Beth n Rod

Hurricane Wilma Advisory Number 34 Statement as of 4:00 PM CDT on October 23, 2005 ...Wilma a little stronger and accelerating northeastward toward Florida... ...Tropical storm-force winds impacting western Cuba and approaching the lower Florida Keys... At 4 PM CDT the government of Mexico has discontinued all warnings for the Yucatan Peninsula. At 4 PM CDT the center of Hurricane Wilma was located near latitude 23.5 north... longitude 84.9 west or about 210 miles west-southwest of Key West Florida and about 295 miles southwest of the southwestern coast of the Florida Peninsula. Wilma is moving toward the northeast near 14 mph. A continued northeastward motion and a gradual increase in forward speed are expected tonight and Monday. On this track...the center of Wilma is forecast to be near the southwestern coast of the Florida Peninsula early Monday morning. However...Wilma is a large system and tropical storm force winds will reach the Florida Keys and Florida Peninsula tonight...well in advance of the center. Data from Air Force and NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased and now are near 105 mph with higher gusts. Wilma is a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Some strengthening is possible tonight and early Monday...and Wilma could be near category three strength as it nears the southwestern Florida coast. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 miles from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 230 miles. An Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft just reported a minimum central pressure of 959 mb...28.32 inches. Storm surge flooding of 9 to 17 ft above normal tide levels is possible along the southwest Florida coast near and to the south of where the center of Wilma makes landfall. Storm surge flooding of 5 to 8 ft above normal is possible in the Florida Keys and Florida Bay...as well as in Lake Okeechobee. Storm surge flooding of 2 to 4 feet is possible along the extreme southeastern coast of Florida. Additional rainfall accumulations across southern Florida... including the Keys... through Tuesday is expected to be 4 to 8 inches... with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches possible. Large swells generated by Wilma will continue to affect portions of the northeastern Gulf Coast from the Florida Keys northward tonight and early Monday. Isolated tornadoes are possible over the central and southern Florida Peninsula and the Florida Keys tonight and Monday. An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 7 PM CDT followed by the next complete advisory at 10 PM CDT. Forecaster Knabb

I find that the approach Everett has mentioned in maintenance is actually better and less invasive. Every once in a while one may come upon a home that has just been neglected and requires more than just a splash and dash. Angles of attack are important when working on siding and taking the easy route does not mean one can always get the best results nor does it mean that you will get the job again in the future. These weep holes are not designed to handle the amounts of water that can be introduced behind the siding under high pressure and that is a factor you need to consider before working on any house. The water will actually cascade behind the siding and then have the potential to 'wick up' behind the tyvek or other insulation into the substructure boarding which is plywood. What happens when plywood absorbs moisture? What conditions do mold and mildew like to live in? Everett if you don't mind me coining your terminology...It is vandalism to consciously create this type of condition on someones home. Plus the fact that one could actually void a manufacturers warranty by doing the job incorrectly as I have been informed by the mfrs. I have spoken with in my research. Surface agitation is often the most effective method in my opinion. Agreed, some homes do not afford access in order to clean properly and the money called for in a bid is not usually acceptable to most homeowners. But education of the methods that work the best and which are looked at as acceptable by mfrs of siding is food for thought for any discerning homeowner who cares about the longterm effects and care of their siding investment. Rod~

http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195&highlight=artillery+fungus This is a must read. Beth

This is devastating stuff. The folks in Mexico are in for what New Orleans went through, or worse. I saw reports yesterday of water going through walls of home, flying refrigerators, major hotels with structural damage, hospitals are down, windows blown out. They have had over 5 feet of rain, and that was as of yesterday. Waves over 33 feet tall. Gas tank ripped off the foundation and sent into a home where it exploded and burned 7 people, including kids. No houses have roofs.... Don't expect much to be left. Beth

Tropical Storm Alpha Intermediate Advisory Number 4a Statement as of 8:00 am EDT on October 23, 2005 ...Alpha made landfall near the town of Barahona in the Dominican Republic... Tropical Storm Warning: the entire coastlines of the Dominican Republic and Haiti; the Turks and Caicos and for the southeastern Bahamas. LANDFALL: Satellite images and surface observations indicate that the center of Alfa made landfall near the town of Barahona in the Dominican Republic. At 8 am EDT the center of the tropical storm was located near latitude 18.4 north... longitude 71.4 west or about 25 miles west-northwst of the city of Barahona in the Dominican Republic. MOTION: toward the northwest near 14 mph. A turn to the north-northwest is expected over the next 24 hours. WINDS: near 50 mph with higher gusts. Alpha is expected to weaken rapidly and could dissipate over the mountainous terrain of Hispaniola. SIZE: Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center. PRESSURE: 1000 mb RAINFALL: The storm is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 4 to 8 inches over much of Hispaniola...with possible isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches over mountainous terrain. These rains could produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides. The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 11 am EDT.

