mrmichaeljmoore

Looking for advice on how to clean my home and shed. My house is a ranch, horizontal cedar clapboard, stained with Benjamin Moore stain. The house was stained approximately 5 years ago. It is not terribly dirty....but I just wanted to wash it down to "freshen" it up a bit and clean off any dirt and dust that has accumulated. It is particulary dirty around the white vinyl framing of my windows and on the white gutters. I may have to actually scrub the face of the gutters with something to get rid of the dark stripes that have accumulated a bit... I also have a small shed that I need to clean as well. It is vinyl siding & vinyl doors and has some signs of mold/mildew in some spots. So, does anyone have any suggestions on what sort of solution to use to accomplish this goal of cleaning the house and shed? Bleach, water and Dawn solution? Or, is there some sort of porduct I can buy at a local hardware store that would be better? I have a small electric Karcher power washer. I know it is not really ideal, but I am not really doing a heavy cleaning.....I'd call it a wash and rinse..... I figure it would be better than just using the hose. Thanks for the help. mm

Need some help finding a different stain for my IPE deck. I've used Penofin since I put in the deck. I've posted pictures here a number of times....I'm well aware of the annual maintenance requirements required by IPE and Penofin. Thank goodness my deck isn't that big..... I like 2 things about Penofin: The Penofin makes the IPE deck look great and no issues with lap marks when applying the stain. But, the one thing I don't like about Penofin is that I have to wipe down any excess stain after 20 minutes to avoid the tackiness. So, I'm looking for a stain that does not require wiping off excess or has any issues with lap marks. I was gonna go with Ready Seal........but I can't get that locally unfortunately. Any suggestions? Thanks. mm

Homewoner here with a question about preventing the black streaks on gutters (apparently called "Tiger Stripes").... I celaned my house and gutters this weekend. Everything looks nice and clean and new, including the gutters. I did a quick google search this morning and found two products designed to prevent the Tiger Stripes. Has anyone seen either of these two porducts? https://gutteredge.com/index.php Snaps into place, no screws needed. StainGuarder®TM - "Because stripes belong on tigers...not on gutters." Requires a screw through the top lip of the gutter Anyone have any experience with these? Or have a better idea to prevent the stripes? thanks. mm

UPDATE.... Thanks Rick for the advice. Washed the shed and house this weekednd. Used the Bleach/water solution. I had a little Jomax leftover, so I used that too until I ran out of it. Everything worked well. Mold is gone. Cedar siding and aluminum window trim are clean and look good as new. Used the Spray 9 on the gutters. That worked great too. Gutters look awesome.... Had some brown streaking coming out from the cedar seams as it was drying. I assume that is the nature of the beast when it comes to cedar. I went back with a wet rag after it dried and wiped off the streaks. Thanks again for the help, Rick. mm

I cleaned my house and shed this weekend....including the gutters. Gutters were covered in black streaks....now they are nice and white and clean. So, I did a little googling this morning looking for a product to prevent the black ("tiger stripes" is apparently what they are called) streaks on the face of the gutters. I found two products: https://gutteredge.com/index.php The one thing that's nice about this one is that there are no screws for installation....it apparently just snaps on. StainGuarder®TM - "Because stripes belong on tigers...not on gutters." This one requires a few screws through the top lip of the gutter... Has anyone seen these prodcuts? Or is there something better to prevent the tiger stripes? Thanks. mm

UPDATE... Just wanted to say thank you, Rick.... I celaned my shed and house this weekend. Both came out great. Good as new. Used the bleach and water solution. I had some leftover Jomax liquid, so I used that too, until I ran out of it. Worked real well. Got rid of all of the mold on the stained cedar and on the windows (including the aluminum trim). The Spray 9 worked great on the gutters. Gutters look as good as they did they went on..... I may try one of these products to help prevent the tiger striping: https://gutteredge.com/gutter-photos.php StainGuarder®TM - "Because stripes belong on tigers...not on gutters." One issue I had: As the cedar siding was drying, I got some brown/rust colored streaking. It was primarily leaching out at seams, but I did have it in random spots. I waited until it dried, then I just wiped it off with a damp rag. I assume that is just the nature of cedar wood to leach some as it dries. Thanks again for the help. mm

Rick - Thanks for the response. A few follow-up questions.... 1. So, just use a 50/50 mix of bleach and water, spray it on the house, let dwell, then rinse carefully with my pressure washer? 2. Any tips/advice on dwell time? My house faces due West, so I am concerned about the bleach/water solution drying out on the stained cedar, window glass, vinyl and aluminum window trim. As long as I keep it wet, I should be ok with the bleach/water solution on those materials, right? 3. No need for soap, aka Dawn/dishwashing soap, in the mixture? 4. What's the best course to make sure my landscaping goes unharmed? Keep constantly rinsing and watering them as I go along? I may pick up a soft long-handled brush to help clean and scrub (especially the gutters).....I assume that would be ok? Also, thanks for the tip on the Spray 9.....I will pick some up for the gutters. Thanks for the help. mm

