Beth n Rod

I agree with Reed. Almost looks like it was sprayed on, but not padded or brushed behind it, and in this case it may have been necessary. Beth

My initial reaction would be to tell them the truth and pass on the job, but very often when you try to do this, they insist, which brings you back to do you do it or not... If they know up front it's alrady as clean as it can be, put it in writing and do the work if they are that insistent. But be careful...sometimes people look for an insurance scapegoat, and once you note a pre-existing condition they are no longer interested. Beth

My point wasn't about color.... Beth

:zipit: ....we'll just have to disagree on letting the wood age.... Beth :groovy3:

I would have to know what is on it before I could answer that question...

Still, why risk damage by using SH when another chem that won't harm the tar paper will do the job just as well? Sodium Hydroxide is not a good choice on roofs, period. Why? The nature of the chem is to break down petroleum based products such as tar paper, asphalt shingle, etc. How would the homeowner feel if they knew that you were applying a chem that would begin to degrade the roof making it more susceptible to leaks and so forth? Here's a question for you, how many people who use a product with SH in it, neutralize afterwards when washing a roof? What happens if you don't neut? Well, if you don't neutralize and use it on a roof, you are leaving that chem (albeit diluted) to reactivate when wet and slowly degrade the tar or asphalt. Try this... take a jar or can. Mix up your SH product of choice. Add a a pice of tar paper or asphalt shingle. Leave it in there and check every so often. What you have just created is basically a sped up version of what can happen. You may go back to the container to find your subject - gone. Beth :groovy3:

Well, part of something (in this case a deck) being well maintained is that you can see it. A deck with a semitransparent sealer is going to hold up better and offer better UV protection than a clear, therefore, it has been better maintained. Many homeowner do have some idea about this today, and are more saavy and educated, at least in our area. If we were debating a cedar or log home I don't think you would disagree that it would need to be properly maintained and protected in order to get top dollar for it. The deck is no different. We sell cleaning and sealing to those selling and also those who have just purchased a home all the time. Now in a sellers market, I would say that no the owner are less likely, but in a buyers market, yes, they are more apt to. Beth

you can take a chem injector and put qc's on it and connect it on the gun end of you extension wand, and low pressure downstream up higher if you need to, especially in windy conditions when you need to get up high and dont want the spray to get to fine. Rod~

paul uk, said it. just rinse from the top and let the water cascade down so that you dont force anymore up under the siding. Rod ~

Both have their place... For example an x-jet is great for throwing chems up and washing houses. However depending on what you are doing, you might need a th extension to get closer to the surface being cleaned, when just the chems won't do the trick. Beth

no prob, others who are more focused in their fields may have other salient points, so stay tuned. Rod~

Rod here, depends on what you are cleaning. wood=no concrete-125-180 degrees hoods-180+ vinyl siding- <110 degrees aluminum siding 125-150 brick 125-150 fleets 125-180 hot water is an emulsifier, it helps to break up what is on the surface depending on composition. It aids in rinsing and dries faster on windows and glass for a better result. just my .02 worth Rod~ :seeya:

yeah, kerosene works too! Rod~

There are alot of good players out there and the scores have gotten pretty high. In order to change things up a bit and keep the challenges going, we'll be clearing out the high scores once a month. Enjoy! Beth:wave:

Hey Travis, Rod here... I grew up where this style of roof was common and it can be a problem if you do walk on it because the tile can break under the weight of a human. Most times, the person who needs to get up on the roof will have to work from a ladder and spray from the top down because anything you get up under these tiles goes directly to the under coat which is usually tar paper. Spanish tiled roofing is difficult at best to say the least. There are support systems for working on repairing these roofs but not sure where in texas you could find them. I lived in Arizona growing up and worked on installing them. 1st, you need to do a test patch to see what is on the roof, mildew, road smog, carbon...whatever. Then use the appropriate cleaner to do the rest of the roof. Just avoid the acids. Spanish tile is molded with red clay and other components to make it hold its shape somewhat like cement. It will hold up well to most cleaning processes but not high pressure. Sodium hydroxide will cause damage to the tar paper and break it down. Use caution if you take anyone elses advice regarding this chemical! Rick G is on the right track :) Hope this helps! Rod~ :seeya:

