sturgisjr

So HD-80 will not remove Acrylic based or Latex based paints? Or will it remove them, but just not effectively? What would you use in a situation where these were the prior coatings on a deck?

With this deck, its a blue solid stain. If you would like a picture, let me know. Brian

Hello all, I have posted a few times on here but never really introduced myself. I figured if I was learning from you all and researching on this business, you all deserved to know who I am. I am going into the wood restoration business and have most everything set up with insurance, equipment and supplies, advertising, contracts and such. I am starting my advertising this month and hopefully will be in business by the end of this month to the first week of June. Although, I have done decks as a homeowner with my dad, this has been a new and unheard of business venture until 2 months ago and have discovered a deep interest in this and feel confident in pursuing this line of business. I am located in Upstate NY and live among the finger lakes. Lots of Deck jobs I hope to land! Anyway, as you know, I have most everything set. Only thing I need help with for the time being is as to what vehicle I should start with. I do not own a Truck or a Van. My budget is limited and when I say limited, I mean limited. I was looking to pursue a cargo van that will be equipped with a 200 gallon water tank, pressure washer and other miscellaneous equipment and supplies. Would this be a good start? Or would a truck and trailer be my best solution? I am looking to purchase a used of either vehicle. Obviously because of my limited budget, it cannot be an enclosed trailer if I go with the truck. If I get a truck, can all equipment be set on the bed without use of a trailer? Another thing is... would a water tank REALLY be neccessary? Or can I just use the onsite supply of water? Any help and feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have learned a lot through this site as well as others in just 2 months and am still learning. Brian

Thanks for your replies. I will be using the Ex-cell ZR3700 from Home Depot with Honda GX390 engine. It does 4 gallons per minute. Just out of curiosity, after reading around about power wash businesses using water tanks, what avenue specifically in the power wash industry would require the use of a water tank if not for wood restoration? I may have an opportunity to purchase a '98 Ford F150. Would this work to have my equipment and supplies in the bed of the truck (without the use of a water tank)? Under what conditions would a water tank be needed in this line of work? The area where Im from... along the lakes which I am targeting has public water. Away from there, unless you are in a city or town, there is a majority of wells. Thoughts?

What applicators would you use to apply HD-80, EFC-38 and Brightener with? I am starting out in this business and would like to use something that won't put a hole in my pocket. I was thinking about using the Wolman backsaver sprayer. Would this work and is it resistant to the harsh chemicals? I am not looking for fancy solutions, just something realistic budgetwise and for someone just starting out. Will appreciate feedback and suggestions.

Thank you for your replies, I will look into them. The Chapin sounds like something I would like to start with. Do you use the same one for all the chemicals or use separate ones for each chemical? No, the Wolman BackSaver Sprayer is not a backpack type. It includes a long wand to prevent bending for long periods of time, thus called the backsaver. Any experience using this?

We are planning on starting up our own wood care business and had a few concerns about correct wording in a contract. 1. Should we say restore or renew. I mean we all know what wood restoration is, but wouldnt the word "restore" be misleading to some customers encouraging them to think of other things? For example, we do strip/clean, detailing such as driving down loose nails and sanding handrails and then sealing. Wouldnt the word restore encourage customers to assume we will replace boards and all that extra work? 2. Sanding handrails? Is this a good idea to even sand at all? The reason for this is...what if we sanded and then the customer calls us because someone got a splinter? There shouldnt be any splinters after sanding is what the customer is thinking. So Im asking, should we sand also or just only wash and seal? Can wording be done on the contract stating that we are not responsible for any splinters after sanding has been done? I will be posting more questions and concerns about other things. This is a very informational site and would appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

Thank you for your response Ryan. I was able to generate a contract more effectively. I was just concerned that I may be missing something in there that I would regret later not adding. Wanted to be clear and to the point as well as protecting myself from any issues that I may face.