RPetry

Ken, Thanks, appreciate it, that is what I was afraid of. Hope they have deep pockets.

Scot, The last time I used an SLR was about 20 yrs. ago. Too busy now to relearn photography, here is another digital shot. It will have to do. A-C rustic brown on the left, Ready Seal light brown on the right. Additional stains are detailed in this thread.

Careful. That is exactly how I got started in this business years ago.

Adrian, The Decker 5'er does have a pressure gauge. If I recall, I shot that photo to show Tom at ACR the damage caused when the unit dropped over so he could ship me the correct replacement part.

Greg, Very well done. Use to be a photo gallery on a web site was enough, now seems that the world has gone to video. Looks like something new to learn next winter.

Hah! Quick solution but does not work for us. Only use the Decker 5'er for Ready Seal stain. Draining a 30' feed hose at the end of a job is more than enough. The fold down "handle" was only used once in 5 or 6 years, the first day we had the unit. Next day bought a heavy duty strap w/hooks to hold 5 gal. pails of Ready Seal. Have not had to mess with the "D" rings since. That's good to know. Tom is a veritable wizard when it comes to equipment. You are not kidding, this is the worst early Spring weather wise that I can remember. Looks like we may get some decent temps. and sun starting tomorrow. Usually have multiple jobs done by now, tomorrow will be the first "completed" check of the year!

Henry, The problem is it is near impossible to move the unit when using the handle folded down. Between the weight of the stain and a deep cycle 12V battery, there is no leverage. Gypsy rigging a bungee or strap to hold a 5'er also negates messing with those D ring clips. Been so long, I really do not remember the cost of the Decker 5'er. I'm not sure if they make them anymore. Tom Vogel at ACR could tell you.

One suggestion. The "fold down handle" is worthless for holding 5'ers of stain, yet remaining mobile. If you have to move the unit, good luck without tearing down. Get a good quality rubber bungee with hooks to hold the stain 5'er on the lip and keep the handle upright. Makes it truly portable.

Adrian, The Decker 5'ers I believe were manufactured by Pump Tec. Not sure if they still make them. As far as I know, they are very similar to a Decker. Funny story. Jack Kramer, Tom Vogel of ACR, and I all purchased one for use early one spring. We all used it for the first time on the very same day. And we all had blow outs of the short hose with the quick connect that feeds the 50' line going to the gun! I trashed the side of a huge home and killed a lot of grass with RS before I could shut the thing off. Poor Tom's ears were burning as I was screaming at him on the cell. We are still good friends to this day! Here is what I have on the unit.

Adrian, I bought a Decker 5'er about 5 or 6 years ago when they first came out. Aside from a few intake screens, one brass bypass valve replaced this winter, and a broken manifold? cover when I dropped the unit over, it has run like a champ. Finally got a new 12 volt deep charge battery for it last year. It has only been used for stain. Truthfully, it has only been used for Ready Seal stains. Anything else goes through an old Binks airless or gets brushed on by hand. Chems are applied through shurflo units. For staining, these units are worth their weight in gold.

Adrian, Very nice, like the music. Many say Texas is God's country, sure looks like it to me as your decks do not have any railing systems! May want to check your spelling, I think it is "Neutralization".

Andrew, If you have to clean off dirt, mold, mildew etc. without affecting an existing stain, bleach cleaning is a good choice. Mix with water to a 1.5 - 2% solution and add just a squirt or two of dishwashing soap. Make sure it does not contain ammonia. Pre-wet the wood to be treated and spray on the solution. Allow to dwell for 10 or 15 minutes. For a deck floor, an easy, no pressure scrub with a soft truck wash brush works well. Hose rinse off. For vertical wood, a very low pressure, ie: dump tip like force, from a pressure washer does the trick.

Scott, I am more than sorry for your troubles. You have been a positive and informative voice on TGS for many years. Thank you for your contributions. Most of us do not realize, but "moderator" is more than a title. Aside from time, when the cell phone bill overage reaches astronomical amounts, it is time to retrench. Members should use simple, common courtesy and not pester moderators to death. Best wishes to you Scott and thanks again.

