Beth n Rod

What did you remove, and how did you mix the product? Have a great weekend, and congrats on a success! Beth

Its this kind of thing that many dont understand is vital to our ability to provide a great result and prolong the life of wood. The lazyness factor manufacturers put into their product for the so called sake of the homeowner is short sighted to say the least. It is not low in maintenance nor is it easy to keep up if you are not knowledgable. And as Rick has stated, it only leads to other problems and it is up to us to fix it and then the customer is asking for something similar...well guess what people...it is up to us to educate the customer that if they want their wood to look good for longer periods of time, take care of it! Keep the maintenance regular and use products that are of ease to use and maintain by either pro or homeowner in the interim. Yeah, I know exactly where you are coming from and agree that the so called 5-10 year products are the worst thing anyone could apply to their exterior wooden structures. They promote lazyness and neglectful regard of the structure only to suprise them down the road with ..."oh S*#T! It gonna cost how much?" The K.I.S.S. method is better in the long run for all concerned. Rod~

We don't sell anything anymore... But you can find them either from Steve Rowlett (at one point I think he was selling them), or on Ebay. They are a GREAT tool on a HOT day. Be safe. Beth :groovy:

Ken, Some woods are not as easy to brighten as others are, thusly you don't want to darken them too much in the strip process if you can avoid it. Both Ipe and Redwood come to mind here. In these cases, we might be inclined to take the F-18 with us to use. Rod also says he would be more apt to use it on cedar, since he can use it stronger with not as much furring. This also depends on the age and condition of the wood, as well as what we are doing. Either Rod or I visually inspect all jobs at estimate time, so we have a pretty good handle on what needs to be used on what job. We make notes when we visit the home, so when we get the job, we know what we need to have with us. Hope this helps. Beth

Hi Mark, We hope you enjoy the forums and find them helpful. Click the FAQ button up top. There is some info there organized for easy lookup. (work in progress when we have time) What kind of washing do you do? You will find folks here to be helpful. There is quite a bit of knowledge up here, from lots of folks. Also there are some great suppliers who visit here and help with technical questions. Have a great day, and we look forward to seeing you online. Beth :cup: :sunshine:

Jamie, you have been using SRD right? That's a long oil alkyd. You can use that. Sikkens has a grey tone as well, is that what they mean by rustic? Show them the swatches. A clear would not be good for the wood by itself, no UV protection. Beth

Looks great!!! :dancing: Beth

:lgbow: Breathtaking.:lgbow: Beth

You can get Bob's brightener. (where you bought your F-18 will have it) He makes one. It should be less expensive than buying it in a store. Beth

Yes, they just took the cover off and have not cleaned it for the season yet. Gross isn't it? Beth

more shots....

Anthony Catucci 1-732-255-7577 He's looking for someone in his area with Ipe expereince to clean and seal the deck. Deck is two years old, has Penofin on it. Enjoy! Beth

That's all I got from him before he had to jump off the phone. Beth

You don't see many 50 year old pro atheletes either. Physical labor is hard on the body. Beth

You could say the same thing with any cleaner. If you don't mix it right and get all the mildew, this is the case with any cleaner. But if done correctly, it's not an issue at all, and is gentler on the wood's lignin. A percarbonate will do the job just as well used properly. Beth

Blasting? As in high pressure for results? Or do you mean cob? Can you elaborate? You are not advocating washing with sheer pressure are you? As for the x-jet, great tool, we use them all the time. However, we do not downstream any sodium hydroxide based strippers. Again, liability. Beth

The use of a booster is for stripping acrylics, and paints...Hd-80 will remove any sealer out there on the market at 8 oz/gal (which is rarely needed as Tony mentioned.) There is no real margin of benefit over time saved as to product used if you have to use 4 times as much of one product to do the same job as another. The key is to know which tool is best for which job. That, comes with experience in use. Again, I am glad to hear you are happy with a product that works for you and care to share your enthusiasm here. They Both are great products and neither one should be admonished over the other. The decisions are now up to those who would care to try either or both. We use both where they work best according to their design. Rod~

This is a noteworthy article. It applies to sealers and stains, not just paints. Page one and two are in different files....sorry about that... Beth :cup: voc1.pdf voc2.pdf

Henry, I move this to the Job Leads forum. Please feel free to post job info in the thread too if you like, like what kind of job it is, and contact info if you have permission for that. Beth

This worksheet is a great tool. Be safe, and know what you are working with. Beth

Folks... download the Chemical Reactivity Worksheet. http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/chemaids/react.html Be safe... Beth

Rod and I spoke face to face with a guy the other day, he had no knowledge of chems, was new, and had been using sheer pressure to wash. He had tried mixing bleach and amonia together. He expereinced gas that made him ill. He was very lucky. Please read this thread. http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194 Beth

I think the most important thing to note here is what vets are telling newbies. Responsibility in information being given is what is being emphasised and should not be taken lightly. People look to us to give them information and as the saying goes "A little information can be dangerous and more information can be helpful". If you diy'rs want to mix your own, best to you. We dont beleive it is very responsible to tell those with little to no experience to do this to save money. Even the more experienced are not qualified to be chemists (unless they have the background) and should not be encouraged by those who are not qualified to give such advise. Again, Responsibility in information and accountability for safety should always be the main theme here on TGS. Rod~

My point is, that any premade product reduces the risk you would have from mixing your own... If a newbie takes raw ingredients and mixes them together, and then just to "try" it thrown in one more thing that creates a volatile situation, all in the name of saving money... perhaps you can avoid that if it is premade and work well. Also, how many of you would have insurance problems if your insurance companies knew you were mixing your own???? Jon does yours know? (liability ins.) How would your underwriter feel if they knew you mixed raw chemicals? How would the client feel if you were mixing raws on their property, rather than using a brand name? Most people don't like the word "chemical" to begin with. Try adding the word "mixing" in front of it and watch the sheer shock on their faces. Do you tell them you will be mixing raw chems on their property? Now add to that, how many one man shows are uninsured for health? How many guys can't afford health insurance? And if they mix their own and have to be hospitalized for inhaling a toxic vapor? Who pays that? It's their dime. I guess I am very cautious... Maybe I think too much. :seeya: We encourage newbies to try: http://www.esproducts.net or distributor http://www.sunbritesupply.com http://www.pressuretek.com or distributor http://www.acrproducts.com http://www.deckguide.com/ Beth :groovy2:

Alfred Wright 7704 White Sands Way Beltsville, MD 20705 301-210-9922 Deck needs to be done.