Aplus

I've got the K&N replacement filter installed and it has not helped fuel economy at all. In fact the only time it seems to make a difference in performance is at higher rpm's when pulling a load. Probably a waste of $45.

I don't spray so I don't worry about it. A paper towel moistened with mineral spirits cleans up any fresh stain on siding, trim etc. I don't use cloth rags because of the concern of spontaneous combustion in my trailer. Paper towels dry quickly outside and pose less risk.

I also buy all my PPE from DirectSafety. They have everything you need, stuff you didn't know you needed, and fair prices to boot.

A nice sized boxfan strategically mounted in your trailer will provide good airflow too. I've got a 110 burner & generator, so it's not a problem. If you're running 12v, then a power inverter would be needed. Moves a heck of a lot of air compared to teeny fans mounted in the roof vents.

I always wear long pants because I don't want stain on my legs. Nitrile gloves are a must, so for me the only area exposed that I typically get any stain on are my arms, and I try to keep them wiped off.

Belated Happy Birthday Alan! Hope it was a good one. Gee, I wish I could take Sundays off.....but not for awhile, too much work, combined with rainy weather = work everyday I can.

Chad, I'm hoping to start them next week. I've been holding off starting because the weather has been so unpredictable here. Last week we had five rain days....it was terrible. I hesitate to start stripping condo decks with these conditions because there are eight families in every building, and that's a lot of folks to inconveniance when the weather is bad, especially those in the upper units, because many of them bring stuff inside and place on blankets in their living rooms, instead of having to haul everything down the steps.

You could always stain the other boards, and leave the new boards unfinished until they become dry enough. You can either come back in a week or so to stain them, or if the customer wants to do it, leave them a small container of stain. For myself, I prefer to do all the work, and would come back and finish the job. My thinking is that if they wanted to do the work, they wouldn't have hired me to do it. Of course I would explain to the customer the details of the situation.

Actually the boards were kiln dried. As Dale said, if the moisture is low enough, go ahead and stain them. You will need a digital moisture meter to be sure. Of course the new boards will look different than the old boards, but it is possible to mix colors of stain to attempt to achieve a better appearance.

Possibly rained on or sprinklers hit it before dry.

Rob, How is it that you have become an expert on everything in this field in the past year? I believe most of us were doing this work when you were still popping zits on the bathroom mirror.

I've found that older cedar accepts stain better than new cedar, provided the wood is prepared properly. Brand new cedar is too tightly grained and does not accept stain very well. If the deck has deep grooves, caused by too much pressure power washing, then sanding may be in order, because those grooves will show up. If they're not too deep, then just prepare the surface as usual and stain. The normal aging process of the wood will correct the minor surface imperfections over time.

HC acid is too dangerous and toxic as far as I'm concerned. I'd rather stick with a sodium hydroxide based product for cleaning concrete. Just my .02

I've not seen rebuilt pumps for sale. I would rather buy a brand new one at around $250 than take a chance on saving a few bucks. The cost of rebuild parts and the labor involved is likely to be more expensive than worth it.

With the proper soaps, hot water is not even necessary on most vinyl or aluminum sided houses. It's nice to have the hot water available though. I've washed houses both ways....hot and cold, and now wash houses exclusively with cold water. My .02

CWF also comes in a driftwood gray color. God save the Queen if it is CWF! If the customer doesn't remember the color, or brand, ask them if they remember where they bought it. It's a shot in the dark to help get a clue. Lowes and HD, for example have differing product lines in the deck stain department. Your local hardware stores will likely have differing products as well. Generally speaking, the lower cost/quality products are more likely to be at a superstore rather than at your local neighborhood hardware store, where more expensive products like Cabots, Sikkens, and Penofin are usually found. Many times I've had homeowners tell me that they can't remember the brand or color, but they know they got it at our local lumber yard. I immediately know that lumber yard only carries Penofing & Cabots, so my search has been greatly reduced. Hope this helps.

Alan, That's how I have mine setup too, except I have a q/c on the incoming side as well. I find it much easier to be able to switch lances, or switch to my surface cleaner without shutting down. Acts like a ball valve if you think of it.

Not only that, but oxalic causes damage to your liver and kidneys. And if you plan on having kids, you may cause your children to have birth defects from your exposure to oxalic acid. That is the reason why I have switched to citric acid.

Well I've never done one like that, but I watch Hometime & Bob Vila, and they've shown old homes being restored. I remember seeing them employ several methods, from using a heat gun and scraping, to applying paint stripper and scraping. Of course, since the homes are old, you have to be concerned about lead fumes/poisoning. You might be able to go to the Learning Channel website, and drill through looking for stories on paint removal and restoration of old homes. I'd look for you, but it's late, and I'm tired.

Rod, I looked at an MSDS sheet for pure sodium percarbonate, and it states to not mix oxidizers with sodium percarbonate. Isn't bleach considered an oxidiser? Since efc38 is 50% sodium percarbonate, I assumed that the same statement would apply. Where is professor Paul when you need him?

Send me your mailing address and I'll get you one for you to decide.

Rob, If it weren't for the fact you are dispensing poor advice to lots of people on this board, I'd just say you crack me up. And since lots of people read this and may not know your lack of experience and understanding of chems, I have to say it may be in everyones best interest if you not continue dispensing poor advice. Nothing personal, really, you're just on low side of experience and need to learn. Whatever or whoever tells you these things about PPE is wrong, simply put. I hope you have a long life and prosperous business. Everybody makes mistakes and learns from them, it's part of the process of growing. Just don't kill yourself in the process. Of course we all handle harsh chemicals, and there is nothing wrong with that if safety concerns are addressed. Wise up man.

The best choice for a battery would be a deep cycle, which is most appropriate for running down, and charging back up. A standard battery would not hold up well in this scenario. I've though about fabbing up a 12v connector inside my trailer that I could plug my pump cart into to recharge while driving. That way the battery won't get deep cycled and would always be charged. A smaller battery could then be used.

About a quart of lighter fluid and a match. Actually, I won't even offer to strip solid acrylic latex stains. A wash and recoat only. Too many good jobs available to waste time with these. And the MEK that Beth speaks of, it's really nasty. Remember, when you use paint strippers you'll have to hand scrape with a putty knife and properly dispose of the goop that comes off. You can't power wash the stuff off and spray the toxic shlop all over the customers yard. I've had decent results with HD-80 removing oil based solid stains, and not so good results with latex based solid stains.

I'll gladly post a picture of a deck sealed with Penofin. I hate the stuff, the smell makes me want to gak, and the cruddy Brazilian Rosewood Oil is nothing more than food for algae growth. Every single Penofin deck I see in Michigan looks similar to this.