Deck Guy

“One would soon go mad if one took such coincidences too seriously. One might be led to suspect that there were all sorts of things going on in the Universe which he or she did not thoroughly understand.” – Kurt Vonnegut

NAPA repaired my brother's car wash hoses all the time. I'd definitely check around to see who does it for a fair price nearby.

I feel like a 4 GPM machine is the minimum.

John, You sound like my neighbor who pressure-washed his house with an electric washer on a ladder for two solid days. Then he climbed on the roof and leaned over the eave to clean the exterior of his gutters with a bucket and brush (they still look grey). He obviously had plenty of time on his hands too. I can't imagine not using an accountant. I have a traditional 401k, a Roth IRA, a 457 deferred compensation plan, a kid headed to college, pay income taxes in two states (thanks to my lovely wife), have bought and sold real estate, and run a small business in addition to a full-time job. Sorry John, but I don't believe for a second that by reading the tax code I could be as proficient as my accountant who studied it for years, and spends countless hours each year on learning the changes that are made. Do you remember the one time changes that the Fed's made with regard to depreciation schedules on major equipment purchases a few years ago. Did you do calculations to see how you might benefit from investing in new equipment vs. retaining your old stuff on it's current depreciation schedule? I know guys who bought multi-million dollar airplanes to take advantage of that deal. True story...a friend of mine recently graduated with a degree in accounting and went to work for a local accounting firm. He picked up the business of another friend of mine who had been using a tax service. When it was all said and done, he got him over $15,000 back that this national tax service had missed as deductions over the three previous years. ...and I can't believe a CPA would miss a credit like the one you mention. Even H&R Block would fire that guy!

Superclean, I hope this not off topic, but I think you missed the point. If the floor could withstand 3500PSI inch by inch, it might have withstood a capably strong and well-suited chem mix which you could have simply applied and rinsed. That results in huge time savings, and time is money. Chems aren't free, so you just as well could have lit a pile of dollar bills on the floor to see if the heat would help clean it. The fact that you tried chems in no way suited to your needs only makes it clearer that you could benefit from staying here, letting your hackles down, and taking some advice from people who are willing to share years (in some cases decades) of experience for free. Hell, I'm still learning about caustics, butyls, SH, percarb, TSP, degreasers, and everything else discussed here freely, and I check in almost every day. For the time you spend here, you will be repaid tenfold. I guarantee it.

My price inludes sanding if there isn't an insane amount of work to be done. I will spend maybe 20-30 minutes tops on most jobs. I almost always sand the top rail on decks, whether cedar or PTP. There are times when the previous finish hangs in the knots on PTP, and then they get a quick shot with the RO too. You have to be careful about selectively sanding cedar. It is possible to create dark spots when you stain by making penetration vary from area to area. I will sand the rails, but I try not to sand the floor unless the whole thing needs it. Usually you can get by with just removing the fuzzies if necessary.

I have a Craftsman 5" RO and a Makita belt sander. The Makita rocks on the handrails! I can also use it to resurface the tops of the supports if they are exposed, but didn't strip well due to rough grain.

Yeah Chaz, I bust my a$$ about once a year the same way. I flew off a four-step landing last year and landed with my back on the treads and my a$$ at the bottom. I literally had to just sit there in the stripper for a few minutes to figure out if anything was broken. The customer heard the crash and came out to see if I was alive or dead. The pattern of bruising on my back was wierd. Big stripes about 12" apart from top to bottom on one side, and one black hip. You think we would learn, but I get in a hurry sometimes and just plain forget to walk slowly and deliberately on the slick stuff. This year it's the Ready Seal on plastic tarps that's gonna get me. I just know it.

You wife was on my deck all night long!

Where's the pic??? Woodwork rocks!

Call this place if you are interested in downstreamable chems. Deck Stains and Brick Paver/Cement Sealers - Exterior Wood Deck and Paver Restoration Services and Sales They will help you shave some time off prep. Jarrod claims he can do a deck without even getting out of his truck using this stuff!:lgbounces A flexible wand will help you reach the spindles from the inside. BEND IT! TWIST IT! TURN IT! KEEPS ITS SHAPE UNDER PRESSURE - LANCES / WANDS STAINLESS / ZINC / ALUMINUM / GRIPS / TELESCOPIC / DUAL / SPECIALTY

I multiply the railing length times three or four depending on how it's made. I feel like that accounts for posts, facia, etc... If the deck is raised as you are implying with this one, you need to measure the railings on the stairs too, and add the square footage (or a fixed cost per stair tread) for the stairs themselves. When you post some pics, I'll let you know where I would be on this project (privately).

