Trevor C.N

Would love to get your thoughts on staining old PT - it's the bane of my summers! The biggest challenge I have is making old pt look good, and here in the North (Canada) I stain a lot of pt wood. This is the problem: The older the deck is, the darker the final finish is. This photo is great example - I washed, brightened, even buffed this deck - and i'm not happy with end result. The deck looks inconsistent, and dark and dirty. On this particular deck I used AC amber, but I get a similar result with AC cedar semi transparent. The only solution I have right now is to use a semi-solid, but most customers really desire a cedar semi-transparent finish. Trevor

Thanks for suggestions guys. I've got a lot to go on here. Rod... I won't tell Beth about the bleach suggestion :) Rick, I'll check out Ready Seal and see if their product is approved for Canada.

Hey Rick, Thanks for the link. I'll call up Scott and get some Ready Seal and Defy stain samples and try them on old pt. Thanks for your input! Trevor

Hey Rick, Appreciate your comment. I did all the preparation steps including percarb. There was no previous stain on this deck (otherwise I would have stripped it.) I also mixed stain very thoroughly. I think Jason is on to something. Can anyone recommend a good stain that doesn't have predominantly transoxide pigments? I get my stain at the sealer store. Trevor

Thanks Jason, That really makes a lot of sense, i'll look into that stain! Does anyone else have thoughts or stain recommendations? Trevor

How much sanding did this require? Trevor

Rod I don't use sikkens, but i'm interested to hear why Sikkens is a particular bad alkyd stain. Thoughts? Trevor

Depending on the build of the deck, you could flip the boards.

I feel the same way with precarb and new decks. What alternative would you suggest then - a light bleach mix perhaps ?

Hey Rod thanks for your comment. In my experience, the precarb slightly darkens the wood, so I end up using the brightener anyways. So why not just use a brightener as the only chem on a deck? Of course, i'm only talking about fairly new decks that are just grey - no mold or mildew. Has anyone done this before?

I've been thinking... if a deck is just a bit weathered from 2 - 3 years of sun exposure, why couldn't you just clean it with a brightener (and some TSP or Dawn) and save yourself an extra step (by not applying the precarb to it). Assuming that there is no mold, or milder on the deck, this seems like a viable option.

I was hoping someone could give me advice on purchasing a chem tank and sprayer. I’m looking for a 25 gallon chemical sprayer to reduce the amount of time it takes me to mix chemicals on site. I typically work with sodium hydroxide (stripper) and brightener. I found a duel 25 gallon tank with a single hose (It has a control valve for tank selection). This seems like a good option for me, but i’m wondering if sharing the same hose would be a problem with these two chemicals? Should each chemical tank get a separate hose? Also, what length of hose is adequate for residential jobs? I need to make sure it can stretch far enough into most backyards. Any better suggestion in mind? please tell!

Thanks! So I can probably get away with using the same hose for all my chemicals, as long as i'm careful to clean the hose out before I switch it over?

So Let's say I end up getting a 200 ft chemical hose that's mounted from my truck. When i'm done spraying the stripper, what would I do with everything that's left in the hose?

I use oxalic acid for my brightener.

I have a repeat customer who wants me to clean the ceiling of his horse stall. The stall is a couple years old, but the ceiling is caked with black mold spots. The owners are concerned that it’s affecting the air quality for the horses. After I clean it, they want me to seal it to prevent further growth. I’m not brightening or using bleach because it will drip down the wood walls and cause bright drip marks. So I’m limited to Percarbonate. Two questions: How do I ensure dwell time on a ceiling? What is a good clear sealer to use for preventing mold? – It won’t be exposed to UV so pigment doesn't matter. Thanks in advance for the suggestions! Trevor

Haha! I'm just thankful to have such a valuable resource. I could not have started my business without the experience and insights of this community. Thanks to Jake from AC for taking the time to tell me about TGS.

Alright! Thanks Rick and everyone else for the advice! I'll do exactly that and let you know how it turns out! Best Regards

This season has been so frustrating because of the immense rain in my area. Just this past two weeks we’ve experienced multiple floodings here in Central Ontario. As I specialize in deck restoration, I haven’t been able to sand or stain decks with this constant moisture. It’s my second year in business, so I’m only privy to deck restoring, and haven’t tried anything else. I’m in a real pickle. I need to find additional work for these wet days. I was thinking of maybe down streaming vinyl houses, or roof cleaning. I have a cold water machine - 3500 PSI and 4gpm. 1-2 man crew. Not sure what route to take. What do you guys do in similar situations? Suggestions? Could I call someone up? Thanks as always! Trevor

Looks great Shane! You make quick work out of those fences. Did you prep them first with Oxalic acid to remove the mill glaze, or did you just spray the stain immediately?

At what point do you guys decide to strip an old coat instead of a simple wash-down and recoat? I’m having trouble with this question and could really use some guidance. I’m not referring to solid stains, just penetrating stains. I specifically use AC If the first coat looks faded and worn, will a second coat over-top look inconsistent and shabby, will it fail? Thanks!

Alright, Luckily I took some photos while I was on the job. These photos are after I washed with the precarb cleaner. I haven't used a brightener on it yet, and i don't plan on it until i'm fully satisfied.

Hey Seymore, If your doing an old fence with lots of dirt and grime on it, do you strip it instead of using precarb or bleach... even if there's no stain? The reason i'm asking is because i'm currently doing a fence that is in similar condition to the one you posted. I was using precarb, but there is still lots of soiled (darkened) spots on it, especially around the knots. If I put any more pressure on it, the wood will fur on me, and i'll have to spend a day dealing with that. Do you have any advice for me? Thanks. Trevor

Hey Seymore, Thanks for your interest. That website is just a place holder for now - I have a new one on the way. Last year I used a product called Cutek, which I haven't heard anyone mention on TGS before. It's a very high penetrating stain developed in Australia. It works very well. However, in the interest of lowering my costs this summer, I have my eyes set on AC. I'm relatively close to the boarder, so Scott from the Sealer Store is hooking me up.

Thanks Greg. I managed to find a local distributor of the Osborn brush in my area. They cost $68.00 apiece. I just wish I could get my hands on some defelting pads to give myself some options on the job.... plus I hear they are great for getting between spindles. I created a signature, hopefully it will show on this post.