James

You guy's have no clue about cedar shake wood restoration . Stick to what you know . If you talked to someone who actually does cedar shake wood restoration you will find that photo is a pretty good illustration of the process for cleaning . Then to inspect ,making repairs and for oiling . It is also a better way to clean the roof . Those are some of the type ladders you use, if you have a two ladder system it makes it safe to move the ladders to proceed with cleaning an area at a time , the ladders make it safe to clean because it's very slippery up there ,those guys are tied off also . the guy might be using acid as the cleaner so you use a mask. Some guys use spiked shoes to prevent falling and be tied off and don't use ladders. It's a very messy job and wet and could be cool out . So those suits work very well. Don't make comments or make fun of a method when your clueless . Cedar shake roof restoration is very specialize and a niche business. To do it correctly you have to get on the roof. I guess it's easy to be an Arm chair quarterback I can point you to a you tube video of a company damaging cedar shakes who is softwashing with bleach . Coastal softwash cape cod Mass. . Decreasing the life of the shakes but it looks good . Pretty deceptive if you do not know what your taking about ?

Beth I have some pretty good ones if you need them . Action shot or just pretty ?

Tim , I take care of a lot of furniture . Teak , cedar , pt, redwood, something that begins with a J. All furniture that ends up with people like us has gotten out of control and sticky . Over application of product is the biggest issue. So knowing what you put on and how to care for the finish is the biggest issue with outdoor furniture and when to start over again. Last year I did about 20 pieces of teak at the end of the year as a trial for he next 20 pieces in spring ( I think more). The tables could not be extended and the chairs couldn't be sat on when the temps hit 90. What a freaking mess but they new it . It went beyond there painter, local hardware store , paint store, handy man, advice from the product they put on,. The estate manager went to a dinner at one of my clients and ate / sat on the furniture I have cared for the last ten years. What a great new client I have and estate to work on . All because of something that couldn't be sat on ! Who wood of thunk ? With furniture less is best.... What ever is used don't over apply . Wipe off anything that doesn't sink in in 30 minutes . Don't allow much on the undersides at all . Just enhance the wood. With furniture the first finish and when to do the second finish is the trickiest . You cannot treat outside furniture like inside furniture.

One issue with cypress it has naturals oils in. So on new wood you won't get much penetration of product . You might have to try many to get a handle on what works or sell natural. It's the most fragrant wood to work on . I was restoring a cedar house . Once I got going on it I found the addition was cedar and the original was cypress. The smell was awesome. The cypress section was over 30 years old and still only took 1 gallon per 200 sqft of ready seal.

I need more snow . I need more cross country skiing, snow shoeing, more snow blowing , more ice dams and roof shoveling .

What site and what woody ?

Start going to the gym today and work out , wash the truck and start working on those machines. There is enough fat pressure cleaners and softbellywashers out there. Start lissening to motivation tapes to get going. Go after your old customers and customers who need wood maintenance. If your in great shape forget what I said.

You need to immerse yourself in the service and get educated . Get trained by a manufacturer of epoxy coatings . It's all about concrete prep , moisture , and the application of the coat. Get trained by the manufacturer and get their support . Become a certified applicator of a product ?

Holy crap ! Is the tuff muddier for old fat Power Washers ?

How about all those police union charities or police charities I get bombarded with every year?

That is a great one !

Beth ,you going to this round table ?

I have a top ter health insurance policy . Received a notice last week they were discontinuing my current policy and a new type policy will be 300 more a month . We have to go see a specialist to navigate the process. Insurance companies seem to be screwing the people who had insurance also. I am o'bummed out!

Was washing a roof in an upscale town the other day when the water authority showed and was ready to shut me down. I was doing a roof and pre wet the driveway and it was running into a culdesac but not reaching the storm drain. Some one called. Well you could smell bleach in the air but it was the water he was smelling by hand. The odd thing is all the gutters are tide into the storm drains but he the didnt say anything about that .I new more than he did concerning water control and was allowed to continue. I said, if you shut me down you better shut down the gas stations down town and site everyone in this hood for letting fertilizer reach the sound.which is choking it. There was construction going on ( new house)and all the silt from the site was entering the storm drain . No hay bales for prevention.

Has anyone been called to clean this new very expensive composite material ? I've read the cleaning instruction but the builder and lumber company are having panic attacks . This is pretty new construction from the summer and i see issues in a few years .

The mold is a surface thing in a tuff area hit by an irrigation system. I have no issues , and its other people who don't clean for a living who have objections. Its very difficult to build with something very new and have other construction going on that makes it dirty.Also, the the top handrail is mahogany coated to look like the Zuri . Its all washing off due to being too new and way over applied in spots.

John, do you remember Rat ? Patti smith is having a birthday gig bash at the Webster in NY in Dec ( tribute to dead Lou ) . Herd this yesterday .

It's a new and beautiful but it's acrylic . It's a composite with a sprayed acrylic coating on the surface. They are saying no pressure cleaning but during the construction process which much more was done besides the deck. There are finger prints all over the place from stone work, mold in places already and other goop from the construction process. The owner wants me to do the cleaning ( 20 year client) because of trust . This house went through quite a transformation. The latest in plastic siding , garages doors,new stone around the foundation , moved the hot tub to an in closed area with all the new Zuri redesigned deck. Lots of other stone work and attention to details on the house.

Just woke up ....

I HAVE BEEN DOING TESTING FOR YEARS AT THE LOWER NEW ENGLAND INSTITUTE OF PRESSUREVATION OR PRESERVATION. Ready Seal , Bakers, TWP, ABR have always came out above Armstrong Clark. I will give detailed information which i have in the past concerning why with each wood in the coming weeks.

I love Lou Reed and thats the reason i bought tickets to see him i think in the 70's? Absolute worst concert ever but it was fun throwing bottles at the stage . He had 100 tv's with static in the back ground and came out playing the sax's ( brutally terrible). I saw him earlier and he was great . Was at CBGB's many times ............................

Just seems a bit un ethical to me?

I don't take any money until the first day of work. If the job is over 7500 I get one thrird when it's time to order product and start job. Holding half for 5 months is pretty funny?