Todd, Ready Seal will penetrate Trex like water into a sponge. Don't get any of the stain onto Trex by mistake, you will never get it out.

Heineken beer My wife Anchovies Not necessarily in order.

Keith, I think stain lifetime comparing RS and A-C on ipe' depends on the condition of the ipe'. On very weathered ipe' with no stain for a year, I can get two separate brush applications of RS into ipe', and it will last ~ 1 year. On newer ipe' and ipe' that has been continuously maintained, AC may last a bit longer due to the drying linseed oil at the surface. Both stains will go a long way on ipe', maybe 300 - 400 sq. ft. per gallon. Just a guess, as I have never used A-C on ipe'. Edit: Dumb statement, I have A-C on my own ipe'!

Matt, Attached are two pics of Ready Seal medium red on ipe'. Stain is still wet, will lose the shiny look and dry to a matte finish. Will also lighten up just a shade in a week or two. What a day. So cold this morning, went up to the job site around noon to defur and hopefully stain this ipe'. 45 degrees at ground level and spent the afternoon dodging periods of snow flurries! Not ipe' staining weather. Only reason I got a pic of a patch of decking floor was a brush out of a small bucket spill while staining the handrail. Somewhere it is Spring. Not in NJ.

Jake Clark and company have been just "over the top" on contractor support. Don't know how they can do it with DIY homeowners, but mucho kudos to them.

A lot depends on sun exposure. If the wood starts turning gray, redo. But the prep should be fine for certainly 2.5 - 3 weeks.

Jason, It depends on the condition of your wood, pressure treated can take a fair amount of stain if it is old, has not been maintained, cracked, etc. Also the design of the balustrade, size of fascia, # of posts and exposed joists matters in overall sq. footage. 2 gals. may be cutting it close, I'd prefer to have 3 gals. on hand.

I hear 'ya. Being in NJ, we get your weather about 8 hrs. later. Spring is always a challenge. Yesterday we prepped our first job of the season, it was absolutely beautiful. Today, intermittent heavy rain, thunderstorms, and a flood watch. Can't even do estimates properly. In talking with Jake Clark and Mark of A-C, if I recall correctly they suggest a max. of 16% wood moisture content before applying their stain. As I'm sure you do not own a moisture meter, look for two full day/night cycles of dry weather prior to applying stain. Sun, warm temps. and a bit of wind also help a lot in drying out wood. Start later in the day if there has been dew overnight. Also try and have a window of at least 12, but better yet 24 hrs. of dry weather after stain application.

Jason, No, you can stain the floor first if you prefer. Wood contractors generally start on the rails and vertical wood for a few reasons. First, it is the most labor intensive part of the job and it is just great to get it done. Second, vertical wood dries out quicker than horizontal wood, so it is ready to be stained sooner / earlier in the day. Third, to stain the inside of a rail system, you have to walk on the horizontal wood. With a drying oil such as linseed, this can take a while and you do not want to "track" the stain.

Jason, I would not use a truck wash brush with A-C. A 4" or better yet, a 6" natural bristle brush with a "screw" type socket fitting on the end of the handle works well for large areas. Purchase a compatible threaded pole, and you can stain the floor standing up. Purchase a 2 or 2.5" natural bristle tapered brush for tighter areas. Clean all brushes with mineral spirits after use and they will last a long time. Take care in applying A-C, it will lap. Fully complete each board before further staining. Do your railing and vertical wood first, and put a tarp down underneath each rail section to prevent dripping on the deck floor.

Jason, Application method is often determined by the stain being used. What stain are you using, and what is the specie of wood?

Matt, No. It is regular RS medium red, on a piece of ipe' that happens to be dark. Just prepped a 3 yr. old ipe' today, first job of the season. Put down RS. med. red and A-C super cedar after using a blow dryer to dry the wood. Both still wet when I left the job site. Pics upcoming in a while, its rain showers here for the next few days, so it will be a while till I get back to it.