ShineBrite LLC

I've used every color of AC. Close run between Mtn Cedar, Woodland Brn and Rustic Brn here. So far this year: One in Driftwood week before last. Same day at another place I used Cedar semi on a lakeside walk way. Last week I used cedar tone for a pine ceiling, super cedar for the cedar posts and trim and Woodland brown for the deck underneath. On Wednesday this week I'll be using Mahogony Flame to seal 100 eastern cedar steps and 9 platforms on a 100' fire tower. That's all donated as part of a restoration project. Least used have been Oxford Brn and Sequoia.

Been a long time since I've been on here! In central Alabama we mainly dodge the real cold days and the rain and work on through. We've had a cold winter this year. BTW - Those old radios are fascinating.

I know this is old, but I wanted to add a comment and a question: A friend and customer of mine owns an exotic lumber import co in Montgomery, AL. He told me that there is much confusion between suppliers and builders in correct ID of the materials and that the end owners of the project generally don't know what they have and may be told something completely wrong. Rick, this is the place I maintain that has the cumaru, cambara (first time I've actually seen it in print is your post), spanish cedar and other species mixed in his decking. Also, he is the reason we have cumaru around here. Who's heard of the Paulonia? Sounds a lot like the Lyptus mentioned. I remember a few years back growing "paulonia forrests" was being advocated. My grandfather and father were great experts on all this. Both are long gone and I was not paying attention.

That's interesting. Might be a viable solution for some of these old rough PT docks, considering the alternatives.

10-4 - Toners have less pigment than semi trans. Semi trans has less pigment than semi solid.... Other ingredients are the same. I won't even offer a toner unless it's a completely covered, no-sun at all situation. AC doesn't skimp on the pigment in the semis.

I used the clove brn. They have a redish and a newer color called honey brn. The clove brn held up well. Covered areas will eventually cure, but Bonds recommends not applying to covered areas.

Hey Rick, That would keep me away from it. Wonder how it would work for a wet swim suit?? Critters love Sodium of any sorts. Try not neutralizing and see what happens!!!

Yeah, used about 80 gals of it. Contractor price used to be 75 a gal. Retail was 85 to 95 gal off the shelf. I bought it direct from Bonds dist. when I was using it. Might have been cheaper, not sure. I've still got two unopened fives in my buliding. Not sure how the VOCs have changed it, but it's some tough stuff. Motor oil consistency, noxious fumes, burns the skin. Got some old fives used up and the stuff never dries up in the bucket. I have stripped it once. Will strip with a strong mix. I posted on here a few years back about it. Some said it was a petrification agent. Some said the same Beth said. My experience with it was that it does last on PT pine for several years. If it ever cures on covered areas it stays and it smells for a long time. On sun exposure it turns dark. It's hard to work with since it's thick. It spreads well, but you will still apply like normal because it spreads slowly. Penetration is good. Smell, irritation to skin and eyes and cost is prohibitive. A local company ordered a ton of it and found it dry in the cans. I thought maybe the VOC stuff had made them change. Don't know.

Working yourself too hard. Just like I did!

I like this post. The most popular wood stain/sealer here and where you live was (and still is for some) desiel fuel mixed with burnt motor oil. Stops all sorts of pests, too. Not too good for telling your insurance company about. Real fancy folks might have mixed copper N in with it, just to add color and be snooty. Really though, AC isn't so bad in the nausea dept. Although if you inhale anything other than O2 in large amounts for very long it tends to have adverse effects. Considering it went from winter, snowing here about two weeks ago, to summer and 89° today, the sudden sweat and sun burn has been rather nautious for me. I assume you are on PT pine in NC. ???

This is a close-up shot of a dock we resurfaced with new lumber last year - early spring. We had 8 months of wet weather. It literally never dried out! Most of us in the south east can relate...Any way, everything here molded. I went back to look at this dock a month or so ago. I originally sealed it as part of the package deal on the new wood, etc. I had a post on that earlier. This dock, like everything else around here, was fairly moldy. Some might say it turned black, and it actually brought back my Pennofin nightmares for a minute. Used a water wet rag and it seemed to wipe off, leaving the cedar tone/super cedar mix applied earlier showing. That was a month or so back and I finally got out there to do a total clean-up on Thursday of last week. Wet rag test still did fine. Mold wiped off the finish. Cleaned the dock with a very light mix of bleach, NP-9 surfactant and water. Bleach was 1 quart to 4 gals water. Water still beaded some after cleaning. Probably dented the finish a little, but not too bad. Over all, it'll go to next spring and then get a light cleaning and recoat.

We must talk to the manufacturers about adding squirrel repellent. Also, wood bee repellent. Squirrels will stay off a couple coats of AC about a year. Wood bees are back in 3 months, tops!!

I give a quote broken down with labor and material costs that basically adds up to a sq ft price with sealer and chems included. I find that customers like to see a certain amount of detail, but not complicated quotes. Everyone is different, but most residentials like to see a material cost and a labor cost. For my purpose, I know my sq ft charges after taking a look, then I break it out for them on a quote. I then explain the charges.

