Aplus

Or DNA White

If I were going to keep one chemical on hand for stripping decks, it would have to be HD-80. You can adjust the strength up/down as needed for each job. The EFC-38 is OK, but it's not the right chem for most situations. Of course don't forget you need a nuetralizer as well, be it oxalic or citric. I understand what you are saying about keeping chems around you don't use often, but in this business you have to be ready for whatever task is at hand, and that means you need to keep many different chems on hand. It's the nature of the beast. Maybe the first job you do with each chem is just a break even, but think of it that future jobs will have added profits since your chems will be paid for.

I typically use Olympic acrylic latex solid stain for my solid stain applications. It has performed very well. My thought process is that if I apply any solid stain, then that's the way it will always have to be. I would never suggest to a customer that in the future the solid can be removed and revert back to semi transparent....it's just too iffy.

Your best bet is to do a test spot and see what happens. Do a test on both verticals and horizontals. Then you will know what you are up against.

Not a problem. Keep doing what you're doing. Flushing with clear water and a little dry pumping is ok.

Dry heave flem

Dale, What you're experiencing is typical of new cedar. The pores are very tight and it doesn't allow good sealer penetration. After 12 months, give it a good wash, and restain. Then you'll see the wood suck up the stain much better, which is a key for longevity.

New cedar does not absorb stain well, even after a nice efc-38 bath, followed by a brightener. The pores are just too tight. Can't seem to get two coats to fully absorb. I always find that the second time a cedar deck is restored is the best. I like to let a deck dry for about 30 days before I wash and stain. That's how I prefer, and others will have their preferences too. Ideally, new cedar should be washed and stained within 30 days, and after 12 months, washed and restained again. The pores of the wood will be more open and allow deeper penetration of the stain.

Thompsons has several different products, and I think they have changed some of their receipes. I recently came across a deck with two coats of Thompsons wood toner, with the honey color. It appeared like any typical semi-transparent stain. The Thompsons laughed at the HD-80, even at full strength, the stuff beaded off, even beyond 30 minutes dwell time. This was the first time I was unable to remove a Thompsons product. When I get some free time I need to get over to the hardware and check this product out.

I wouldn't touch that job with a ten foot pole. Solid restain only. If you can't remove 100% of that green stain, imagine what it will look like showing thru a semi-transparent. IMHO, there are many other jobs out there for me. Sometimes it's just better off to pass on a job that will have a questionable outcome. I just don't have the time to spend several days labor on a job like that. Those kind of jobs are the dregs and can be left for your competitors to burn themselves on.

S/H burned flesh

Hey Grant... Forgetfulness may be caused by breathing in too many chems........:)

Gee it almost reminds me of a naming contest for a new WoodTux color.

Baby poop green Jaundice yellow

For extended running periods, pressure lubrication is preferred. If only used for short periods of time, then it's not really necessary. This feature easily adds a few hundred to the price.

Wow, that's good advice Scott, I didn't know that. Sure makes me think that DI water has it's place, but should be used sparingly and when absolutely necessary.

A couple more....

Call them and say you work for Henrys Housework.....LOL!

Hope you had a good one!!!!

Jon, I was concerned about underbidding the job. Sometimes things can turn out to be a lot more work than first meets the eye. Often times I'll do a test clean before bidding a job, but in this case I didn't have the specific products on hand, so it wouldn't have been an accurate test with different chems. The products I used were expensive ($35-52 per gallon) but everyones happy, and I bid accordingly so it really doesn't matter what the chems cost. I plan on keeping some on hand for future demonstrations, however.

Jon, I had done a few awnings before, but nothing like what I was up against at that complex. I had never encountered that much mold. I knew bleach was out of the question due to the particular surroundings, so I had to find an alternative. I was upfront with the manager in telling him those awnings were in severe condition, and I had concerns about employing methods I had used in the past. I told him that I needed to do some research specifically aimed at his situation. He was very appreciative of my honesty and told me two other companies had bid, and neither of them explained anything to him about how they were going to approach the job. In fact one company said they were going to apply Thompsons as a water proofer. The manager even knew Thompsons was not the correct product for canvas awnings. I went to HD yesterday and checked out the Thompsons closely, and no where did it say it is OK to use it on canvas or cloth. In fact the label said, wood, cement, brick, etc, hard surfaces. When I created my proposal, I included some product information of the products I was going to use. It added credibility I think. Some may say to never reveal your weaknesses to a customer, to always portray you are an expert in the service they are requesting. But I think in certain situations, you can use it to your advantage. Once the manager saw that I fully grasped what had to be done, and understood exactly how we were going to restore the awnings, he only saw me as a professional, not as inexperienced in awning cleaning. Sit back and think about how you can employ different techniques in your sales presentation. The idea is to demonstrate that you are the right guy for the job, not the other outfits that didn't take the time to educate the customer.

I'll post the after pics for all the dirtys later. I don't feel like walking to the truck now to get the camera. I didn't really expect to be getting a job like this, it just presented itself. When I got there to do the estimate, I knew I had to do the research before offering any service. I told the site manager that I needed a day or two before I could present him with a proposal. I did my homework and found out exactly what had to be done to clean those awnings, and presented it to the site manager the next day. He awarded me the job that day. With the impetus of the first big awning cleaning opportunity, I learned everything I could in one night, and the next morning. Orders were placed for products I'd never heard of. Armed with all the research, and some expensive chemicals, we jumped in feet first, hoping that other experiences and gut feelings make up for a lack of on-the-job experience. Mission Accomplished. Here's one of the guys hamming for the camera.

Well said Paul! Excellent.

The only way to know, is to go ahead and give the house a mild wash. Test it on an area in the back. If it takes the finish right off, then the house would need to be painted. On heavily oxidized aluminum there are no safe bets. Before doing anything, I explain the situation to the customer. If they decide to do nothing, and not wash, the house still looks like crap. If you wash it, the house may end up shiny bare metal in many places. It's a lose - lose situation. Once the customer understands the situation, they can make a better decision which direction they want to go. And they usually know deep down that the house REALLY does need painting, and face up to it. I make sure to cover all the bases in advance and not set false expectations regarding the outcome of the house wash. By doing that, you've turned it into a win for you and your pocketbook...:)

Well, the processes we developed to clean the awnings were the result of MUCH research, MANY phone calls, EXPENSIVE cleaners, and trial & error in the field. I'm not going to specifically say here how to get awnings that clean, it is up to each person to do their homework as I did. All the information is available via the wonderful tool we call the world wide web. Basically, A product needs to be applied for the mold. A product needs to be applied to clean the dirt, sap, droppings, etc. A method needs to be employed to agitate and loosen the dirt, sap, droppings, etc. A product needs to be applied to seal/waterproof the canvas. Sorry for the vagueness, but this newly developed process is going to provide a lot of options and make me a lot of money. You didn't really think I was going to spill the info did you? Good Luck.....and get busy doing your homework! And BTW...the complex manager was blown away. He could not remember the awnings ever looking that good. Considering that they cost $400 each to replace, he didn't waste a second in signing me up to do annual cleanings.