RPetry

Lyle, Yeah, Jim has various brushes, pads, the works for Miss Defurno. She is actually designed to polish granite and marble, that is why she weighs so much. To be honest, for that little step up, I'd use my RO with 60 grit to sand. Miss Defurno is friggin' heavy! Nice work on the redwood, wish we had more back here in NJ. Terrific wood.

Pat, The ipe' and mahogany jobs we have done this year have really helped with cash flow, as the wood dries out fast. With all the rain this entire wood season, softwood jobs have been a real challenge to get stained.

Beth, The dock and lake were ok. Swimming, ah, I mean working, in the salt water pool was better!

Ken, Old guys is right. Jim and I were draggin' our bums today, doin' more talkin' than working. Jim and crew are doing the cedar home, we're doing the ipe'. It really is a nice design. I'll get a full front and back shot in a few days and post. The interior is really spectacular. Pic taken this afternoon after sanding/buffing the ipe' on the "pool & spa" deck.

Gotta agree with Beth on this. Don't know about Tn., but here in parts of the northeast, some people can be a bit wacky, calling the state DEP or federal EPA over a perceived misdeed. Regulations can vary by county or even town. Sad thing is, even if you are not found at fault, the time and paperwork involved is a pain. If you are violating some unknown regulation or statute, the monetary fines can be severe. We're working on a large ipe' job presently, part of which consists of a dock over a lake. In the contract, as well as discussions with the owner, it is understood that no chemicals will be used on the dock itself. This dock was just cleaned with water and lightly sanded. You can see the difference in finish appearance to the steps and bench wings. Yeah, the ipe' does not look as good after a first staining, but its acceptable and a lot better that a multi $K fine.

Mike, You are not going to relish my advice, but the following is what I would do. Ideally, I would strip, brighten, and sand the ipe' now. Let the wood weather naturally over the winter. Next spring, clean with a 2% bleach, soap, and water mix. Lightly truck brush that cleaner into the ipe', and hose rinse off, no pressure or pressure washer. Apply oxalic acid to the wood at 6 oz. / gal. to brighten and "open" the ipe'. When dry, apply Defy, Armstrong-Clark, or Ready Seal. There is no inherent need to stain ipe'. The wood is really bulletproof. You can let it age for years, without an ounce of stain. The best thing I did for my own ipe' deck was just that, but for a full 12 month calendar year.

Mike, Historically, most water based exterior wood stains, ie: latex or acrylic, have been a nightmare to strip and/or maintain. Apparently Defy for hardwoods, although water based, is not in that category. Scott Paul of the Sealer Store has used Defy with great success, both in longevity and keeping the wood maintained. Attached are two pictures. In September of 2008, I started a stain test on a single board of my own ipe' deck. The first pic is immediately after application. The second picture was taken a few minutes ago, 11 months after these stains were applied. The Defy sample is immediately "below" the water bowl. It has held its pigment better than the others, much better than I would have expected on ipe' that gets a lot of sun exposure. Among the oils, Armstrong-Clark and Ready Seal tie for 2nd place.

Mike, Although not a solution, maybe you can take solace in the fact that you are not alone with exterior wood stains and new ipe'. Attached is a picture of failed Messmer's on ipe'. This picture was taken by the customer 2 weeks after the stain was applied. We were contracted and stripped off this mess and sanded with 60 grit. Two separate oilings of Ready Seal medium red color. The 2nd pic was taken about 2 weeks after we finished work. As it is new ipe' exposed to full sun, this deck will most likely need a quick cleaning and single RS application come next spring.

8 months after application Penofin stain, failing on western red cedar. See pictures. Daniel, Many years ago, wanted to try TWP 200 prior to making the switch to Ready Seal, but could not find any retailers in my area that carried the product. I do not think it is 250 g/l VOC compliant now, so it would be impossible to buy it in the Northeast. Scott Paul would know more. I have seen some solid oil stains "peeling", but I think it may have been caused by poor wood prep and/or over application.

Started a 2400 sq. ft. ipe' job today. Hot as blazes, in the low 90's, with a lot of good old east coast humidity. New wood, percarb, oxalic, sand, and stain. Nice job. What was better is there is an ipe' dock and ipe' trimmed out salt water pool. Dock done in the early AM when it was still somewhat cool, so used my DUI drysuit. In the afternoon heat, got to wash the ipe' trim around the perimeter of the pool. No way my helper, Oscar, was going to beat me to this punch. Can't beat swimming, working, and getting paid for the pleasure!

