RPetry

Larry, Very interesting article, though not sure of the applicability for pressure washing companies using several gallons of water per minute. The author does not cite the electrical power needs to produce "activated" water. Is it possible that the "green" aspects of such water are offset by the environmental impact of power generation?

Russ, All three oils, A-C, WT, and RS were two applications into the ipe'. It has been over a year, but I think it was applied the same day, maybe 3 or 4 hours apart. I followed the manufacturer instructions for the Defy and BM waterbase stains. As I recall, both recommended a single application.

Daniel, "Spread rates" or "how many sq. ft. per gal." is very low on the total cost of any wood job. Much more important is the amount of labor of application. Even more important is the effort and cost to you and the customer of maintenance. Criticize all you want. My "tiny" samples of various stains on ipe' is more than you or anyone else on this board has shared or as far as I know, have done. Its the same board, exposed to the same sun, dogs, and foot traffic. It is more valid than posts, speculation, and "gee, why didn't you do it this way". By the way, with the oils, RS more than held its own, coming in second. We will probably strip and restain the ipe' next spring, and applying Defy on the entire floor.

Whatever the price, if you do the job, ask for referrals. Its a no brainer, you are in front of the customer, and it takes about 8 seconds.

Daniel, Ipe' is kind of a "hard" type of mahogany. With ipe', unless it is less than about a year after installation, we usually get two separate oilings into the wood. Most mahogany's, two separate oilings is no problem. Just depends on the wood itself, exposure to weathering/sun, and the quality of the wood.

No, go BDA. It is alive and well!

Daniel, Here is a pic of the can, the product was given to me to test by a local BM dealer. The Heineken beer on the right is a better manufactured product than the stain.

Daniel, I tested a bunch of stains, including the BM waterbased hardwood stain on my own ipe' last year. Looked OK for a bit, but weathered to a very blotchy looking finish. As far as pigment retention, the Defy stain for hardwoods was by far the winner. See the attached pics after one year of full sun. The Defy swatch is obvious, its the one with the even, nice color, just below the water dish. And with ipe', pigment retention is the main criteria. Even in our NE climate, nothing harms good quality ipe'.

Best wishes Diamond Jim, for many more to come.

Ken, If I am not mistaken, Lisa's skin damage was mainly caused by stripper cream caustic burns. Hope she gets better and out of the hospital soon.

Jon, If you want to see a stable of heavy duty sanders/defurrers, Lyle (Acegot) has a veritable fleet of them for wood. Go to: http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/wood-cleaning-restoration-decks-fences-etc/17410-my-standup-sanding-defurring-fleet.html

Jon, Not sure what a palm sander is, sounds something like a masseuse tool. Porter Cable R.O.'s are very well built, been using the same one for 8 or so years and it does get a real workout during the season. But to really get into it, Diamond Jim's "Defurno" is a real beast. Will knock out a ton of ipe' decking in a flash. This monster weighs about 200 lbs. and is a buckin' bronco until ya' learn the ropes.

Daniel, I have no idea of your local market and demographics, I do not live or work there. But from reading your posts over the years, you leave the impression that you believe many potential customers are cheap, ignorant, with difficult dispositions. I can tell you that the median age of our deck customers is probably in the low to mid 50's. 9 out of 10 are wonderful people and a pleasure to do business with, some become actual friends. With few exceptions, they understand that first class service demands a realistic price.

Dan, In the right market and demographics, the > 55 yr. old age bracket of homeowners is prime for residential work.

So true. My wife and I are within sniffin' range, less than a decade, of SS, and one's perspective on life and money/savings certainly change. Less speculation and more preservation/value is a normal mindset. Use it to your advantage.

Actually, now can be a good time to make some major purchases. Car companies and dealers are discounting to spur sales, and financing can be downright cheap. Just bought a new Tundra at 1.9% for 60 months. Depending on the area of the country, housing is also on sale and mortgage rates are reasonable. Of course one must use diligence on the local market, economic prospects, location, etc., but the prospect for capital appreciation over the next 10 years or so is good. There are going to be a lot of 1st time, or second home buyers that will be kicking themselves, sometime down the road, for not taking advantage of todays opportunities.

Steve, You may want a bit more flow than a 1.0 GPM pump, and a hand cart is very convenient. Tom Vogel at ACR Products modified my old setup this year to two mounted Shurflo's, one with seals for caustics, one with seals for acids. One other advantage is that when one pump stops working, and they do quite often, you have a backup pump mounted and ready to finish the job.

Adrian, Life has a strange way of letting one know when the time is right. Congratulations to both of you. First and foremost for you, able to get that one in a million. Close behind, for that wonderful woman that will put up with you! Enjoy. But keep on playing that guitar.

Jon, Nice, you did find some wood in Florida! Pat, Look closely. It's not actually a deck, but a deck that has been converted into a screened in porch! Funny, flying into Orlando, was gazing out the window. Plane was low on approach. Cruising over the 'burbs, had a bird's eye view of the housing market. A lot of pools, fair amount of pavers, but did not notice one wood deck on a home. I'd starve in that market. May take a road trip this winter/off season with the wife and dogs. Any suggestions on a warm weather Southern or Western area that has a fair amount of wood? Higher end demographics, 65 degree or above average daytime high temps, abundant sunshine, lots of golf courses are a first round criteria. An hour or less to salt water, and a current downturned real estate market with fair hopes for a come back are secondary, but important factors. Would like to buy a second home property, and set up shop for casual business from November through March. Thanks.

Last job of the season, it is getting too cold here in NJ. Full ipe' elevated deck, including ipe' stairs and balustrade. Get to the job, meet again with the customer while setting up. "Hey, would you mind cleaning and staining my teak furniture?". "Of course not, the additional charge will be X". Good wood is a godsend. This teak is exceptional, the furniture was made in England. Second to some very old, true Burmese teak we did a few years ago, this is the finest teak furniture I have seen. We'll be staining the deck and furniture next week. I'm going to miss doing wood for the next 5 months.

It has been tough. Business was fine, weather has been less than ideal. Ipe' jobs have kept us working and busy. Probably done 18K sq. ft. or so of ipe' this season. Terrific wood, wonderful customers. Great wood, it dries in a flash. Finished this 6 yr. old ipe' job yesterday. Two oilings on the horizontal wood, took a bit of parrafin oil. Will be back in late June or July to lightly clean and apply more Ready Seal light brown. Tired, glad the wood season here in N.J. is over.

Sam Kinison had to be one of the most bizarre and hilarious stand up comedians of our generation. Ironic that he was killed by a drunk driver and Sam was just married, and had been sober and off drugs for months.

Well deserved, Beth & Rod, I voted for you!

Pete, It is the same here in NJ. I can count on one hand the # of fences we have cleaned and stained in 8 yrs. Thankfully, decks are the opposite!

Nice job Pete, especially good that the cedar got down to 9%. You Texans certainly have a lot of fences.