RPetry

We run into carpenter bee and especially squirrel damage often, particularly on cedar jobs. Sometime ago, it was suggested to add a bit of Capsaicin oil to stain as a deterrent. Might work, it is the hottest pepper compound available.

Greg, We are, on average, probably closer to 30%. Much of our initial work involves stripping, sanding for some hardwoods, and applying 2 separate stainings on horizontal wood. Maintenance is generally a light sodium hypochlorite/soap cleaning, and a single application of stain. Stain quantity is typically 60% of initial use.

Adrian, A spit of sprinkling or a quick shower should not be a problem. Even with newer PT or cedar. We've had veritable downpours an hour after applying RS without problem.

An interesting web page on the various grades of Redwood. About Old-Growth Again Redwood and Douglas-fir This organization offers very high quality, old growth redwood, along with great customer service. Nice to know that the proceeds from sales goes to reforestation. If you or your customers are looking for outdoor furniture, take a look. I purchased some redwood from them last year, and not only was the price much less than could be obtained locally, the age and quality of the wood was downright astounding.

Adrian, That "before" picture is some really foul wood! Nice job on prepping and staining. Glad to see you own a brush!

Tony, Silicone, at least stains that contain silicone, can be a real problem stripping. Not sure about silicone caulk, it would depend on how deep into the wood it penetrated. A hard sanding may get it off/out of the wood. We did an ipe'/mahogany/cedar job last year with screens similar to your job. Initially, the project was without doing the interior of the screened in porch. However, after finishing, the owner requested that we come back and prep and stain the interior. Sorry, don't have a picture after that was finished but the pic below shows the interior spindles/balustrade built against the screens. We cleaned and stained right through the screens without problem. Just make sure you wipe down the affected areas of the screens immediately after stain application. We used RS on this job, which might be easier as the paraffin oil does not dry quickly on non wood surfaces, but with care, A-C should not be a problem. Try it in a test area first.

Adrian, Never used straight Dk. Red, but have mixed it with Dk. Brown a few times for mahogany jobs. Deck pics of jobs that are still wet look, well, kind of unfinished. I'd like to see that color when the RS is dry. It is nice to be able to apply in cold temps, we have used RS a few times in the low 40's. You are a spray maniac! On a job that size we would just break out the brushes to apply.

Greg, Dead serious. After 35+ years smoking 2 packs a day, I probably cannot smell very well.

Andre, We use a lot of Ready Seal on many species of wood. I did not notice any change in the product last year, or actually for the past 8 years. They did change their mildewcide formulation a while back, and some commented that it smelled "better". I personally did not notice a difference.

Joe, We purchase nearly all our needs from ACR Products. They are a sponsor here on TGS.

Joe, We only use the Decker 5'er for stain. On smaller jobs we also spray deck floors. On larger jobs we use truck brushes. Chemicals are applied with separate Shurflo units.

Joe, You can also fabricate your own adjustable flow guns. Tom Vogel of ACR Products put these together for me.

Joe, If you maximize the picture on the RS web site, the 500 model appears to include a Pump Tec pump with a pressure gauge. With the cart, battery case, and bucket holder, it is very similar to a Deckster or Decker 5'er. The only substantial difference might be in the gun, which is not shown. The flow adjustable guns are terrific for spraying stain, if not included they can be purchased from suppliers separately. Give Peirce a call.

Jamie, No doubt moisture and an organic food source is required for mildew growth. I'm not sure what you are stating ie: linseed oil and moisture barrier.

Beth, That board was stripped and brightened last October. The WRC was cut into pieces and used for the wood classes at the ***** convention.

Michael, If the paint is 60 odd years old, there is a good chance some may be lead based. Sanding lead paint would be very harmful to your Dad's health. Call a local paint store, I think there is a simple test to determine if the paint contains lead.

Interesting political dynamics taking place. Virginia, a traditional swing state, elects a Republican governor in Nov. 2009. My home state, N.J., is a usual Democratic walk over. We elected a Republican governor in Nov. 2009 over an incumbent Democrat sitting governor. Not unknown, but I can remember but 3 Republican governors in my lifetime and I'm on the other side of 50. Now Mass. A true blue state in the Northeast elects a Republican senator. Interesting if this trend continues through the elections this November. Seems the independent voters have had enough.

Beth, One useful feature that appears to be lacking is the old "View previous day's posts" or something to that effect. If I recall correctly, I believe it was under the "Quick links" section of the main menu.

Daniel, I'm a bit curious as to how one can conduct a valid election poll by studying a book.

Good morning Beth, Can you enable bbCode colors in the Water Cooler? Thanks.

Mike, If I recall accurately, Reed was slowly winding down his wood business, reluctant to take on new customers, and just servicing his old accounts. This was some time ago, possibly three or four years in the past. I also learned a lot from Reed when first starting out. He was one of a few at that time who specialized in wood restoration.

Rick, Congrats! It takes a lot of moxie and determination to go back to college at middle age. Very admirable, I wish you the best!

Tom, A true oil based stain, aside from those containing tung oil, should be fairly easy to strip with a sodium hydroxide stripper. Otherwise, there are a few additives that can be used in your mix that can be of help. Do a search on "booster" and "surfactant" here for more info. Acrylic, and to a lesser extent, latex stains are the absolute most difficult types of stain to strip. There is no "over the counter" stains that we use or could recommend for most exterior wood jobs. Bite the bullet, and get in touch with a specialty supplier. Armstrong-Clark and Ready Seal stains seem to be the choice of many wood contractors.

Celeste, Congrats on the new Lab pup, I'm sure he'll quickly fill that hole in the heart from losing your Boxer. Hope you like to play fetch!

Adrian, Consider yourself fortunate. We won't start wood again for at least 3 months.