Gavin

We did have tarps down but unfortunately we were working in heavy wind and the wind carried some of the stain (drips) 30 to 40 feet away. Not only did it blow the stain but it also kept taking the tarps with it. This house is on top of a very high hill by itself so the conditions were constant. Got rained out on this one a record 6 times!! Lightning, wind, rain, hail... you name it and it happened on this job. Thanks for all of your replys. I'm giving it a shot today. Gavin

Hey guys & gals. Did a cedar sided house in 45 mph wind and ended up getting a few drops of stain on some of the flagstone. Can someone recommend the best method for cleaning that up? It was Ready Seal dark brown. Thanks Gavin

I agree with big Mike. I do all horizontals (including the rail) in the transparent and all verts in white. Do the semi-solid first. 2 reasons. You can sand any you might get on the horizontals before you stain them and tape won't stick to the transparents anyway. I charge at least a 1.00 more per square for 2 tones. They take twice as long with all the prep work and taping. They also look the best! Gavin Oh, and to actually answer your question; I do the whole spindle including the backside of the top rail and the fascia (skirt) on the bottom.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend doing it yourself if you don't have any experiance with wood restoration/stripping/cleaning. You could do a lot of damage to your home if you get water under the siding and it could end up looking worse and costing more time and money to fix. Save money and hire a pro.

Isn't this a contractors web site?

I have an accountant so that's not the problem. Granted, I spend what I need to when I need to but I was just wondering if you guys take a percentage of your net for your pocket and put the rest into business savings, equipment, etc. Gavin

Hey guys, I haven't really seen this issue talked about, maybe it has but I haven't run across it recently. How do you guys handle paying yourself? In my first year I have really just been using the money I have made to pay off my start-up costs. I'm finally in the black and now I'm trying to figure out how to pay myself moving forward. I have the luxury of a wife with a very good job so I haven't had to rely on my business alone. I realize I should be taking at least 30% (net) and putting it away for taxes but I wanted to get some input before I really start making a lot of money next season. As always, thanks for your input! Gav

Actually, I believe the Cuprinol is Acryllic based. Dries really fast and soaks in really well! Hey Tony, I just noticed you are wearing a Red Wings jersey in your profile picture. Sorry about that! I'm mean that you're a Wings fan..... just busting your chops. Cheers from Avalanche country! So sad, no hockey this year.

In my case I already owned the 1500 years before I started the business so I went with what I had. I never said it was my first choice, just that I haven't had any problems with it. I too would go with a 2500 minimum if I was going to pull a trailer full time. Like I said before though, I will be buying a box truck next season and won't have to worry about pulling one.I'd like a new truck as well but it looks like the business will get one first. Maybe 2006

I just discovered rinsing with the hose off. Much better then dragging that 15' hose around. I was thinking of attatching a 30' hose and maybe using velcro straps to hold it to my pressure line so they don't get tangled. The one thing I don't like is the x-jet swivels freely off the end of the gun and I have a difficult time directing my stream sometimes. I'm thinking the velcro idea might help with keeping it stable as well......or at least semi-stable.

I used HD-80 to strip paint from a concrete porch (why it was painted.......we don't know) and it worked very well. Mix it with hot water and let it dwell at least 15 minutes. Hot water alone can do wonders on concrete. I always start there.

I've heard over and over again that the Chevy Duramax is really good. Personally I have a 98 Chevy 1500 Silverado and have had no problems pulling my trailer. And that's with altitude (I live at 6500 ft.) and mountain driving. Granted, I don't have a 225 gal tank or a double axle trailer to pull either. I believe the towing capacity is 5000 lbs. so it may not be big enough for what you are trying to do. Being in business for one year now I have only needed to haul water ONE time so, for now, my 110 gal tank works fine (and I'm still under a 1000#'s with a full tank). I will be buying a 15' deisel box truck next year and will be going to a 300 gal tank for commercial work that I'll be shooting for. I average over 500 miles a week and that will be one of the main reasons for the diesel. Can't decide if I want that Izuzu with the flat front (kind of scary) or the GMC with a little bit of a front end. Decisions, decisions...

I have had great success with Cuprinol (now called Deckscapes/Woodscapes) on my two-tones. Covers very well and looks great.

I use the x-jet to throw down my brightener. Even on a deck 2000 sq ft it only takes about 5 minutes or less.

Thanks Alan. Thanks Tony. Gotta learn sometime..... might as well be now ; )