Deck Protector

Hi, Nobody really gave Tom's question a solid answer as to what he should do. If he has decks that he stained 2 years ago what is the proccedure to maintain them. Can he recoat over a previously stained deck? I contacted several manufactures about this and all say you would need to strip the old stain off first and then restain. Reason being that the new coat of stain would not adhear to the previous stain. Because the previous stain would repell the new stain and leave you with a mess on the surface of the deck. I really can't understand how you can effectively recoat a deck with a maintenance coat unless you can just strip off the top layer of the stain and possiable apply a thin coat . But how can this be done without stripping off the stain that is in the wood? Seems to be that all decks would always need to be stripped of an old stain then you could effectively apply a new stain to the bare wood allowing the stain to soak in and adhear to the wood. Some have posted that ready seal is capable of taking a maintenance coating. But wouldn't the previous stain on the deck repell it not allowing the new stain to bond correctly? Also I have heard of contracters just cleaning a deck then reapply a maintenace coat over the previous coat. So it is being done but will it look ok and will it last? So can anyone answer the question of what is the procedure to apply maintenance stain coats to decks that have been stained 2 years or so ago? If you need to strip the old satin off first then restain bare wood. How can you expect past clients to pay for this?As it would definately take more labor and materials to do this and your price to stain their deck 2 years ago would have to be much more to stain it this coming season. Most if not all past clients would not go for this and you would probably think your trying to rip them off. And your company would most definately get a bad reputaion therefore your chance of getting more work in that community would fail. So what are your thoughts and or procedures on maintaining your past customers decks? The cost to the customer should be less or at least comparable to the price your gave them last year. Thanks Dan

I had the deck from hell 2 years ago. It was 400 sq. ft. of hell. it was a cedar deck with heavy duty grey marine paint on it(2 Coats). I had no idea what I was getting into. I used every kind of stripper on the market. Took hundereds of dollars in strippers and labor. And about 5 stripping attempts to get the paint off of the deck.Then a day of sanding. What a mess. Your picture reminds me of that deck. I would also pass. Latex on a deck can be tough to remove. And you will surely be sanding the whole floor. Not a money maker at all. Plus you have screening which would almost surely get damaged from sanding. Just leave it to someone else.

Hi all, Quick question. what is a fair price to clean, stain(1 coat)a deck that is 10 x 20 w/ 4 steps and has a railing and spindles. the deck would be ground level. I see alot of different styles of bidding. Wolmans certification program says to charge at least $75.00 per man hour. I figure 2 hours to thoroughly clean and around 6- 8 to stain. That would be 10 man hours and a max of 4 gallons of stain. 1 gallon deck cleaner and 1 gallon brightener. 10 hrs@75.00 hr =750 4 gallons stain @ 20.00 = 80 cleaner/brightener =30 ---------- 860.00 6% sales tax 51.60 ----------- 911.60 that figure sounds really high to me...How does it sound to you guys? I would add a discount for seniors at 10% or so and a coupon offer of maybe $50.00 off but it still seems high. Is it a realistic bid? Or maybe it takes me too much time too stain. I need to backbrush. Quess I should look into using a stain that requires minimual backbrushing without leaving the stain looking blotchy and uneven.

Thanks for the responses everyone. You all have given me alot more to think about. To clarify I was making around $50.00/Hr to P/W(clean), brighten, and stain a deck after my expenses. Stripping a deck would be more money per hour. As far as the question of do I quote an hourly rate to my customers..No. I bid per job at a fixed square footage rate. Which stains are the best to use if I am concerned about it raining shortly after application? And which stain can be used on a wet or damp deck besides Wood-Tux? And finally, where can I get Wood Tux locally? I could not find the Wood Tux website. Thanks again all. Dan

Hi All, First I would like to thank the moderators for setting up such a great and very helpful website. The information on this site is outstanding pertaining to the powerwashing business. Some backround...I have done powerwashing and deck restoration off and on for about 3 years. I am planning on going full time this coming season. My concerns are realalistic profitabilty. Being that the season is 8 months here in PA, I figure I would need around 200 jobs(decks, house washing, ect..)this coming season to make a good living. As far as advertising we going to use Val Pak(3 zones to start, 10,000 homes a zone). Val Pak worked well for me in the past, so I will stick with it. And also call up past clients, hand out business cards, professional looking flyers, use signage, contact and sell in person, property management companies, realtors, and new home builders. We do good work at good prices( minimal callbacks,satisfied customers).My general question is: Is a powerwashing company profitable?How much can I realistically expect to earn? I was averaging around $50.00/hr profit on my jobs, house washing was always more profitable for me. The deck staining was tricky to schedule due to inclement weather, got backed up often. So what do you think? Is powerwashing a full time job that will or can be profitable(8 months out of the year) or is it more of a part time gig?I look at it this way if your company does quality work with descent prices , looks,and acts with professionalism, does mass advertising geared towards upper class neighborhoods it has a goood chance of succeding. I think advertising is the key to get the work then what kind of work you do will keep you getting more work and build a reputable company that will be profitable. It's a gamble to start a full time powerwashing business, but I feel if things are done right it can succede. What do you guys think?Any hints or tips would be appreciated. Thanks All Dan

Hi All, New to this site...It's Great! A wealth of information. I live in Chester county, PA. Lot's of decks and houses to service out here. Did a few jobs 2 years ago(around 50) and they all turned out pretty well. This coming new year I am going to start up again and hope to build a good client base. I have alot of questions about the business. Any information on good advertising practices, products to use and bidding of jobs would be appreciated. I've done direct mail with good success and used yards signs, I have used Behr products to clean, strip, neutalize and stain decking. My price per sq. ft was around $2.00 a sq. ft. to clean, neutralize and stain a deck. A 10x20 deck would be around $400.00(railings, spindles and steps included in that price). Does this price seem in the ballpark for my location, is it high or low? I would like to get some help on bidding. Thanks All!! Hope to hear from you guys .. Dan