Hurricane Wilma Intermediate Advisory Number 32a Statement as of 7:00 am CDT on October 23, 2005 ...Wilma moving a little faster northeastward but not yet strengthening... ...New warnings for the northwestern Bahamas... At 8 am EDT the government of the Bahamas has issued a Hurricane Warning for the northwestern Bahamas...including the Abacos...Andros Island...Berry Islands...Bimini...Eleuthera...Grand Bahama Island...and New Providence. At 7 am CDT the center of Hurricane Wilma was located near latitude 22.4 north... longitude 86.1 west or about 90 miles north-northeast of Cancun Mexico and about 315 miles west-southwest of Key West Florida. Wilma is moving toward the northeast near 8 mph and an increase in forward speed is expected during the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph with higher gusts - a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 70 miles rom the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 200 miles. An Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft recently measured a minimum central pressure of 961 mb. Storm surge flooding of 8 to 13 ft above normal tide levels is possible along the southwest Florida coast near and to the south of where the center of Wilma makes landfall. Storm surge flooding of 5 to 8 ft above normal is possible in the Florida Keys and Florida Bay...as well as in Lake Okeechobee. Wilma is expected to produce additional rainfall accumulations of 10 to 15 inches through Sunday across portions of western Cuba and the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula... with isolated maximum storm total amounts approaching 50 inches. Rainfall across southern Florida including the Keys through Tuesday is expected to be 4 to 8 inches... with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches possible. Isolated tornadoes are possible over the southern Florida Peninsula and the Florida Keys today. Repeating the 7 am CDT position...22.4 N... 86.1 W. Movement toward...northeast near 8 mph. Maximum sustained winds...100 mph. Minimum central pressure... 961 mb. The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 10 am CDT. Forecaster Knabb

This is an old law suit as I recall.... Beth

Hmmmm. I'll look into the limit. The Gallery might be a good option, with a link to photos posted there. Beth

Mike, Are you out of room??? Let me know. If you optimize the images and lower the DPI it really helps.... Don't want anyone to run out of space or have to remove photos. Also you can use the Gallery. It's a different DB, and I think as I recall it is unlimited space on that DB per user. Beth

I think it is great that others are posting their work here. It is a great example of the results that can be obtained by learning to do it right. I am not crediting TGS alone for this but I think it has played a part and that is a positive contribution. Great job. Rod~

This deck is still young, only a few years old. The problem is, the homeowner hired a contractor to care for it, and had them put Behr on the deck. After the deck turned black and splotchy, both a prior contractor and the owner tried to blast the deck with high pressure to remove the Behr. Needless to say, this deck is severely gouged, lots of raised grain as well as splintering and cracking that looks more advanced than it should. We are stipping this deck, then we will be sanding the deck to bring the boards back to smooth in order to correct the damage done with high pressure. Then we will be sealing it. Beth

The thing to remember here, is that a penetrating oil, never penetrates the same on any two boards. Every board is a little different. Some boards are thirstier than others, and some areas of boards are thirstier than others. Getting an even application means you might need to fine tune it after your initial application as you observe the penetration. ATO was formulated for hardwood. Being that cedar is softer, it is a better penetrator on cedar than on say ipe or teak. If something looks uneven, chances are your boards are thirsty in places. Ok...off the soap box. Beth

It depends on the general liability insurance coverage you have to cover the job as well. We put a cap figure into ours to cover the possibility of repair or replacement but not the entire structure. It is a good faith limitation statement of what you are willing to cover if your business creates damage. This does not preclude the client from taking it to litigation. We also specify that we reserve the right to select and hire a contractor to conduct any repair/replacement that we are not capable of doing ourselves. Rod~