Here is the original thread: http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/diyers-ask-pros/16898-homeowner-attempt-clean-neutralize-before-staining-pics.html Attached are current pictures. Deck was stained on June 7, 2009. Pictures were taken on August 9, 2009. Only 2 months!!!! Location: Fairfield County, CT. (Very wet summer....lots and lots of rain...not sure how that affected the stain.) As you can see, the stain (Penofin for Hardwoods) seems to be fading away. -- The first picture is the finished deck from June 7. -- The next two pictures give an overall view of the deck. -- The last two pictures are areas (under the railing) where I was unable to scrub the deck with the DEFY cleaner or hit with the ROS. As you can see the stain is much darker there. The previous coatings (2 total) of Penofin didn't get stripped. Kinda gives you an idea of what the deck would look like if I didn't clean, brighten and sand. So........there is a 2 month update. What do you pros think? Did the stain last as long as it should? Any other thoughts? My plan (hopefully if I get a free weekend with good weather) is to, before winter, clean the deck with a bleach/Dawn soap solution, let dry then apply another coat of Penofin for Hardwoods. mm

IPE is a Brazilian hardwood. UPE is Jame's "nickname" for IPE.....short for "You-Pay" PT is pressure treated.

Rick -- I hear you on what the label says......I don't want to split hairs with you....because I truly respect your opinion/expertise, but I would argue that the stain never made it to the 3-6 month period for the repeat application. It degraded significantly by the second month. That was my dissatisfaction... mike

I am a bit confused by your comment, Jim. The Penofin began to fail after about 2 months, even after I had peformed proper preparation and application. I would expect any IPE stain/oil/sealer to last longer than 2 months. I have no issue with annual maintenance. I knew that when I installed the IPE.

I know, I know..........I guess I was being a bit overly optimistic.

I saw this product mentioned on another Decking message board. Ipe Oil - Deck Oil It is from the makers of the IPE Clip..... Do any of the pros have any experience with it? Is it new? Is it a re-labeled version of another stain? just curious......still trying to find that magical IPE stain that lasts forever....and ever...and ever.....HA! mm

Update on my IPE deck....... I emailed Penofin a few months back regarding my displeasure with the performance of the Penofin for Hardwoods stain. In response, they sent me a container of Penofin Pro cleaner (sodium percarbonate powder), Penofin Pro brightener (oxalic acid) and a can of Penofin for Hardwoods stain. They told me to follow the instructions on the labels of the containers.....thanks for the help, Penofin. But based on a recent thread in the Pros section regarding ipe stain longevity being tied to weathering, I think I will give that a try this year. Also, my weekends are pretty much booked...so even if I wanted to stain the deck, I don't think I would be able to.... So, last weekend, I cleaned the deck with the Penofin sodium percarbonate cleaner. The deck is not completely void of Penofin stain....you can still see some dark spots there, which I assume is old stain. (If I get a chance, I will post a picture). I am gonna let it weather until Spring 2011, then clean, brighten (maybe sand) then stain. So, that will give it 2 years since last Penofin stain application in June 2009. Not sure which stain I will use....I'll follow the pro board this season and see how the trends go. One quick question though..... Assuming the stain lasts longer, how will maintenance be? For instance, if I stain the deck in Spring 2011, and let's say the stain lasts 2 seasons until Spring 2013, will I have to let the deck weather for another year or so to gain the same longevity? So, will the cycle be: let deck weather for a year or so, prep and stain deck, enjoy deck until stain fails, let it weather for a year or more, then prep and stain, etc.... thanks. And if you all are still interested, I will keep you posted. mm

Attached are current pictures of the deck.

Well, spring is back....and time to deal with my deck again. At the end of last year, I had the Penofin stain failure. Rick -- Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity at the end of last year to do what you suggested in your last post. Consequently, the deck has weathered (with Penofin still on it) over the winter and early spring. I will post pics of the current state of the deck soon. I do not think I am going to use Penofin this year. The one advantage to Penofin was that it was easy to apply. And never had any fear of lap marks. Just had to wipe the deck after 20 minutes of drying. Too bad it didnt last too long. My questions are: Based on Rick's Ipe stain shoot out, I think I may use the Defy for Hardwoods. I can get it locally, too. But, how easy is it to apply? I am leery of lap marks..... Also, which color do you suggest? Natural Pine, Cedar Tone or Light Walnut? Finally, maintenance staining is merely, cleaning and brightening, then reapply stain, right? Now, as far as getting the deck ready for staining...... I have Restore-a-Deck. Can I use that to prep the deck? Or should I just sand it down to fresh wood without using any chemicals? I usually end up sanding it anyway....so sanding is not a big deal. As always, thanks for the help. Like I said, I will post pictures as soon as possible. mike

Thanks for the updated pics on the stain shoot-out............very interesting. I think I will give the Defy a try next year. Reading the label on the Defy, maintenance doesn't seem to bad. Clean with mild detergent and water, then brighten to minimize darkeneing, then restain. Doens't seem too bad. Unfortuantely, though, to remove the old Penofin, I guess I will have to strip, brighten and sand AGAIN next year.....ugh. mm

