decker

Going to do an estimate this week for an ipe deck, which is pretty rare - I am usually on cedar or PT. The deck is a year old, and the (potential) customer wants to use messmer. I would love to work on ipe, as I have yet to do one and they are great looking. Hoping somebody could help me out with these questions. -In terms of prep, should I go all out - percarb/oxalic and sanding? -I usually use 60 grit for sanding, but not sure if this would be the same for ipe. -Any tips or tricks for staining, as I know you need to wipe off the excess stain. I will post pics if I get it. But with rain all this week I am waaaay behind schedule so who knows when that will be!

The lambs wool worked great. Better than my normal shurline pads. I think I am going to use them regularly now. They soak up a lot of stain so you don't have to go back to the tray and are very smooth!

Where did you read that part about cleaning/staining 3 times in the first year - I couldn't find it on the site. Gonna be staining this week, just gotta pick up some lambs wool. Why is lambs wool better than a staining brush for this application?

Just wondering if anyone has any tips for sanding the inside of rails...aside from just doing it by hand. I was thinking maybe an angle grinder, but then again that may be to rough.

Finally got the sandpaper for makita, nobody carried 7 inch paper for the 6.5 inch backing pad. Pretty good machine for getting into tight spots, the only problem I find is that it can leave swirl marks as it is fairly aggressive.

got the job. HO tried to powerwash it so there are some marks from that, which I'm gonna have to fix. Have you ever had any combust on you?

ahh, never seen redwood before - the only decks I have seen are cedar or PT. Although I am sure there must be some ipe somewhere! Given what Charlie had said, I planned to strip the new PT rails to remove chemicals so stain can absorb. So new plan is to clean the PT rails instead of stripping and of course sand after!

Lyle, pretty much the same setup, except your rails look like cedar. The rails on the job are actually pretty nice for PT. If I cover the rails with a canvas, how do you get the parts in between the rails? Also, if I do get stripper on the rails how badly would it discolour/damage them?

I will be working on a project with a somewhat similar situation. 4 year old previously stained cedar which is ugly. HO powerwashing (attempt to strip) made it worse. The HO has just put in new PT rails with aluminum bars in the middle. I don't think curing is an option as I get the feeling they want it done asap. Here's my plan: -Strip everything -Bleach the rails -Brighten everything -Sand with 60 grit on everything, extra attention to the rails They want a cedar semi-transparent stain, but I am just wondering what the difference in look will be between the rails and deck - they are concerned about that. I tried to sell them on a two tone, but they were hesitant. Here are my questions: 1) Will my plan work 2) Can anyone suggest a colour scheme, which takes into consideration the black aluminum (pretty sure its aluminum) rails? -pending they don't go for two tone, would an extra coat of stain help blend it better (I would have use a different stain than my normal sikkens srd)? 3) What is your most efficient and effective method for covering up the rails to make sure they don't get damaged from the stripper? Wood really appreciate some input. Also: Don't mean to hijack this thread, just thought it would be beneficial for everyone as it is a similar topic. Let me know if I should start a new thread.

looks like a very useful tool. I know it must be good because home depot doesnt have it! I was using a lot of elbow power today, and I want to increase my efficiency so this looks like a good option. just need to find a place close by to pick it up.

Made a stupid mistake (see, accident) and got some solid decking stain on asphalt and stucco. The asphalt i attempted to clean with mineral spirits followed by hosing it down and the stucco i put mineral spirits on a rag to get it out, but didn't really work. Those were the only things I had for cleaning with me. I am gonna guess the stain isn't coming out of the stucco, but I am hoping somebody can tell me otherwise!

dodged a bullet on this one...went back again today, doesnt look sooo bad. the homeowner asked me where the stain was! I still think its noticeable but they put the BBQ in front of it so...phew First time using that stain (I know wrong forum) I found it to be too thick and dam $$$$. Anyways, the only thing left is the asphalt...would a bleach mix and powerwash do the trick?

i dont have a hot water machine, just went over there with a stiff brush and some steamin hot water...no luck.

Floodpro Solid Stain, it is oil and acrylic/urethane.

So I was at the paint store today, looking to see what stains people are carrying, went to 7 different shops and only one had a guy who knew something about wood staining, he tells me he likes the Para Raincoat. He said he did a test with sikkens srd vs the rain coat, by putting them on paper and seeing how many sheets they penetrate. He said the sikkens sat on top, and the para penetrated (i dont remember how many pages). If you have any experience with any of these stains (using it over a couple of years and had consistent good results), I would appreciate your input. I am determining which semis and solids I will be using this year. If you have any experience with any of these stains (using it over a couple of years and had consistent good results), I would appreciate your input. Here are the candidates: Semis (all oils): 1) Sikkens Cetol SRD (I like this, because of one coat and past experience) 2) Flood CWF-UV5 (advertised with their 'special' penetrol formula) 3) PARA Raincoat ('translucent' finish and linseed oil base) 4) Floodpro Semi-transparent or wood tones oil (why do they have so many different products?!?!) Solid: 1) Cabots solid colour oil decking stain 2) CIL solid oil (its from home cheapo, but had good experience with it)

gotcha, thanks for the advice. I actually saw the experiment, and interestingly enough it was being pushed by penofin. That is there was a binder with penofin branding, and the paper that had the test done had penofin branding on it as well. What do you make of that? The main thing I am interested in finding out about is if anyone has experience or knowledge about Para's Raincoat translucent stain. heres the link to their site with that stain: PARA Paints - Our Products

of course!

I am skeptical on using a stain that is acrylic (that is the floods solid). Have you ever compared to cabots solid?

This is my first post, and I just wanted to tell everyone how much I have learned from this forum - but I am still a wood rookie (wookie?) and I need some help for getting my equipment setup for this season. Last season I did everything (prep and stain) with a brush and pad - took a super long time. I am now in my second season and looking to increase efficiency, without decreasing quality. I think I can do this by using different equipment, better materials and improving my prep and staining processes - which is where I need your help. But, there are a couple of caveats: 1) I am in Canada, so it is difficult to access some equipment and materials that everyone else has 2) I have no experience using sprayers, so I am cautious in spending $1,000 or more for a sprayer. I am also wondering if it would be worth the money for me, although it seems everyone else says its worthwhile. I am contemplating ordering the efc-38, citralic and hd-80, but I am not confident I would be able to make the appropriate solution per job. If I don't use that, I was thinking about Cabots problem solver line. Anyways, I would love to get some input for everybody, and I appreciate any help!

In the process of registering the deck doctor!

Well, it seems that I have spent so much time reading this forum over the past week that 'decker' must have subconsciously got into my head when choosing a username! Anyways, checked the sunbrite store and all I see is the deckster. Looks pretty good, but a bit pricey for me. I was hoping to find something between $200-$300 CAD. Also, wondering what pressure washers people use.