KC Deck

well, stripping was a waste of time. I stripped the decking and the top rails, but did not do the spindles or other verticals. I talked to the Cabot's rep, and he suggested cleaning entire deck, priming over old stain, and then applying at least two coats of the new solid over the existing. Customer was happy with the explanation, and stated he just wanted a good final outcome. Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll post pics when Im done.

Im going to do a test strip today.....Hopefully it will come out ok. Oh and by the way, the owner wants another solid to put back on the deck. Will striping, priming, then adding a solid color keep the old color out? If I cant get all of the old color off?

I had a lady call me today, and she wants her deck cleaned and sealed. But she said she does not want it powerwashed, because it hurts her wood. I have never heard of that before, if anyone else has please fill me in. She also said she has "heard" of a chemical that does not require power washing, you spray it on and rinse it off with a hose. Is there such a chemical? I am thinking no. Second, she wants a clear sealer. I said if she doesnt want her wood "hurt" then she would want stain. UV rays is what damages wood, right? I havent called her back yet, was wanting to get some insight from you all. Thanks.

Here is a deck that I finsihed today with TWP Cedar tone Natural, that is going to be in a KC home and Garden Magazine. The owners garden is awesome, but I forgot to take a picture of it. The deck was stained last year by Wood Renew here in Kansas City, but the stain looked TERRIBLE. Dont know what he did last year, but it didnt last. There were runs, streaks, fades, peels, and cracks. Stripped the whole thing, including the arbor, and stained in two days. I hope it looks nice. The owner LOVED it. She was so happy, she gave me a tip!!!!! She is going to include my business name in the article, so hopefully, my phone wont stop ringing.

right at 2000. That included everything. It was a little under 700 sq ft, so around $3 a sq ft. I hope I never have to do an arbor again. What a pain in teh arse by myself!!!

more pics.

WHere is the best place to buy the accessories for a shurflo setup? I have looked at HD and Lowes, and cant find a pick up tube, and all other tubing. I have found the couplings, but no tubing. Any help?

I have never done an arbor before. I have already stripped the deck, and now the arbor is next. Will the stripper that I am using for the arbor harm the already cleaned and stripped deck? and if so, should I give it another oxalic bath before staining the deck. This deck is going to be featured in a Kansas City Home and Garden magazine, and I want to make it look perfect. The stain on teh deck came off like a champ with s/h stripper, with only about a 5 minute dwell time. I think the owner had her deck stained right after she had it built, and the stainer did not give it a oxalic bath before he stained it. Could this be why it was so easy to strip. It was just stained last summer. Thanks for the tips and advice.

well, putting a tarp or plastic down first would help tremendously. Then, brush, roll, or rag the spindles. This way you dont waste too much stain in overspray, and get the drips on the deck. If you use an oil based stain, it will soak into the wood, and yes, make it look different. The only way to get those drip stains out is to wait for it to dry, and sand them out, and reapply the stain.

Could you possibly post a pic somewhere of your shurflo set up?

I had a customer call today who just wants her flooring done. She said it was stained last year, but it is already fading. She said the deck is on a house that is used for home tours in a new neighborhood. I probably already know the answer to my question, but i wanted to get some advice from you all. Do i just strip and stain the flooring, or do I strip the whole deck and stain it all? Im thinking there is no possible way to match the colors together, so I am leaning torward the whole deck? Am I right? Thanks.

well i got the job. 550 sq ft for 1600.00. A guy from Wood Renew stained it last year im not sure what he stained it with, but it was TERRIBLE!!!! Runs, and streaks everywhere, different shades, splotches, and it had already worn away to the bare wood in some spots. The homeowner said she came home and found his 12 year old son doing the job, while his dad (the guy from wood renew) was gone. Stain was all over the side of the stucco, and her hot tub. It LOOKED like a 12 year old did it. Im going to strip everything, and start over. Her house is going to be featured in a K.C. magazine so she wants her deck to look perfect. I dont say i cant blame her. Wish me luck!!!!

Ok. Bidding it tomorrow, anyone else with some advice?

You'll do just fine. Pricing decks is difficult when just beginning. First you have to take in account if they need to be stripped or not. If they do, then they cost more than just a simple wash and stain. Call other deck companies in your area and try to find out the going rate for decks.

I went today to bid a job. 500 sq ft deck with 91 ft of railing and 100 spindles. The deck is about 15 years old, and 10 feet off the ground. Needs stripped, cleaned and stained. I bid it at $1700. I give it to the lady and she almost loses it. She was under the impression I would just come in and spray over the old stuff, that is around 5 years old. She says she is getting ready to sell the house and just wants the deck "touched up". Yeah right. People are amazing. I told her about the old sealer interfering with the new sealer, but she didnt want to hear it. She said she was going to do it herself. I would love to see that deck when she gets done with it.

The 14' 4x4's yes, the rest of the underside, no.

Here is the color of my new deck.

whoops. Penofin, Western Red Cedar. More pics to follow.

What effect, if any, does rain water have on newly cleaned decks? Will I have to rinse it before I stain, or does it matter? Thanks.

my deck before and after cleaning. What do you all think.

just about a year. To lazy to stain it when we first built it.

First, is it Citric Acid or Citralic Acid, I have seen both mentioned on forums and was just wondering if it is the same thing. Second, I would like to know where I can buy some of the mentioned acids in a bulk container. I dont want to keep buying consumer grade cleaning and brightening products, I would like to make my own. Any suggestions?

Alright long story short. Didnt like the way the deck looked after I sanded it. Cleaned the deck again, this time with Wolmans. Pw'ed, let it dry and this is how it looked, I think it looks MUCH better than the first time. If at first you dont succeed, try try again.

my deck after it was dried and defurred. took some sanding, but i think i got the wand marks out.

Oh yes, I am very open for feedback be it positive or negative. Constructive criticism has never hurt me in the past. I just want to make sure Im doing it right, and be happy with my project when it gets completed. Looks like I have alot of sanding to do.