Daniel, I am not a worker. I am not the proletariat. Lord be, no one even knows that word anymore. What are you, a closet communist? Hah! I am an owner, I am a capitalist. Read my post again. Workers should be protected, but not the entrepreneur. There should still be basic freedom for those with the gumption, risk tolerance, and downright cohones to create a business and new jobs. Get the gov't off our backs and let this country's economy fly. It is a mindset, a philosophy. Tie or restrict a business creator, and eventually mire in mediocrity and "has been". Look at France.

Daniel, Not according to me. You obviously have access to the internet. Try a Google search and read for yourself. Mike, Penofin has a stringent, lockstep prep and initial maintenance schedule for hardwoods that is, IMO, ludicrous. Caveat emptor.

Daniel, That is not the point. Could care less if I was given a summons for personally not complying with OSHA regulations. You are correct, it will probably never happen. The point is about freedom and liberty. As a business owner, I should have every right to be foolish and cavelier concerning my own person. Anything else smacks of "big brother", "nanny state" nonsense. This country was built on personal freedoms. And is still building on the same premise. Bureaucrats and puffed up politicians do not supercede history and the US Constitution.

Adrian, I remember the Southwest in the summer when I drove a tractor trailer to help with college expenses. Brutal heat. Dropped off a LTL shipment in Yuma one afternoon when it was 115 F. Wound up in the local hospital with heat exhaustion in Bakersfield, Ca. when loading out of a warehouse. People claim it's "dry heat". Yeah, right, its friggin' hot and can do some real physical damage.

Very aggressive, in your face, marketing. I'm sure it will produce dividends.

Don't call PETA. They are wacko vegetarian idiots. Try the SPCA or a poodle rescue group. A shame, poodles are one of the smartest and most "in tune" to human breeds domesticated.

Ken, Ain't that the truth. The Northeast has taken a real beating with consistent wet weather for the 2009 wood season.

Adrian, The bond of a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth can ever be. -- Konrad Lorenz I love dogs, was raised from birth with a puppy Cocker Spaniel. Aside from college years, have shared my, then the married "our" lives, with dogs. Currently share our home with an English Springer Spaniel, and a Miniature Schnauzer. If anyone raised a hand to these dogs, I would revert to blind rage. There is a mystical, shared common bond between canines and humans. It cannot be violated.

Beth, I was afraid that would be the answer. If true, it should be challenged as an unconstitutional law. I have no qualms that business owners are required to train, provide a safe workplace environment, and protect employees. This is not only morally correct, but good business. But this "nanny state" nonsense has to be brought under control. The federal or state governments have no right to regulate the safety or lack thereof of business owners themselves. A pox on both Republicans and Democrats. Though seen as a "wasted" vote, the Libertarian Party deserves a long, hard look.

Adrian, You behaved and did absolutely the right thing. Kudos to you. Yeah, it sucks when coming up against a despicable person. Makes one question the validity of humanity in general. But there are dirt bags in this world, no getting around it. Sleep tight... The canine world sends its blessings.

Terry and Beth, This organization is terrific. Not only do they do great work, their wood is superior and very reasonable. We restored an "old growth" redwood deck last year, documented to be at a minimum 50 years old. A few boards had rotted and needed replacement. Most notably was a 2" x 12" x 12' bottom step tread. See the attached pictures. The redwood they shipped was from ~200 yr. old trees, arrived ahead of time, was well packaged, and cheaper that I can purchase clear western red cedar in NJ.

Adrian, GOOD FOR YOU!!! Anyone who beats a dog, be it their own or otherwise, is worthy of contempt and censure. One has to be a real sick, despicable slime ball to hurt any pet or animal for that matter. Hope this garbage of a human has not fathered any children. Emotion says you should have popped him a hard left followed by an uppercut right. But you kept your cool, insulted him in the best way possible, and buggered out of there without an assault warrant. You're an unsung hero.

Lack of footwear and eye protection while pressure washing is not OSHA approved. But hey, sometimes you have to operate out on the fringe... Brings up a question. Is the business owner himself legally required to follow OSHA regulations for his own personal safety?

Daniel, You lucky dog, what are you doing in Ma.? If my aunt owned a brewery that produced all those tasty looking beers, I'd ingratiate myself somehow, just to stick around. Sweep floors, clean vats, harvest the hops. Join the Foreign Legion. Even if it is located in socialist France. She really produces some fine looking beers. 5:30 AM and I'm getting thirsty. Gotta' close that web page...

Adrian & Rob, Hey, new ipe' bleeds extractives like a pig when first cleaned. I mean your wash water looks like blood mixed with water. The wood has that much stuff in it. Now, to keep that nasty wash water out of the salt water pool, how else can you rinse that 1 x 3 trim piece on the inside perimeter? Only by sacrificing dignity and accepted contractor behavior, you jump in! Sounds good if I needed an excuse. But in reality, it actually makes sense!