CraftonHill

Thanks a bunch. I will try it all. I will let you know what works the best. I am terrified of screwing up the homeowners brand new $15,000. grill. I know that is what he paid because he likes to tell everyone. If I could afford it I might want to tell people about it too! (I certainly wouldn't want someone messing it up!)

I recently had an employee get over spray from a clear masonry silicone sealer on the customers stainless grill. I tried stainless cleaners, etc. but since I have not had this happen in 5 years of doing this, I am not sure what I should use to remove it without scratching, or dulling the finish on the grill. Any suggestions?

Where I am from "Contractor" means some one who has work "contracted" out to them in a specific field of work in a profession. I am considered a contractor because of the literal term. I am contracted to do a specific job on a regular basis. In San Antonio there are some areas where certification is required, but not in a deck restoration field. We are required to follow "code" if working within the city limits, but do not have to be licensed.

I am in San Antonio Texas and I am shocked at the prices you are posting. Here, I charge $2.50 sq. ft. for clean and seal and $2.50-$4.00 for strip and seal. I have lost a few jobs to painters, one recently. The painter bid it at $1.50. They sprayed on an interior rubbing stain on a $47,000.00 dollar just built deck and it failed in a month. They called me to fix it and I told them yes but the price was 30% higher than my original bid to undo what had been done. They decided to live with what they had. It was a shame.

Actually there are a couple of sealers that are available to homeowners that are good, you just need to reapply them annually. It is not difficult and can be applied with a pump sprayer. One is made by Cabot and is a silicone based masonry waterproofing seal. Another is made by Quikcrete. I do not recommend the high gloss. However, those products would only work if applied to flagstone that has no seal on it. That is one of the reasons I would recommend going back to the person that did it in the first place and making them stand by their work. Stripping the sealer from the flagstone can be tricky and could damage the flagstone if not done correctly. If you as a homeowner decide to take this on yourself it would void any warranty that may apply. If the installer refuses, try contacting the manufacturer of the seal that is currently on the flagstone.

Craig is exactly right. With Ariz flagstone, be careful what is used to strip it so that it does not take the top layer of the stone off. I would call the person that applied it and have them correct the problem. This should be their issue, not yours.

I do not believe it is efflorescence. I don't think it has been in place long enough, and if it is it had to have started while still at the rock yard. Here is some information about it -Stopping Efflorescence The link is selling a sealer but I know nothing about it. It just has some info on it that I thought might help you decide if in fact that is what it is. I think it is from moisture in the stone and was sealed while wet. It is hard to tell from a picture. Does it look like crystals???? or does it look more like the seal is discoloring?

I agree with PressurePros. That is the only time I have seen this happen. How long has it been like this? I know you said it started this 2 weeks after installation but how long has it been since then? I have seen it cure itself out over time. Not always, but have seen it happen. I would be very careful stripping anything off of flagstone. It may be better to let it wear off.

I have dealt with those customers. After one of those you could have a customer hit you in the head with a 2x4 and be happy about it.

Dawn antibacterial dish washing liquid and warm water (Add a cup of bleach if it is really bad) and a roofers broom or any push broom will do the trick. At the most you are looking at spending $15.00 and it won't damage the stain. However, dog urine will discolor the stain and break it down too. You need to clean it nightly. I actually own a deck staining company but ended up in a similar situation with a rescue puppy myself. Also, there is a house hold cleaner (CHEAP) called Fabuloso found at just about any Wal-Mart, etc. It has a very strong clean smell and you can add that to the mix as well to take care of any odors from the dirty water being rinsed off the deck. You will be fine.

I take my marriage to my goat very seriously thank you. Oh, wait... never mind... he just reminded me that is what I call him but he isn't actually a real one... dang...

That is beautiful! I can only imagine how much a deck built in olive wood would cost.

OMG that is hilarious!!!!!!! My name is Shelly so maybe I could also try doing the Prince thing and use a symbol or picture. Maybe a picture of a shell and a y on the end. My name is hyphenated... Crafton-Hill. So is my name really Craftondashhill? That is interesting!

How do you people deal with customers that think that you are just slacking off when it is 60% chance of rain and you can not stain. Also, what percentage of chance of rain stops you from staining?

Hello everyone! My name is Shelly Crafton-Hill and own Crafton-Hill Wood and Masonry Staining in San Antonio Texas. I truly enjoy this forum for it's educational as well as comedic value. I am still laughing over James' "Cajun Deck Syndrome" and have actually used "CDS" with a customer. They were very impessed with my knowledge. LOL. Headed off to work, just wanted to say HI!