Beth n Rod

Cedar needs a pre-conditioner once sanding has been done in order to ensure even penetration and results. Only problem is that you never quite know how deep the problems go into the substrate and even when it looks good on top, once you apply the product the problems show up. Rod!~

Best of luck! Beth :cup:

Thanks! :) Beth

Ryan, look at a high end furniture finish, or interior product. Your exterior products won't give you the finish you are looking for. Beth

All I am going to say is that at one time the ^ above link ^ used to have one person who had a page and a photo of themselves as "Ask the Expert". Seems to be gone now. ...there is also one contractor company listed on this site... Beth

http://www.the-power-washer-advisor.com/ <---- related to this site.... Beth

Looks like a vendor site to me. Just a hunch... Beth

Very interesting. Looks like whoever owns it...and you'll be hard pressed to find "who".... is preregistering people. I registered. My email address was already in use....Odd...so I checked the member list only to find we were already in there. If I start to see things I didn't post...I'll be a tad upset. You might want to see if YOU have been preadded to this mystery site...looks like a vendor is building it to me....hmmmm.... Beth p.s. not adding our equipment info. That's more info than needs to be public!

Cool! That was fun! Beth

This one is pretty straight forward folks...would you be likely to attend a TGS Round table event? It would be on a weekend. We would have speakers. We would have vendors. Cost would be nominal, and expenses are your own. Please vote! We are planning this event to happen, but we need your feedback! Beth

For ours? No not yet. Beth

Welcome Steve! Beth

Gene Austin Philadelphia Inquirer March 3, 2001 If your siding, car, fence or any other surfaces around your house have broken out with a rash of black or dark-brown specks that do not want to come off, you are probably at war with something called artillery fungus. It has become increasingly common in recent years, according to experts who have been seeking ways to control and eradicate it. Artillery fungus, also called shotgun fungus or Sphaerobolus stellatus, usually originates in wood-chip mulch that is used around shrubs, flowers and other plants. Wet, rotting mulch breeds small mushrooms that shoot off spores for distances of up to 20 feet. The spores, which are sometimes mistaken for insect waste or bits of tar, cling tenaciously to surfaces such as house siding. "It's just like Super Glue," said Don Davis, professor of plant pathology at Pennsylvania State University's College of Agricultural Sciences. Davis and Larry Kuhns, professor of horticulture, have been leading a five-year study of the fungus, and they expect the study to continue for several more years. Davis said he gets 20 to 30calls a week during the fungus' most active seasons - generally spring and fall when temperatures range between 50 and 68 degrees. Callers are steered to Davis and Kuhns through the college's Internet site: www.cas.psu.edu/docs/casdept/plant/ ext/mulchfun.html. Davis said the rapid spread of the fungus and the growing number of fungus-damaged homes appear to be linked to the growing use of mulches made from recycled hardwood scraps and tree stumps. Homeowners can take a key step to control artillery fungus by cleaning up wood-chip mulch around the house and disposing of it before the shooting starts again in April or May. Here are some additional tips: • Control. Bark mulch appears to be more resistant to the fungus than wood-chip mulch. Davis said pine-bark chunks seem to be the most resistant, and cedar, redwood and cypress mulch also appear to be resistant. "Even these mulches should be replaced every few years," he said. • Davis said stone mulch (usually small, decorative stones) "is the ultimate answer" to artillery fungus. Black plastic, held in place by stones or boards, is also safe, and some homeowners are getting good results with leaf mulch. Kuhns said fungicides do not work well because "it's hard to determine when the mulch becomes infested, making the timing of the application . . . difficult." • Insurance. If your house is damaged by artillery fungus, check with the agent handling your homeowners insurance. Most policies do not cover damage from fungus or mildew, but some do. • Power-washing. Once the fungus becomes attached to a surface, even power-washing is not effective unless it is done within a few weeks of a fungal outbreak. • One power-washing expert said he was able to remove the fungus using 200-degree water, with water pressure of 3,000 pounds per square inch, but this combination of hot water and high pressure can damage some types of siding. • Scraping. Artillery fungus can be removed from windows by scraping with a razor blade. Scraping also can remove some of the black specks from smooth siding, but several homeowners who tried this reported that a brown residue remains and can't be removed. Scraping can gouge vinyl and painted siding. Gene Austin welcomes readers' questions and comments, but he cannot give personal replies. Address correspondence to Gene Austin, the Philadelphia Inquirer, P.O. Box 8263, Philadelphia, PA 19101.

It can be a problem if left on too long at high concentrations. It will cause the siding to turn dull. Rod!~

If you consider subtraction counting. No superstition there Ken, just a fact of business. Phone quotes are for retail items not services in my book. Back to the superstitiousness... I have heard of people carrying lucky objects and such other items to ward off evil spirits too. Rod!~

Hank, browse around the forums here. There is tons on the topic. Planning for spring should begin now. Get all of your advertisers lined up. Get your literature designed and ready. Make sure you have some basic supplies on hand and all equipment is in good repair. Use the time to also study if you need to enhance your education. Call me if you like....markeing is my favorite thing! Beth :cup: time for coffee :cup:

For a basic understanding of a percarbonate you should be aware that you are using an 'oxidizer'. A compound that when mixed with water releases oxygen. Many of the chemicals used in wood restoration when mixed together form strong oxidizing agents and can also change the pigments inherent in the substrates of different species of wood either temporarily or permanently remove the color ions. As Ken mentioned mixing only when they are needed is a Best Management Practice in safety. I have used a percarbonate in a pump up sprayer before and enjoy the added benefit of less pumping in the process because of the additional pressurization provided by the chemical. If you have more mixture than you need for the job, depressurize your sprayers and allow the contents to exhaust themselves, or if they have a pressure relief valve, lock it open while in transit to vent it and prevent a build up of pressure. I try to only mix what I need to avoid having an open container while on the road. While I may drive safely, there are too many idiots driving on the roads today that I can't always account for. Rod!~

Yep....I'm sure we will do a winter event. Rod's leg did have a large part in the decision. He's got a clean bill of health now, but it was a rough end of summer and early fall... We'll be at Tom's as well. Should be fun! Beth

Nice job Carlos! Beth

Prewet the area before applying the F-10. Prewet the area before applying the Oxalic. Rinse thoroughly. If you keep the area wet and diluted and you're fine. You should not have problems. Beth p.s. always better to neutralize your chems....

Welcome Shaun! There are quite a few vendors here who can help you. Click the FAQ button...they should be listed in there... or click here: http://forums.thegrimescene.com/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item800 Please tell them you found them on The Grime Scene. Again, welcome! Beth :cup: :sunshine:

Bringing this back up...hope it helps someone plan one of their own. Beth

Avg is 150 sqft./hr per man on crew to wash, 125 sqft/hr per man to seal. Rod!~

Try oxalic acid on those red clay stains.... Enjoy the site. There are probably new features since your last visit... Beth :cup: :sunshine:

Well, since we have not gotten it planned for a variety of reasons....you have plenty of time to plan to be there! ;) It won't be this fall. But maybe this winter we'll sneak one in. We'll see. Beth