big mike

I think a big reason this BBS is popular is the lack of DRAMA every day. Thank you Beth, Rod, and moderators!!

Let me set you straight. I don't claim to know more than anyone, but I do know quite a bit about cleaning and maintaining decks. If you doubt that, you need to do some reading on this forum. As for you dissing me, I'll take your crap when you've posted more than 20 times. Until then, read and learn. Oh, and just an FYI: I wouldn't have Tim Carter (ask the bumbler) rake my yard, let alone touch my deck. He's a newspaper columnist for crying out loud.

You're joking, right????

spammer

Happy B'Day!! I'll have a glass of cheer to celebrate....

Random orbitals vibrate and move in a circular motion. Palm sanders simply vibrate. The random orbital will work faster, and reduces sanding marks left by heavier grit paper. We use Porter Cable random O's, and DeWalt square sheet palm sanders. Both have their place in the arsenal.

Hi Steve, I would go with the basic 1.6 gallon per minute pump, as it is inexpensive, and a workhorse. I think Northern Tool carries their own brand for about $20 cheaper than Shurflo. We use a simple sprayer wand that you'd use for lawn care. It is poly and aluminum, and has an adjustable tip (cone pattern), and a hose barb connection at the handle. Cheap, around $7-$10. 3/8"Poly braid hose, and you're good to go. The only thing about spraying sodium percarbonate (oxegen bleach), is that is tends to lose prime at the pump because it is so active after mixing. Make sure to mix with warm water, and try to dissolve as much product as possible before pumping.

Absolutely. Also a good bit of elbow grease with a scraping tool on the thicker globs.

Well I wouldn't go that far.... We do a LOT of PT pine with bleach, and it works fine. The best method when using bleach is multiple rinses (then rinse some more). I believe there was some discussion about something that neutralizes bleach (copper sulfide?? or something like that), but just plain rinsing works well.

Just an FYI, Ox does not neutralize hypochlorite. It will brighten beyond what the bleach does, but it doesn't counteract the bleach.

Rush Limbaugh....

Doug, just sell them on a nice solid re-coat. EZ money, and it'll look great.

Glycol will definitely help. Worst case scenario, you may need a gel type stripper like Jasco, or similar. If the finish is pretty much gone, apply your regular stripper full strength with some glycol (10:1 works well for me), and a long dwell. Sanding / buffing / defelting will be necessary.

Here's two we just finished using SW deckscapes solid acrylic white on the railings, and Ready Seal dark red on the cedar floors. Probably the last decks of the year.

Joe, Most times we do all deck work with pads and spray the rails. Call me or PM for more detailed info

Pete, wait on the fence for sure. I've had many redo's on new construction cedar, and a fence redo is expensive. If the customer can wait, I'd hold off.

Trust me, all of the folks who get a $25 -$50 gift card from me this fall will remember who they got it from. Also, they then feel obligated to return the favor. Many great leads this way, and well worth the $$$. I laugh at the idea of the "warm fuzzy" you guys think you get because of a job well done, but that's your EGO talking. If you think folks are going out of their way to refer you because you were "such a special contractor" you're nuts. You're expected to do quality work, so actually doing it, isn't going to make them go out of their way for you. Money talks, plain and simple. I'm sure I'll get roasted for this, but it's the truth.. Go the extra mile to retain good customers, that's the bottom line.

Blast from the past. I learned a lot of stuff from him and Reed, remember him??

www.eacochem.com Lots of info on their site, or call them for directions.

NMD80 is a hydrochloric based I believe (not positive on that, so check the MSDS). It's definitely stronger than Ox. I rarely use a respirator with Ox, but it's a must with most EacoChem stuff.

Should be. I would try it in an inconspicuous spot first, to test colorfastness. It says be careful of dyed substrates, but NMD80 is a pretty weak solution. As always, low pressure on EIFS.

Check your governor spring

I'll respectfully disagree with that. In MN & WI just about every home has a deck, and they get beat up pretty bad by the weather. Mold isn't as much of a problem up here as it is in warmer climates, so homes don't get as bad. We do at least 3:1 decks to housewashes, and that's a steady number for at least the last 7 years. Joe, I thought you were going to focus on wood restoration, no? If so, advertise what you want to focus on, and pick up the other stuff when you can. Just my 2 cents...

I would market the deck work first. Decks pay a much higher ROI than house washing. 2-3 decks from that mailing and it paid for itself.

We regularly wash into the mid 30's, but it takes a lot longer for the Hypochlorite to work.