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Doug Black

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Posts posted by Doug Black

  2. Posted · Edited by Doug Black · Report reply

    So irrespective of chemical application high pressure is required to clean virtually all wood decks?

    I consider softwash under 500 psi. No pressure under 100 psi. Low pressure under 1500 psi. As measured as the tip.

    I thought you were talking about softwashing since that's the title of your topic.

    There are also people who just spray through a pump with "no pressure". They are also calling this "softwash" . The RCIA was trying to bash power washing last year and spreading fear about it in order to promote this type of cleaning.

    Guy B reacted to this

  4. Posted · Report reply

    I am looking into buying a 12'' Whirl A Way for my consumer pressure washer at home. Anyone have success with these? I have a 3000 PSI and 2.7GPM and read that 12'' is probably the most I would be able to push

    I have an 8 inch for special projects and have to turn my 20HP down to almost stall b/c she runs like a banshee! So I think you would be okay with a 12".

    Mr. Guy's advice is correct though.

  8. Posted · Report reply

    You don't want to use it on the body of the house, use it on the concrete for great results. I mix it at 6 oz (by weight) to a gallon of water and apply it with an electric chemical sprayer after having cleaned with a surface cleaner. Downstreaming dilutes it too much. As for dwell time... 10 minutes or so. Do yourself a favor a pick up a little scale like the drug dealers use. I bought mine for about 5 dollars on ebay.

    Also called postage scales. :D

  11. Posted · Report reply

    As I mentioned in the first post, the start and stop marks look clean to me -- there's no gray in those spots and the wood doesn't look damaged. Is it possible that I need to use the pressure washer and a little more pressure than what I have been using? If I'm not scoring the wood and if the start and stop marks where a little more pressure was applied do look clean, that would seem to indicate a little more pressure is required, no? Maybe I try the OxyClean solution, let it stand, scrub it in after 20-30 minutes, then rinse with the power washer. That's the only combination I haven't tried. I'll be careful not to score the wood. The worst thing that can happen is that I have to sand out of a few marks, which is pretty much where I'm at now, anyway...

    Yes, you see how it works. For instance, if it would me I could treat it and then hit it with my surface cleaner and be be done in 2 hours max, probably 1. But you could do the same thing thing over a longer time maybe if you had a better pressure washer. Yours is just too puny; but you did far better than a lot of people have done with it. So it you have a 3500 psi 4 gpm pressure washer (which you might be able to rent) you could clean it up with a yellow tip using correct form and distance...which was basically impossible for you with that tiny pressure washer. As far as cupped boards...just spray slow and go back over your back rolling to watch for any pooling. Also the time for tightening decks up is after power washing when they are wet and more pliant.

  25. Posted · Report reply

    I wouldn't respect him if he agreed to the job with no idea of what he's doing. If he can't even google I wouldn't help him.

    If he googled and found the "Dr." guy at the grime scene touting cleaning with HF acid then yeah, I'd help him to save his health, but that just isn't the case...

    But maybe if someone had helped me when I started, I would feel like Charlie. But back then, no one had the internet and it didn't take much to be the most knowledgeable in the area, i.e. no one knew much! There is no excuse today.

    But if he was a kid who halfway knew what he was doing I'd hire him and teach him chems....

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