We have a friend who just won an xbox from Mountain Dew in that promo. Beth

Sorry to continue this thread this far but I have found the latest developments interesting and perhaps beneficial for others who develop a scenario such as ours. The client called again in the afternoon to check and see if we had been out to give it another coat. He was in traffic on his way home. Very pleasant and more full of questions and understanding after the previous nights conversation on the phone where I was trying to be helpful and reassuring that we were not just going to take his money and split. He apologized for his actions on the call and wanted to continue the relationship realizing that I was right in the fact that his deck was in terrible shape and what we had accomplished was great so far. It was just a disappointment to find it needed even more attention and the realization that it may as I had explained need another wash and re-coat again in the spring to help his deck get the best treatment possible. He is going to have this done btw... This is a complete 180* and he has even confided that his fence is the next project in a year or so but he knows that one will be an expensive project. The point I am trying to make is even though you may get off the phone with a customer who is pissed or unhappy at the time, if you have made the efforts to try and be helpful and considerate with them, they eventually will stop and realize they were the ones panicking and the reassurance of your willingness to help within the boundaries of the current contract will help them feel more secure. They could be reacting this way because of a previous experience. This is one of the things that helps to set ourselves apart from the rest and changes the perceptions these customers have so they may consider our trade an actual profession. I don't care for the take the money and run mindset because it translates into 1 shot jobs and no return business. The attitude we employ in our conversations emphasizes this. Do you look for repeat business or do you want to just get the job done, paid and never see this person again? Attitude is everything in this business and that is what will help change your customers perceptions. Rod~

Michael, Looks great! Beth

Update: Rod went back yesterday, added a little more product, and then spoke to the customer yesterday evening. The guy seems to have changed his mind and is talking about us doing the fence now.... Beth

The knots tend to absorb quickly leaving that shiny look behind which can only be remedied by over application to them. Even after being sanded this condition of dryness still is present below. We completed the touch up and it looked just as good as the first time. Problem is, I knew this was going to happen and informed the customer beforehand that since their deck had been allowed to be exposed for such a long time (not to mention the pulverizing it was given with a pressure washer before we even estimated it) and the fact that it has dried out extensively it would be needing another wash and re-coat in the spring due to the neglect. This is one of the ones that thinks that the sanding will remedy all the ills and no more problems. (a little knowledge...) I told him that sanding only removes the visual defects on the wood surface but does not reverse the condition of the wood that exists below in the substrate. But he was hell bent on ignorance of the preexisting conditions insisting on another coat despite the fact that I told him it could leave shiny spots in many areas of the deck. Another case of the "I don't care what you tell me is wrong, I want it to look perfect no matter what, now get busy and wave your magic wand and impress me!" stuff. Oh well, on to the next happy customer. You just cant please them all especially the ignorant unreasonable ones who don't care how much effort you put into making their disaster look 1000% better than before you got there. They want the Porsche after only paying for the Civic with the spoiler on the trunk! Rod~

Rod went back today an applied a bit more product. Will it make him happy? Hope so. The deck rocks. Beth p.s. defelted spindles, drum sander on the floor, palm on the rail caps...

Don't get to wrapped up in the "trying to get the baby on a schedule" thing. Babies grow and develop at their own rate. They sleep and eat when they need to. Be ready to lose lots of sleep for a while. It evens out as they get older and their stomachs mature and digest differently. Also learn where your 24 hour pharmacy is. And which stores near you are open really late.... believe me, this does come in handy. Until you get used to parenting, you might keep a record of things...when baby eats, sleeps, etc. This way you can spot a pattern, and also if you need to tell a doctor something, you will have it. Be ready to help your wife out for a while... it takes 9 months to create a baby, not long to deliver one, and the effects on the body can be hard. She will need some rest and time to...heal. Nuff said. Make sure the house is really clean before you come home, you might find it a challenge to do after the baby arrives. And like I said, cook some things ahead...it will help. Beth

Nice work.... In the future please follow these directions for posting photos. This link will help. http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/faq.php?faq=vb_read_and_post#faq_vb_attachment_explain Adding them the way you did has an effect on the database. :( Thanks. :sunshine: Beth :cup:

Greaser, The folks here are simply trying to help you. Please understand that we all respect your desire to become self employed. Keep asking questions... Beth p.s. I would contact Carlos about that day of training if I were you...

Yep.... one full day to sand that sucker.... Customer wanted a light color to highlight the cedar. Personally we thought the deck turned out great. He loved it sanded. We applied the sealer and he says it is too light, and seems to want a build up of the finish...which is not what this is supposed to be. He's not being real pleasant. I'll leave it at that. He actually said he expected it to be perfect. To me this says he will never, ever, be happy. Beth p.s. Jaycam - We use the Cabot's problem solver primer as directed before using the Cabot's solid stains. Why ATO? Client had three options, and went with this one.

Chat module is a little buggy from the upgrade.

And here it is sealed..... Beth