I'm interested in the composite coating talk here. Have experimented a little, but not with any latex soild. We are talking about composits like Trex, Evergrain, etc.. right? Both recycled polys and wood. I've got to test this, and happen to have some Evergrain and some latex solid SW DS... Back to the brands... I've also found the behr latex solids to be as good as SW DS solids. Heck, when it comes to paint! Reminds me too much of hard days painting. I'd rather be staining with real stains, but like some have said, the cards are not always the hand we want! And sometimes the pine just needs to be covered up!!

Jamie, Looks like pine. Most of my work is pine. My take on this.... I am best served with a sod. Hyd. based solution. Can't tell by the pics, but you might run into what's left of an old finish under the eves and protected areas. I'd go into that one with what I'd consider a weak stripper. Basically something similar to HD-80 and dilute it a little more than you would for stipping. Where those flower pots sat for years you'll be good to completely make that vanish. You'll need to neutralize after cleaning. Rinse really well when cleaning and neutralize wet. AC is my stain of choice. Feel free to give me a call - cell 256-750-1751. That's central time, BTW.

I have to say I try to steer most customers to AC. However, there are times that a solid latex is the way to go for them and I can't balk at it. Sometimes color choices and predetermined aspects are in play. I'll use a latex solid when I have to. I'd have to be pretty desperate to ever use a latex semi of any kind. I've used solids and semis in SW, Cabots, Behr, Cuprinol (old SW brand) and some house brands and I'll say with confidence that water base semis are all terrible and hard to apply.

ACQ is the common pressure treatment.

MudDuck, I AGREE. My family cut half the hardwoods in AL in the early 30s-40s for cross ties to supply the southern rails. When that spurt ended the family closed the 5 cross tie plants and started sawmilling lumber. I was working the family business when PT 5/4 decking came on the market here. We ran sprinkler systems over PT bundles when it was hot and dry. I've seen PT warp so bad in a bundle that it would snap the crimps on steel bands. The 5/4 was the worse. When laying 5/4 decking, the "Bow Wrench" is a must. As far as supply goes, PT pine and composite is all you will buy in Central AL without special order. Oh Yeah - 2 million $$ home and the decks are falling apart in 2 yrs. BUT - a lot of good reasons to maintain the stuff!!!!!!! Back to the topic here, I've got a nice line up of AC maint coats to do this summer and will post several....

Thomas, Being in IL, you should be able to have AC in either next day or 2nd day from Steve James at The Stain Shop or from Scott Paul at The Pro Sealer Store. I'm in AL and get it 2 days from either. You can order 1gals or 5gals. I strip a lot of multi HO coats of off the shelf stuff down here, mainly SW and Behr. Mostly pt pine.

Wow, throw in a few hundred knots, one or two split boards, several cracked boards and a handfull of warped boards and I could pass that off as 2 yr old PT pine here in the south. Seriously though, that looks great!

Rick, not sure what to think about that photo! We went from rain rain rain to 100° with 110° heat index and 78% humidity this week here in Alabama. No rain in sight for a while. Nice.

Thanks Rick. I really like the super cedar and the way it dwells longer on pine. I've mixed it with some others as well. Did a Rustic brn 50/50 a few weeks back. Lap marks are practically impossible. It looks almost scary red on pine until it soaks in.

Didn't get by the one we did earlier with woodland, but here's a recoat done today on a dock that I photographed in process. Mt Cedar, pt pine. The first two pics were taken within 5 minutes of application, so it's wet. You can see the dull areas where it's already soaking in. The shiney spots are where it's wet - The 2nd two pics are of the house at the same place. Job is 13 months old. The wood on the house did not get a recoat like the dock as it looked 100%. The dock had very minor loss around the knots and this homeowner keeps the place beyond perfect and she's a regular customer, so recoat we did. Dock gets full sun dawn to dusk. Will post woodland brn recoats soon

Here's a dock we resurfaced with new pt pine in February. We went back last week with a 50/50 mix of cedar tone and super cedar. The owner didn't really want any sealer on it, but I worked it into the total anyway. It's a vacation home and no one was around when we covertly went over and sealed it. The guy loves it. I love the super cedar on pine. The benches have hidden LEDs underneath and the whole stationary part of the dock glows at night. The dock is 110' long overall. The 'before' pic just shows it after we tore off the old wood.

Great thread. Thanks for posting this Rick. I'm the backwards dummy down here in the heart of Dixie that's been hooked on AC for 4+ years now. We did our first total recoat week before last. I was on vacation while my guys did it, but I'm going by tomorrow to take some pics to add to this post. We have 3 more to recoat this week and next. One is the first AC job I did. Would be nice to have a distributor closer to me, but Steve at the Stain Shop is now getting the stuff to me in a record 3 days. ( I had to edit this reply, I typed the wrong name in for Steve - That's Steve James, BTW) Will post here again either tomorrow night or over the weekend with pics of recots on Woodland Brown semi solid and Mt Cedar semi solid. On PT Pine - so before anyone questions my pics, remember, PT pine does funny things to pigments. Alan Broom