CraftonHill

I had an insane customer recently that has left me stumped. Had me restore, stain 4 arbors around their very large home. All cedar 2x2 slats and about 7,000 sq. ft. total. Took me a month but the money was there. It was perfect. They selected a semi-trans stain. When I was done, they said they really needed to "look it over" before they paid the final 75% of the bill. Did not hear from them for a week and when I did it was to complain that they did not feel there was enough product on. I informed them that was not the case and hauled out a ladder so they could get a better look. They said they thought it would look like the fence. The fence was done in some crappy sold stain. I explained that they had NOT chosen a solid stain and had chosen the semi-trans. They said they just didn't think it would hold up if they could "see through it". I have not been able to collect and placed a lien on the property. If you would, please tell me stories of your crazy experiences so that I feel better. You know how it is.... I am hoping that your stories of misery will make me feel better.

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?

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!)

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!

I once used it to remove some holophilic resin based stain that got on siding. That stuff WILL NOT come off! I pressed some duct tape over the area and rubbed over it several times and it lifted it away. Then I had to use goo gone to remove the tape.

I am hoping for your sake that over the years it has been improved and you have a good experience. Please let us know! p.s. I am a wife. My husband says it is much better to have a pissed off customer than a pissed off wife. The second can be much more costly.

I tried the Deckmate when I first began a few years ago. It came out and I thought "Wow! This should be great!" WRONG! I spent the next 30 minutes frantically on my hands and knees with towels trying to quickly clean up the mess before the stain soaked in too much in a big sloppy mess. It dumped crazy amounts and it pooled out everywhere and in no way shape or form is useful other than for a quick nervous breakdown if you need an adrenalin rush. This product was apparently designed by a pissed off stainer who wanted to scare a few newbies out of business.

It was all in writing. I have put a lien on the home and told that is the best I could really do. They NEVER once complained about anything the entire time. I was without a doubt bent over. I have tried several times to open communication with them and they will not respond. The property is behind a locked gate and they will not answer the buzzer either. Other people seem to think that they lost money in the market mid stain and planned on doing this to avoid paying. He is a lawyer and we know they can think at times they are above the law. I was nervous on how to handle it because I can honestly say that in almost 6 years of doing this I have never had an unhappy customer.

Yes, I tried the stain company sending them printouts and (the company is familiar with my work and has even referred me to people) talking to them but they would not listen. I had gotten the referral from a large deck company I have dealt with many times and they had no problems with them so I actually didn't have a worry in the world. They had approved the color and transparency in the very beginning. It actaully happened right when the stocl market started flipping out and I think they just didn't want to let go of the money. By the way, he is a lawyer for ATT. They (ATT) own the home they live in and will soon find out about the lien.

I am in Texas and have a customer that I am sure is about to call me and ask me to do the same thing. What is up with HOA's requiring Behr Stain? They also limit it to 3 colors. I am quite nervous about this and going to exclude my normal warranty if I even agree to do it. Crafton-Hill Wood & Masonry Seal-San Antonio, Texas

I have used a tremendous amount of Australian Timber Oil and I do not recommend it for a fence. To be honest, I only used Cabot products for 5 years. I did A LOT of business with Cabot. Unfortunately, once the company sold to Valspar I noticed a decrease in performance of product as well as other "growing pains" they were having. They last few decks, fences etc. I used the Ausi Oil on faded out to nothing within 6-8 months. However, I use the Cabot SPF 48 on fences here in Texas and they still look perfect after 3 years. It is difficult to apply if you have never done it before but if you apply it on wet wood it goes a lot smoother. It performs very well in the direct sun. Do not be afraid of the looks of the product in the can, it darkens as it dries in a couple of hours.