big mike

OK, Got a call today to fix a homeowner goof. Evidently the deck was washed and then sealed with Penofin (goof 1). Looks fair, but I believe theres some mildew entrapped under the stain - spotty(goof 2), and there is a good amount of fur on the spindles and a little on the floor(goof 3). Does this deck require a complete strip & reseal? Is there any way to remove the furring from the spindles or will time do the trick? Can I do a light sanding and then a thin coat of seal over it? This is a friend, so I want to go the least expensive route. I will definitely get the next maintenance job for this guy, so I want to impress on him that I know my stuff. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

This is an advanced question? How about following the directions on the label?

You may be able to simply turn the spindle to expose the unstripped area for easy sanding.

Tony, I've played around with RS then AC top coat as well with poor results. The newly stained decks looked great, but failed too quickly. AC as a stand alone is just too unpredictable also, so we are back to RS on ALL jobs that require a semi trans stain. Your deck looks great after cleaning, but it looks like mildew was the problem after the first year. I feel that Linseed oil is the issue (as always). Haven't we gone down this road of looking for the latest and greatest stain, only to be disappointed again and again? Can't say this enough: stick with a product that works, and you know how to use.

Yeah, you're a Guru alright. If you can get hold of an Osborne brush and a Makita, you can fix that. Jim is right. New cedar will only take one coat, and sometimes not real well. I like to use clear for the first year coat, then follow with cedar color for maintenance. You can't hide the furring, and some will wear away and some won't. It will need to be fixed eventually, and will require physical agitation of some sort. Next year here's what WE would do: Wash the deck lightly with a dilute bleach mixture (for specifics do some research). Let dry and remove that furring (again, research) Apply 1 coat for maintenance. We usually only do 2 coats on newly stripped and neutralized decks to drive the color as deep as possible.

I had long suspected you were the Pulp of Priestwood. Almost sounds like royalty.....

From pull up to collecting payment, 1.5 tops.

I went the cash route as well. It's a slower way to grow, but manageable IMO. Also, if you find the business isn't your cup of tea, you won't have a ton of debt to get out from under. My overhead is lower because of it, and I can afford to keep my pricing competitive.

That's just plain mean.....

Um, I wouldn't recommend a surface cleaner on asphalt (unless it is equipped with much larger nozzles). If you want to see striping, go for it (I know because I tested out a new Big Guy for about 5 seconds on my own driveway, OOPS!!) Use the diluted 12.5% by itself, and a wand with a wide fan to rinse, and keep the nozzle as far from the surface as possible. I'd stay away from the TSP, Dawn, or any other caustic type cleaners. Asphalt is made with LOTS of oil, so you wouldn't want to be removing it from the asphalt.

Here's what we do to increase draw rates: 1- NEVER RUN THROUGH A HOSE REEL (too much restriction). 2- always use one less size than your machine calls for. 3-250' max length on the line. Although this may create problems for some, we've found that most times we only are using 250 feet of hose or less, and if you don't use the reel, you can hook up an injector on less hose if you have it in sections on the reel (we run 3-100 sections with QC's on our reels)". If you are having troubles with long pressure lines and chemical draw rates, look at adding a Shurflo pump to the injector for an "induction" system. If you are unfamiliar with this, check the search function for "induction".

Russ, I need to come to Alabama. In Minnesota, two girls with Carhartt insulated bibs, and Sorel boots are considered "hot".

Don't us it for house wash, but it is a key component of our stripper mix...good stuff, but use caution

I just bought a 10 acre hobby farm. Going to raise some chickens and pigs, and a real big garden. I've always wanted to live rural, and now I can. Pressure washing got me to where I want to be. I'm still keeping the biz going, but slowing down my life. Big smiles from here on out. LIFE IS GOOD!!

When they're over.....

Hey Ron, laugh all you want, but it works great. Only problem is you need to be up on the roof pointing the flame towards the asphalt shingles. been doing it for years, and its good $$$.....

Why would it ruin a hose reel? I've never had a problem, and you won't either -here's why: Since you're running chems through the reel and hose, all it takes is simply shutting off the injector and running water through the system. You will do this every time you use the injector when rinsing, so no problem.

You crack me up, but yes bleach. Chris, is there a stain on the house now? You can use HD-80, but rinse the window trim immediately after you apply it. If it dwells for more than a minute or two, you'll have streaking and spotting, and longer dwell means aluminum damage. Not a process for folks who are unfamiliar with hydroxide and how it works. Also, using a stripper will require you to neutralize the wood to get it lightened. As Jim mentioned bleach will lighten up the wood, but it won't strip off old stain (usually).

Mark, Welcome to the circus.... First, i'll tell you to do some serious reading of past posts. You assumption that "muzzle velocity" is equally affected by reducing flow or pressure is incorrect. Never reduce flow. Adjust pressure by using larger orifice nozzles, not by adjusting the unloader. Deck work especiallt redwood, you should keep it under 1000psi for sure. And search - stripping decks, neutralizing, Oxalic acid, sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite for starters. This should keep you busy for the next couple of months....

How cold is it out there in OR? I have trouble with my Honda's when the temps dip below 25 or so. I think the governor springs may not work as they should in colder temps at open throttle. I would look to the mechanical pro's for a more definitive answer on this though.

We use them at about 3200 rpm (between three and four on the Makita dial). Any faster and they wear out real quick, and they don't work as well at higher rpm's.

We buy them here: McMaster-Carr 6" 80 grit $48.58

Try Jasco stripper from any of the big box stores. It's a bit spendy for a large area like the floor, but it WILL take off the solid stain/paint from the spindles etc. If it were my deck I would replace the railings and spindles with new lumber (a bit more expensive, but ALOT easier). Good luck.

Joe, Get your degree and find a cushy job, it's much easier. You have the skills to make it in this biz if you want to, so you do have options. Options are good in this day and age.

We used to have a 1 ton flatbed with an 8' bed. Skid, 225 gal tank, tool boxes, etc. Liked it alot, but didn't use it much after we got our Isuzu's. Working off a truck is definitely the way to go, but it is ideal to have more than one in case of a breakdown. Here's a pic: