Beth n Rod

Hi Carlos, I look forward to speaking with you soon. Beth

Carlos, Whatever you do, don't stop asking these question. That's how you get from newbie to pro. You'll find alot of helpful people up here who are glad to help. Dale is one of them. :) Carlos, do you have a digital camera you can snap a photo with? If you do it would help. I have the following questions for you. If you don't have the answers, then any you can get from the homeowner would be helpful. 1. Is it a solid stain or canyou see the wood? (semitransparent) 2. if it is solid, are you certain it is stain and not paint? 3. does the owner know what brand it is? If yes what brand and how long ago was it applied? Dale is right that in many cases EFC-38 will work just fine for this type of application if what is on the wood is a semitransparent oil based sealer. But, depending on the product, you might need something stronger like HD-80. I would suggest doing a test patch with EFC-38 to see if it will do it at full strength before suggesting the HD-80. If not, then test the HD-80 and see. Regardless, you will have to neutralize /brighten the cedar with citralic or another acid type as cedar does darken considerably. The black you are looking at is not necessarily dirt. Most likely you are looking at mildew growth from a failed sealer. Ask if Behr was what was applied. If it was, you'll need the HD-80. The reason many sealers fail is due to poor or no mildewcide or antifungal agent in the product that was applied. If you add that to any mildew that may be present on the wood, and if there is linseed oil in the product, you will get a spreading of mildew throughout the application and the finish will fail. Proper surface prep is key. I suggest sealing this job with Wood Tux. We have not seen any mildew regrowth after last years wet season. It's amazing stuff. Call me anytime. Our toll free number and other contact info are below. for what to charge, call me and I'll go over that too. I have more question about terrain, etc. in order to answer. This is worth aloth more that you may think. You need to know about masking windows, doors, lighting, covering plants, etc... A digital photo of each side would help alot. Beth

Mike, Everything has costs. Kits are not inexpensive to put together. We don't recoup all costs, just part of them. Personally, I think it's better to just buy the products, but for those who want a sample, there is an option. We offered them as free for a long time last year, but "free" does cost someone money. Beth

Hmmm.....cool idea....

Hi Morgan, Good to see you again. Things are busy here too, deck season has started off well. Hope to see more of you online. Don't be shy. Beth & Rod :cool:

HD-80 has also been used for concrete, gas station pads, and kitchen hoods, although it's not what it was developed for. I have heard it is a nice additive for gutter cleaning, however I would throw in a pound of caution since it will strip the paint off the gutter if you don't move FAST. See the gutter thread with Tony's post... I know I won't do it justice here. His results were great. :groovy: Beth:groovy3:

Brown Sugar has not hit the streets....yet. It's being made this week and will be in the warehouse shortly. Best advice I can give you is order it now. I will get a pail in here to fill sample bottles and send out (I'm out of some bottles and so kits are backordered right now for about a week) so order your kit through the store. You can specify in the comments field if you don't need some of the kit contents. You can also call your order in. Orders in a thread may be missed, so please use the store or call. There is a fee for the kit this year, as last year we sent hundreds of kits on our own nickle. Costs in the kit are postage, box, lables and printing, bottles and lids. We don't make money ont he kits, we just want to recoup a portion of our cost to make them. Thanks.

There are alot of very accomplished folks on this bbs, who know how long it will take to do a job in their area, given certain conditions. For example: siding or surface type surrounding plants and shrubs climate and weather conditions Also there are a variety of tools that can be used and not everyone does a job the same way. An example of this might be a basic house wash on aluminum siding, vs. oxidation removal for paint prep. These are not the same thing. Just thought I would add my .02 worth.... Oh...one other thing, glad to see this thread is taking a more positive turn. The last thing any onf us wants is to be called lowballer. It's an insult from what I have read here and other places. It's important to remember that what the market will bear in one area it won't bear it in another area, also sales skills enter into the picture. But anyone who has come here to read, participate, learn and grow is welcome to do so, and has shown an interest bettering themselves. Beth :groovy3:

In the past we have had folks drive in from as far away as New Hampshire to spend a week with us. We've been doing this for the past several years (providing hands on help). The folks we have worked with have been greatful, and found it helpful and rewarding to their businesses. Give us a call. We're here to help. Beth & Rod :groovy3: :groovy:

Congrats Jon! Post a pic of him. :) Beth

You're welcome! :groovy:

Any time Jesse! :groovy3:

Hope to see you there!~

Hang in there Jesse, this is an example of Mondays don't always come on Monday. This kind of think happens to everyone at some point. Hope your day improves from here. Beth :groovy:

Since Rod go the new M-5, he won't use his regular x-jet anymore. He loves it. Beth

Comparing estimating sheets is just plain smart business. No one can think of everything, but by sharing and comparing sheets perhaps we will all discover ways we can improve our sheets and protect ourselves from liability while communicating more clearly to the consumer. I would hope that anyone who gets a copy of someone else's sheet would make the changes needed to accomodate their own business.

Yes, we have. Went on beautifully. We worked on a a redwood deck that had been badly pelted from a hail storm. The owner wanted the ding marks gone, so we washed it, sanded it down to smooth, and then sealed it with Wood Tux Warm Honey Gold. (he didn't want it to be any darker than it was already. You could see where he had replacement work dont by someone who thought they were replacing boards with redwood, but they were cedar. The homeowner didn't even know.

Welcome to the BBS! No one is going to hate you for being new or learning. We all go through it at some point. Call us any time you have question. We're here to help. Beth & Rod

Let's all be nice... Some of the posts might be interpreted as trying to start something. Beth

Awe, I think that's a great photo! Ryan, you two make a very nice couple. :) Beth

Thanks Dale :) You know, I really enjoy talking to everyone and so does Rod. It's really refreshing to talk to people who are out there just like we. We appreciate the people, not just the business. Beth & Rod

Click the chat link in the nav bar above. :) Join the fun! Beth

Hmmmm.... What browser were you using?

You're welcome Dave! Hope you have a GREAT year!

Wood Tux Warm Honey Gold should be shipping next week. That's the most popular color. It rocks! :groovy3: Everything else you said sounds good, and I agree with Reed 100%. Rinse and wipe that sprayer thoroughly to avoid getting the acid on your clothes (can soak through) or skin. Beth