Celeste
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Posts posted by Celeste
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We usually use Ready Seal. This was a one time bad experience....I refer to these retail grade stains as "over the counter" as opposed to "prescription". She wanted a color - not a wood enhancing thing of beauty. Heck, we had to strip her umpteen coats of Behr first then to try to match the crap with what she wanted. As far as I'm concerned, offering people colors is just asking for trouble. , but for the record, you "two tone guys" what stain do you use when someone wants to have the white rails - I know it ain't Ready Seal or Wood Tux!
Celeste
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Aw c'mon - don't you like the artwork? I'm sure the manager is thrilled with his "one of a kind" end wall.
Celeste
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You're not just whistling Dixie on that one - I'm thinking that she may have some regrets herself right about now. Not sure what is still going to happen - we do know that SW is going to make good on it (although I don't think replacing the existing stuff with the SAME stuff is the answer at all!) The whole mess has fried my brain.
Celeste
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We pull our rig with a 97 Ram 1500 - we're wearing commercial tags rated for 11000 lbs - We have a dual axle trailer with a hot water washer, 325 gal tank (that, yes, we have pulled full - don't say you won't ever do it 'cause you will) 2 - 25 gal chem tanks, tool box, 2 hose reels and a truck bed fulll of a bunch of other stuff. She does just fine. We are upgrading to 6 ply tires. Downside to Dodges is that they habitually have problems with their factory transmissions. We had ours rebuilt - no problems since.
Now granted, Roger WANTS a bigger truck but for the purpose and price you are looking at, a plain ole Ram 1500 will suffice.
Celeste
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Never try moving a full shop vac down carpeted stairs without making certain that the top is SECURED. I managed to dump 2 housefulls of drywall dust and carpet grigglies all the way down the staircase...makes for a great day.
Oh and by the way Reed......if you want that fresh shaved look, try Nair next time :)
Celeste
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We are experiencing a similar problem with a deck that we did just three months ago - the stain is completely failing in some locations and the deck floor, rails, spindles are all polka-dotted with black (big) spots. This was a strip of a solid Behr product - SHE chose the Deckscapes stain that we used because it was the closest match we could get to her previous color. Deck was stripped with SH product, brightened with oxalic - looked fine for the rest of the summer and now POOF, it has black chicken pox. This post has been extremely helpful for us - hopefully we can all find a solution that isn't going to break the bank. (I hate these growing pains).
Will post pics this afternoon.
Celeste
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Right here!!!!!! Click on the STORE link :)
Celeste
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Dale, where did you find the homemade MSDS on the stuff?
Celeste
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This not only seals the wood but guarantees the WOOD for 25+ years. Supposed to go so deeply into it then forms another type of bond inside the wood - sounds like a man-made petrification process. What if you were to go try & strip a deck with the "sealant on steroids" stuff (but didn't know it was there)? Wonder what would happen?
Celeste
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It's not just wood care either.....they guarantee this sealant on concrete & masonry as well. It's a big franchise thing.....we did get some conflicting information from the rep we spoke to as far as the concrete and it's abilities after sealing but my thing is - what can you put in a sealer that is that strong but that will also allow ANY TYPE stain to be applied and then say it will make the stain last longer. And the bigger question - how much does this stuff cost to use??????? It's got to be through the roof.
The guy that originally (on another board) that put his link up is getting into this and says that their repeat business will be brightening? How can you brighten the wood periodically if it's sealed so tight? (Confusion is setting in!)
Celeste
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Our bid was accepted (yippee!!!!) Here are some pics of the cleaning. She really wants us to put down the Anti-Growth so down it's going. We'll seal in a couple of weeks when we do a full house wash :)
Celeste
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http://www.sealmaxx.com/process.asp
Not just anyone can buy this stuff - one must be a dealer (for the small price of $78,000 for an area of only 250,000 persons) - but I'm more curious as to what is in this stuff that will allow you to GUARANTEE IT TO LAST FOR 25 YEARS!!!!!!!! (They say they can guarantee 100 years but 25 sounds more reasonable)
Out of curiousity, we did call and speak to someone at Seal Maxx. According to them, the concrete sealant can penetrate up to 8 inches and then can still be stained with anything. The wood sealant goes onto a wet deck (?) then can be stained but then this will make the stain last 3 times longer. They will guarantee "their" stain for 7 years.
How 'bout them cookies?
Celeste
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Just check out the thread-starter.....6% bleach. More specifically, Clorox because I was able to get it from Sams for a decent price. It would be more convenient to order it in larger quantities, but the frequency with which I do roofs is not great enough to warrant buying in large quantities. Still, it works great.Silly Me! I was so busy being impressed by your photos that I didn't read the wordy stuff :)
Celeste
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Soooo, whatcha using to clean with - or is it a "proprietary secret" :)
Celeste
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Wow - what a difference! Very nice work -
Celeste
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Dale,
We'll all be sorry to see you leaving the business. I personally have learned much from you however, your family is the obvious choice when you have to make a decision like this. Our family was the direct reason for us getting into this business as Roger was 2nd shift for the past 12 years and missed half of our kids growing up.
