CompletelyClean

I sure hope I can get this deck to turn out like "you can't hardly tell the difference". You can see that the upper part has AT LEAST 2 coats of paint on it (beige over dark brown) and the lower portion has only 1 coat of beige paint. I believe the age difference between the two sections is about 7 years. I wonder if the paint has helped "preserve" some of the woods integrity? I doubt it. Beth, This is why I am anxious for the HD80 Booster to come out. I'll need it for stripping this paint.

5 gallon stain with FREE shipping, please ;)

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NTESearch?storeId=6970&catalogId=4006970&langId=-1&PHOTOS=on&KEYWORDS=solo+sprayer&kw_fmt=solo+sprayer Sorry, Reed. By the way, I ordered one.

What's the best method to remove varnish or a latex sealer like Thompsons from wood, specifically Cedar?

Well folks, the jury's back! I went to do a couple of test patches today on this nasty finish. I went armed with Remove-All's paint & varnish stripper (Methylene Chloride based) and my favorite sodium hydroxide based deck stripper. I still don't know what the finish was, but the Sod. Hyd. did just as good of a job as the Remove-All. Better, actually because it is WAAAY easier to apply. Needless to say, I now have another happy customer to add to my list. I REALLY felt good about the fact that 3 contractors had tried and failed to strip this deck before me. I KNOW I'll be getting a TON of referrals from this one! As Tony likes to say..."the proof is in the pudding". Thanks again for all your help, especially you, Tony. Your constant support is always appreciated Sensai!

Well, I washed the house today but I didn't use the Housewash from Xterior. The house wasn't even that dirty (you gotta LOVE those customers!). I did use the Gutter Zap for th very first time today and let me just say....pphhbbbbttt!!!! Spray on, rinse off...my A$$! These gutters were NOT even that dirty. Last Nov 25th (5 months ago), I had installed the solid vinyl gutter guards with the drip edge that hangs over the gutter, minimizing the black streaks on this house. Consequently, the streaking was minimal, yet I sprayed on, let dwell for a couple of minutes, rinsed off ad saw a VERY SLIGHT difference. I mixed the GZ per the mfg. suggestions of 2 parts water to 1 part chemical. I was going to try Tony's suggestion of adding a little Sod. Hyd. and I didn't feel like mixing any more chems once I started the job, so I just grabbed the old brush and went at it. I was glad this is a 1 story ranch where the gutters are only about 12' high. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times...I do NOT believe there is a sray on, rinse off chem for white gutters with black streaks that TRULY clean the gutters. At least not in this part of the world.

Will sodium percarb damage vinyl siding? I read on the sodium percard wood cleaner that I use to be careful of surrounding surfaces, as it may damage some surfaces. What are "some surfaces"?

Reed, Check out this link to Northern for the 2 gal. Solo pump up. It's only $29.99! Diamond Jim, Is this the model you use? I think I'm going to order this one, myself. I like to have them for small deck jobs where I can spray the Ready Seal. I use my homemade handcart/shur-flo setup for the bigger jobs and to spray the strippers/cleaners/brighteners.

Has anyone tried Xterior's "Housewash"? I just bought a gallon to try and I'm on my way out the door to wash a house with it for the first time. I'll let you know how it works out for me and if anyone else has had some experience with it, please provide some feedback, as well. Thanks.

Thanks Dale. Also, I use the citric acid for brightening, as opposed to oxalic. I know it takes a wee bit longer to brighten but I feel it adds a few years to my lifespan over the ox. I will definitely use the safety gear, though.

X-Jet the brightener! Brilliant! How does this affect the dilution ratio? I currently use pre-packaged bags of powder (they look like bags of cocaine). I put one bag in 5 gallons of HOT water to dissolve the crystals so I don't have to rinse. Should I continue to use the same ratio?

Just being lazy here...what does the M-5 do that is better than the X-Jet?

What about the shelf life of Sodium Hydroxide? Anyone know?

Thanks, Jack! THAT sure makes it simple, now doesn't it?!?! I'll be practicing that measuring method. 1 cup of powder to 1 gallon of water. Now why don't the manufacturers just do the same thing and put that on the label?