Rick -- I remember reading somewhere that you are not a big fan of Defy because it is a water-based stain? Just curious, why not? What are the drawbacks to a water-based stain? thanks. mm

Yup...that is what I am gonna do. Clean and reapply. Now I just need a free weekend to do it. Probably wont get to it until after Labor Day. All my weekends are booked (by the boss.....er, ahem....wife). I was asking Beth about Defy for next year. I will probably try it. I can get it locally, which is convenient. Hopefully it will perform better than the Penofin. Just for sh*ts and giggles, I am gonna email Penofin the pictures and tell them that I am disappointed with the performance of their product.....just to see what they say. I'll post their repsonse on the board, when I get it.

Beth -- I can get DEFY for Hardwoods locally. I may consider trying that. Can't get Ready Seal or Armstrong Clark. What is the application process for DEFY? What sort of "life expectancy" should I expect? What about maintenance coats? Clean and reapply or will I have to clean/strip/neutralize/sand? Any drawbacks/negatives to DEFY? Thanks. mm

Based on what I've read (and have been told) in other threads, I attempted to clean and neutralize my deck in preparation for staining. Deck: IPE Age: 2 years old Current stain: Penofin for Hardwoods First year: Sanded then stained, right after construction was complete Second Year: Used Penofin first step prep for Hardwoods, then stained So, this year I bought DEFY brand Cleaner and Brightener. Used the cleaner. The powder is extremely difficult to dissolve. I tried to use my garden sprayer, but it kept getting clogged. I improvised....I put the solution in a bucket...then used my broom to apply it to the boards. I let the cleaner dwell on the boards for at least 15-20+ minutes. I used a coarse push broom to agitate the cleaner on the decking boards. I rinsed the cleaner (garden hose, no pressure washer). As I was rinsing it, I could see splotches/streaks of gray (old stain??). In fact, I even saw a sneaker print on one of the boards (pic attached). I decided to do another round of cleaning. Used hot water instead of warm water to try to get the powder to dissolve. Powder still didn't dissolve good....but this time I went at it a little harder withe the push broom. I could see the gray coming out of the wood. Got the sneaker print out of the wood... I could still see some gray in the wood, but that was the best I was gonna get it. I rinsed again. I made a solution of the DEFY Brightener (oxalic acid). Applied the acid with my garden sprayer, let it dwell for about 10 minutes or so, then rinsed real good. Finished around 4pm. My questions: 1. How in the world do you get the Cleaner to dissolve so it will go through a garden sprayer? 2. I thought the cleaner would restore the wood to the nice mahogany look that they had when I got the wood from the lumber yard? How do you get the wood to the mahogany color "naturally" without stain? 3. How does my work look? Any obvious mistakes by looking at the pictures? 4. I was hoping to stain tomorrow (that would give the deck 24 hours to dry). Is that long enough or should I let the deck dry longer? 5. If I let the deck dry longer, how long can I go before I would need to clean and brighten again? 6. I ran my hand across the deck boards. The wood seems smooth...no furries. Should I run my Random Orbital Palm Sander across the boards before staining? Would sanding help the stain absorb? help the stain last longer? Thanks for the help. mm Photos: Photo 1: Post Brightening.... Photo 2: Before Photo 3: the sneaker print (after the 1st cleaning) Photo 4: After the 1st cleaning Photo 5: After the 2nd cleaning

Penofin seems to scratch pretty easily. I was putting my deck furniture back on the deck the other day.....put some scratches onto the deck surface. Even though it was a lot of work to get the deck finished, I am not overly concerned with them....after all, it is an outside deck, scratches are gonna happen......I may take a rag dipped in Penofin to "buff" them out... But my question is in regards to other stains and their scratch resistance. Do other stains scratch pretty easily on IPE? Or are there others that are pretty durable and scratch resistant? If I get a chance, I'll post a picture of the scratches. mm

Thanks for the compliments! mm

No no no no no noooooooooooooo.......not looking to give up the day job....very very happy where I am at. I was wondering how much if I paid somebody to do it....

Ahhhh yes....the most important question..... well, it broke down like this: Saturday: Run to store to get chemicals and stain. About 1 hour. Both cleanings/rinsing took about 1.5 hours total Brightening/rinsing. About 30 minutes total Sunday: Sand Deck and blow off...About 3 hours. Stain Deck and Wipe down....About 1-1.5 hours So the grand total was about 7-8 hours total or so.... Having done it now, I think I could get it done a little quicker. So....all in all....not too bad on time, I think. I am hoping for a couple years or so, I don't have to do a full clean/brighten and sand.....I am hoping I can get away with a Dawn/Bleach solution and a maintenance coat for a few years. we'll see.................. Out of curiosity, and I apologize in advance if this question is unfair/unethical, how much would a job like this cost if one you pros did it???? thanks again for everyone's advice. great website here.... mm