you post.

Daniel, I have to call a spade a spade here. Either you did not prep the ipe' correctly, or you used the wrong AC color. Some of AC's products, ie: Rustic Brown, are clay pigmented, not iron oxide pigments. It makes a whole boatload of difference. Below is a picture of my own ipe' deck just taken after 5 months of full sun, a ton of rain, and being a playpen for 2 young dogs and my wife and I. The stain is AC Mahogany, applied the first week in April this year. No mold. No mildew. A whole lot of stain and pigment is still on the ipe'. Sure it scratches if you drag furniture over it, all stains do. Note the planter on the left and the floor adjacent. This POS thing is used as a "gate stop", so my Springer does not unlatch the gate. 150 days times at minimum 2 times a day equals 600 drags back and forth. This AC Mahogany has held up extremely well.

Being late August, and the weather wet, I decided to close up shop and have some fun. Took the dogs and my wife up to a friend's camp in the southern Adirondacks. Cool, crisp air, an outhouse for poopin' and a generator for electric. Fun. I had given him a canoe years earlier, and we took some amazing trips through the flows and lakes of this nearly pristine area. Photo #1 - Lia, my springer, and Nolie, my wife's pound for pound Joe Frasier schnauzer , devoted to their master. That is nonsense for as any respectable dog owner knows, I have treats in my hand. Photo #2 - Me. Note the Heineken bottle in my hand. We are at least 5 miles from the nearest access/road, only accessible by canoe or float plane. I'm standing on an ancient spruce stump that has made a home for other natural flora. God bless nature. And God bless coolers and ice. Photo #3 - Lia, my English Springer Spaniel, looking at my behind and wondering if am worth it. Good dogs are worth their weight in gold. Photo #4 - She loves me. Good women, as well as good dogs, are a blessing. Take time off. Enjoy life. Go fishing, hiking, canoeing, or just take a stroll down an empty street.

Brian, Don't feel too bad, yesterday I hacked out a round of 92. Four 3 putt greens and my driver could not find the fairway. Managed to hit some stellar "out of the woods" shots. I'm getting too good at that. Jake, Speaking of our esteemed Commander in Chief, did you know that President Obama played 72 rounds of golf in his first 2.5 years in office? This puts the legacy of our most famous "golfing President", President Eisenhower, to the test. Poor President George W. Bush only managed a measly 24 golf outings in the full 8 years of his presidency. If this is "Change We Can Believe In", I'm all for it. Barrack Obama was suppose to be a "community organizer" in Chicago, not a blue ribbon member of the country club elite.

Charlie, I would assume this is a misprint.

Diamond Jim, Hah! Good one! I hope my wife Judy does not see this. On your next visit you'll be sleeping on the garage floor. And Nolie, the terror schnauzer, will chew your ankles off!

Jim "lost it" a long time ago. So did you and I and others on this board that don't depend on a bi-weekly pay check. Good for us!

Good luck with that. Before 10:00 AM, Jim is stopping by local Starbuck's and shilling local architects/designers. The man is notorious for buying $5 cafe latte's and getting 10K worth of work. Shameful. Except if you live in Conneticut. Thank you for that. I've been trying to snake that Germanic wood minx since I started in this silly business. That guttural accent just makes my blood boil. The real problem is her husband Tom. And he's a terrific friend and business partner! I would not be in business today without Tom and Barb, their employees, and all of the support of ACR Products.

Aw, gee Celeste. Even at my age, some women still appreciate my butt!

John, One day we took the truck and drove a circular 100+ mile route in the southwestern section of the park. Must have seen 20 or so different "housekeeping" cabin accommodations.

Daniel, On old P/T wood, probably a 50/50 mix of medium brown and dark brown.

Daniel, Ready Seal is a penetrating, paraffin oil stain. It does not "bleed" or "run down" wood, unless you over apply to the point of being stupid. Given the fact that this is old untreated redwood, it could have taken even more Ready Seal. A 2nd application was quoted, but the owner's declined as the home is going on the market.

Nice job Daniel! This has been the historical high for rainfall in our area of NJ for the month of August. Glad we took 10 days of vacation. Back to work tomorrow.

Rick, Hilarious! The above is one of the finest and most honest travelogues I have read. The first picture is a classic. Forget washing, your true calling is writing. A touch of professional editing and the above would be published. Hunter Thompson, God rest his soul, would be proud. We're leaving for the Adirondacks this morning. Hope we have such a fun trip!