We wish you all the best in your "new" life. Stop by and tell us about it - Enjoy!
Celeste
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Nick - thanks for the suggestion (LOL I was the one sending you to eacochem for your alma mater job)
I don't know if the previous pressure washer was taking advantage or didn't know what he was doing to the surface. She was perfectly happy to have us come do the same thing every three months because that's what she thought she was supposed to do. (Anyone seeing Carolina ProWash working on educating the customer????) We are offering a full restoration at just a moderate amount over what she was paying annually. This will cut her annual maintenance down dramatically and improve the longevity of her sidewalks. This is also in the high profile neighborhood in our town. The entire brick driveway across the street is just as mossy & green - they will have to keep up the same appearance as the kids across the street :)
The plan is to use Eacochem's Saferestore to bring the color of the brick back to it's best. We are looking at two siloxine sealants, one by Prosoco and one by Diedrich Technologies. Each is supposed to be water resistant but Prosoco H40 is also supposed to strengthen the old mortar. We want to push for the sealer that will prevent further erosion of the brick. The mildew, mold & other green stuff preventative is called Anti-Growth - order through Sherwin Williams - supposed to last for multiple years. Wer're comfortable with the cleaning, restoration, sealing but the question of the hour is, at what stage would he Anti-growth be applied? If applied before the sealer, it is under the sealer and can't do anything about the green stuff. If applied after the sealer, it can't penetrate into the brick and will just wash away with the first heavy dew or rain. Product mfg says you are not supposed to add anything to their product however, he's heard of mixing the anti-growth to the sealer being done...again, against mfgr instructions for use. Hmmm, suggestions - experience???
Celeste
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I had to edit.....my pics were too big....drives me craazy! Celeste
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This is a brick job that we bid today....the brick has been cleaned every three months (by someone else) for several years at $200 a whack for right at 1200 sq ft. It's also 50+ years old. We're trying some new chemicals, including some that are supposed to inhibit the green growths for about 5 years. Looks like fun, huh?
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We have an x-jet which is wonderful for the high houses we get. We also have a dual electric pump setup (Cobra JobBoss which I think is along the Flojet type) that has its own purposes. When there are two doing brick, pump system is outstanding....one applying acid & one washing right behind. We run a minimum of 5 gallons clean water immediately after every job (on the site, not after we get home). We're thinking about spraying stain with that as well....but that's still in the thinking stages, no practical testing yet.
The x-jet is an investment you will not regret at all.
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Have a very happy one today and many more Rod!
Celeste
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Jon, I'll freely admit that I've learned more than just pw stuff from your posts. You are a professional in every sense of the word - we wish you the best with your health and future plans. You will be in our prayers.
Celeste
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I do not own a extention wand, however i'd like to get one. Can anyone tell me where i might find a good one.Pat
DO NOT get one of those noodly things from Northern! I believe Beth carries one here. Another type (pricey but well worth it) is the Coress Wand. I personally can't handle any other wand but the Coress - it's rigidness helps me to hold it where it needs to be....but then again, I'm just a girl :)
Celeste
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What he said :)
Celeste
caustics?
in Residential Pressure Washing
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Desi,
www.bia.org This is the Brick Industry Association website. That should keep you reading for a bit.
The best concrete cleaner is debatable in many threads. Just read read read.
here is some of an article on efflorescence:
"Efflorescence is a crystalline deposit of water-soluble salts (usually white) on the surface of masonry. All masonry materials are susceptible to efflorescence. Water-soluble salts that appear in chemical analysis in only a few tenths of one percent are sufficient to cause efflorescence on a masonry surface. The amount of salts and character of the deposits can vary widely, according to the nature of the soluble materials present and atmospheric conditions. Temperature, humidity, and wind affect efflorescence. In the summer, even after long rainy periods, moisture evaporates quickly and small amounts of salt or efflorescence are brought to the surface. Usually efflorescence is more common in the winter, when the slow rate of evaporation allows the migration of salts to the surface.
Efflorescence that occurs on new construction after the masonry dries is referred to as "new building bloom". New building bloom is generally an unsightly nuisance and no cause for concern, as it will normally weather off within a few months to a year. Efflorescence that persists in masonry walls and chimneys generally means that excess moisture is entering the system and (if not remedied) is a precursor to more serious damage. "
Again, the cleaning of this is always up for multiple opinions.
Dave O has nailed it.....you will find more answers than you may ever need in these posts. Make a big pot of strong coffee and hit the search button! (If you really want to see chemistry in posts, look for Ryan's.)
Cheers,
Celeste