There are ways to speed up the process. If you decide to work by hand, get a stain pad on a pole. Wet the pad, then use it to do two spindles at a time. You can do the outside, then the inside, then get between the spindles after taking the pad off the pole. You should be able to do ten foot section in under five minutes this way. When spraying, you do have to tarp, but not as much as you think. I use a 4x10 disposable tarp when spraying the rails. Just clamp it to the inside of the handrail and let it drape when you're shoting from the outside, and vice-versa. It will catch the stain that shoots between the spindles. Spray the outside first, shooting from a 45 degree angle to the railing to get the side of the spindles. I shoot about a 10 foot section getting the face and one side of the spindles, then work back to that spot shotting the other side and the face again. Move the tarp and repeat. When working on the floor near the house, I use a big piece of cardboard as a spray shield, but only in the area where I'm working. I just lean it against the house and go to town. Having said that, there are times when it is just too windy to spray, or when even a light wind is carrying the spray in to the house. You will discover many techniques that will save you time as you get more experience. I can't imagine spending more than two hours on that deck from start to finish.

Almost all chem vendors have some version of it with similar sounding names, but they vary in strength. I think Rowletts Pressure Cleaning has some of the strongest. And I think his is actually called Citriclean.

Just run away! I won't ever try another at any cost. IMO it is impossible to srtip enough that you will be able to apply stain.

Ummm...how many GPM is your Delavan. You would not want to use a 5 GPM pump for stain. Can you say $100 a minute of stain coming out. I can stain a small deck with less than 5 gallons.

Even though this isn't the question, since you guys brought it up...it is not always necessary to tarp and mask like crazy in order to spray. A little common sense, proper conditions, experience and technique, and there will be times that NO tarping is required at all. As to pads vs. rollers...I find that I make a mess with rollers, so I always spray the floor and backbrush with pads. Most of the decks I do are elevated, and the last thing I need is stain dripping between the boards to whatever is below.

I work in a pretty compact area, so fuel prices are less of a consideration for me vs. some of you guys. My estimates are always free and given in person. If someone just wants me to call them with a price, I don't need that business. They will always go with the lowest price, and I'm not even trying to be that guy. In years past I have done a couple estimates without the homeowners present, but I don't think I ever got a job from one. From now on if they don't have time to meet with me, I don't have time to roll by to waste my time either.

...or, of course, the bucketster, by Shane.

You'll find that many people use the Decker/Deckster type (they use lower pressure), and an airless for heavier bodied stains. Some stains require backbrushing, some not. It's likely that the person selling the TWP wasn't even aware of the Decker/Deckster type sprayers, and that could be true of their info center as well. Any spraying takes some practice and technique, but IMO, any stain can be sprayed with the right equip. If I were to start all over again, I would have just gone with a Decker or Deckster only. I believe you could shoot just about anything with one of those and some practice. I have heard that the TWP is decent stuff, but be open to trying other stains to see what you like best, and what works best for your skill level, time on the job, and aesthetic results. You should consider all three, and the balance that you desire between them carefully.

Wikipedia... STPP is a solid inorganic compound used in a large variety of household cleaning products, mainly as a builder, but also in human foodstuffs, animal feeds, industrial cleaning processes and ceramics manufacture. STPP is widely used in regular and compact laundry detergents and automatic dishwashing detergents (in powder, liquid, gel and/or tablet form), toilet cleaners, and surface cleaners. It also provides a number of chemical functions including: sequestration of "water hardness", enabling surfactants to function effectively; pH buffering; dirt emulsification and prevention of deposition; hydrolysis of grease; and dissolving-dispersing dirt particles.

Here's a formula from The Chemistry Store. The Chemistry Store.com - Wood Deck Cleaner Formulations I am not a chemist by any means, but I would guess you could just mix in some TSP and be okay. Maybe a cup for every 10 cups of Percarbonate. You should be able to find it locally. I'm not sure where you might find soda ash on local scale. Maybe a place that sell water treatment supplies and softeners.

Here's what cedar looks like without any stain on it, and an "after" shot. Cedar will turn a uniform gray without any pigmented sealer/stain. Reduced Postcard Front1.bmp

Your customer should have asked the salesman if it would stay that color. There are a few clears out there which claim to inhibit UV degradation. I haven't experimented with any. I would just go with RS natural cedar.

That's the kind of results that bring referrals too. Looks great. No homeowner with his crappy machine and Home Cheapo chems and stains could ever hope to achieve such perfection.