Here we go with the weight vs. volume thing, again. I had a formula last year and darned if I can remember what it was or where it is now! I agree with Tony...E.S. should either put a scoop in the container or figure out what the volume needed is rather than the weight and tell people to use VOLUME measurements. We're not chemists and like Tony said about carrying around a scale...it's too cumbersome, not to mention ONE more expense that should not be needed. Does ANYBODY know what volume of EFC is needed per gallon of water? Same for HD80...

Has anyone used any of the Defy products? I came across this stuff at the local PPG store and did some research online, as well. The products are made from SaverSystems in Richmond, IN. http://www.saversystems.com The stain (not called a sealer by this company) looks, smells, and reads like RS. They talk about it being a water-based proiduct that penetrates the wood and doesn't contain fungal-prone resins. Also, their maintenance is the same in that you can lightly wash when needed and apply a new coat over the existing coat. Their cleaners and strippers sound a lot like the ones most of us are currently using, too. One thing that turned me off at the PPG store, though, were the prices. There is an original stain and an epoxy fortified stain. The original sells for $129.95 per 5 gal. and the epoxy fortified is $149.75 per 5 gal. These are contractor rates, too! This is more expensive than Wood Tux and RS even if you have to pay shipping!

Can he Hurricane Brush be used with a 60 psi, 1.4 GPM Shur-Flo setup? Is there a way to adjust the spray flow on the brush handle?

Where is the best/cheapest place to buy Chapin and/or Spraytech pump ups? I made my own shur-flo setup on a handcart for spraying stripper/cleaner/brighteners, but I use the pump up when applying the sealer for better control and less waste because I'm still somewhat new at spraying ANYTHING.

Henry, Only the RS CLEAR lasts 3-6 months. The clear has very little UV protection! The semi-trans lasts a lot longer.

I just read in Readers Digest that composite decks are one of the "new" products of the 21st century that are made of recycled plastics. As with ANY plastics...they WILL fade from the sun. Some friends of mine just asked me recetly about my opinion of composite vs. wood decking because they were about to have a deck built. I told them the truth about LESS maintenance on composite decks as opposed to wood decks, yet the cost of the composite deck built will likely be that of a wood deck with about 10 years of maintenance fees. Then I asked them a question. I asked them why they recently bought the beautiful mahogany office furniture for their home office, rather that a plastic one. They said it is classier and looks better. I said, "There's the answer to your original question!".

I wish I could get defurring pads for a velcro wheel. I bought the velcro wheel because I also polish fiberglass boats. Velcro pads are way faster to change out than a nut-wheel. Approximately how many s.f. can you get from each defurring pad on an "average" cedar deck that was stripped and brightened?

Thanks, Tony. If it becomes my choice, I will opt for the two tone. I've printed your picture and will show to the customer. In fact, the color of the house in your picture is the EXACT same color as their house! Question...what is the process for future stripping on the floor baords when it comes time to redo them? How do avoid strippingthe railings/spindles? Cover th plastic?

Beth, Do you have defurring pads that fit on a velcro wheel (6-8") for a variable speed buffer?

It's a good friend of mine (he didn't get a discount, either), so I really want to get this job done and done right. I have to admit there is a bit of ego on the line here, too. Two other contractors couldn't get it done right, so I want to be the one that succeeds. I realize I may get snake bit, but I haveto give it a shot. Stay tuned for pictures and the conclusion...

Beth, I will have pics next week. Took the wife's Jeep and had my digital in MY truck (crap). Also, the homeowner doesn't know. He bought the house with the deck done like this. Tony, Thanks for that link. I'm wondering if I could rent that gadget from the local Rental-All place...problem is, the railings and spindles are messed up, too. Upon further reading on that post, I saw someone mention sandblasting. Now that's ANOTHER expense to egt into. What would it take to get outfitted with sandblasting equipment for my 5GPM, 3500 PSI, hot water unit??? Geeze! Maybe I'll try the Bix (or similar type) gel, like Rfitz suggests. The deck is rectangle in shape and only 2 feet off the ground. Easy access and notheing but pebbles underneath. The only concern I see is letting it dwell for a couple of HOURS and continuing to mist throughout...what a PAIN! By the way...the good news is that there are only patches of this crap left after a couple different PW'ers tried to do the job. I asked a lot of questions regarding these contractors and was able to gather that they A) didn't know their A$$ from a hole in the gound, and B) didn't have or weren't aware of the valuable resources like this board!