:club: Hi everyone. Rod here, I will be hosting the wood care chat tonight at 8:00 pm e.s.t. Come on in and join us for learning, sharing and networking. The topic will be pretty much open other than the fact of it concerning wood. :corn: See ya then~ Rod :seeya:

Just thought you all might like to know there are a bunch of new games in the arcade... ENJOY! Beth & Rod

It depends greatly on several things: how many homes are for sale in his/her area how long have they been on the market what's the condition of the competition If you can get the homeowner to do the job and use a sealer with some pigment, like a gold or a cedar (NOT a clear) then the homeowner may find that they get a better price. Beth

Adding to what Paul said.... When sanding don't just "spot" sand or you will end up with uneven spots if you sand too hard. Do the entire board at least lightly. If you seal with a semitransparent, try to go away from a gold and head towards a cedar or brown tone this time. It will help hide any remaining damage if you are uncertain of your sanding skills. If you are experienced with sanding, gold should also be a good color, but you'll want an even smooth result or any remaining damage will be obvious. 1. rewash, and neutralize focusing on the stop start marks and such to even them out 2. come back to sand and defuzz/defurr, once the boards are back to the way they were prior to the first wash or better in texture, then seal. Look for a spot on the deck where he didn't mess up the wood to much and use that as your visual guide of what you are working towards if that helps. Call if you need support during this project. We are more than happy to help you out. Beth :groovy:

Tony, Not that we have seen. We have visited a large number of decks and fences in a variety of colors and all are holding up well, both vertically and horizontally. Of particular interest, is that despite a VERY wet season last year the decks and fences are not showing signs of mildew growth. The mildewcide and antifungal in WT kick boody. :cool: Beth :groovy3:

you might also want to take a look at wolman raincoat water based sealer in the driftwood color. I came across a couple of these decks and had the same result giving it just a regular wash instead of a strip and still had the gray color left. thought it might help... Rod~

Cabot makes a gray semi transparent. Try your local Cabot dealer. Beth

Rob you make an excellent point. Safety practices are hard to enforce. Many employers have policies and the employees are supposed to use gear and follow them, but don't. This is a huge problem in our industry and other related ones. You know who takes it seriously? Window washers do. I can guarantee you, that you won't see a guy skimp on the repelling gear if he is hanging 60 stories up. His harness will be secure, and the best one out there if he is that serious about the work, or his employer is a good one. Beth

But the effect would be far worse if you don't wear the gear and get exposed and drenched directly, right? If you are sticking your hands in to SH or an acid and having it rain on you unprotected, the effects will be greater faster. Why not use the gear and live a longer life? Let's just say someone downstreams SH and doesn't wear any gear, then has touble breathing, their skin is read and blotchy and burning, and then have to be hospitalized. The guy working next door wore gear and at the end of a long day felt fine and took his family out for dinner at that restaurant you mentioned. Seems to me one is in better health than the other, and might live longer. That's what I'm talking about. Safety gear is very important. I don't care how stupid it looks. I don't care if it's uncomfortable. And as for what the homeowner thinks, there is a good reason they are not doing this themselves and in my opinion they should respect that you take precautions, on both property and person. Beth :groovy2:

Philip, hope you have a speedy recovery. This may sound sick, but post a photo. People need to see how dangerous the tools are. Don't feel badly, we all have what I call a blonde or geezing moment. Ever try to move something off a hot stove without an oven mit? Last year we had an emplyee who thought Rod was joking about how dangerous it was and he put his hand in front of the wand with the water on. After that Rod and I decided a demo with a few basic items like raw chicken, a hard boiled egg, and a carrot would illustrate well what happens and help guys to learn to believe and not try it just to see if we were serious or not. Feel better, and thanks for sharing so others can learn. Beth :groovy2: