Possibly World's Most Tragic Deck Job.... The Zero-Degree Debacle... Pics YIKES!

[fireandrain 39]

Okay Dokey, so I got a call from HO that went something like this..." We would like you to come look at our deck...We're thinking we need a new deck, but thought you could have a look at it and see if there's anything you could do to bring it back to life..." Went to have a gander, and I could barely believe my eyes! This poor guy had built the redwood deck back in '92 himself in an effort to save some bucks and then encountered all kinds of sinking issues with his hillside property, had to re-fi his house just to pay for all of the re-engineering of the hillside that his deck was slipping off... REALLY nice guy, with a super humble vibe about him.

Well, apparantly, he didnt do any sort of maintenance with this deck for about 12 yrs. and it really went to the crapper. So........ again, to save a few bucks he bought a PW, and went about his "restoration" process,err, ymm, with a ZERO-DEG nozzle!!!! When I asked him why it appeared that he PW'd the ENTIRE deck witht he 0-deg tip, even after it must have been apparent that he was really f'ing up the deck, he said with his head down, " Matt, I dunno, it was really hard to see what was going on with all of the misting around me, I know, I really screwed up..."

And OH BOY DID HE! Have a look at these pictures! Honestly, my mouth must have been dropped the whole time he and his ever so slightly angy wife were explaining their deck woes to me. I was a bit puzzled by his construction approach with all the short deck boards and handrails with lags in them... so he brought out an old photo album with pictures when he originally built the deck. It actually looked GREAT! I had to keep looking back and forth between the pics in his album and the deck itself in current state. I really could not believe my eyes! Some of those grooves and gauges are literally 1/2" deep! Poor guy, JEEEZZZZZZ!

To further complicate things, he had attached all the deck boards by hand with NAILS! No way to sand it down without a ton of labor re-screwing all of the deck boards I think. So..... After 45 minutes listening to this couples saga, I asked them point blank what their expectations were for the deck going forward. They said that they couldn't afford the $40K or more it would take to re-build the deck but also planned on sticking around another few yrs, so they really wanted it to "look much better" than it did now. Also, the house is in a very upscale neighborhood with a million dollar bay are view across golden grassy hills with oak trees... Losing that deck would really hurt their re-sale. Leaving it in disrepair would also not be so wise...BTW, they have a very open floor plan adjacent to the deck with large windows inside that look out at this beast of a deck. I constant reminder for this poor ol guy of what a nightmare he inflicted on the deck he built 15 yrs. ago to save a buck or two. Ughhhh.

I explained to them my approach:

1. Strip existing nasty old failing finish (wish I new what it was! He had no idea)

2. Brighten

3. Re-finish with med red RS.

Price $3,875

I should them my portfolio, made sure that they had realistic expectations about the final result: that it would look a whole lot better and be protected for a couple more yrs but that it would not reverse the damage that he had inflicted on the deck boards.

They agreed to the project, and Im going to start in a couple weeks.

What do ya'll think bout this one!

[fireandrain 39]

more pics of this beast.... hoping that stain will come off!

[mas3372 14]

When are the calling hours?

[bigchaz 157]

Wow thats incredible. If you dont have one already, get a orbital sander/polisher

Some 50 grit 8" hook and loop followed with some 80 grit will really help those surface boards and that post. Had a deck with some kind of deep dog clawing action in it and it really helped smooth it out.

Nice money for you btw

[MMI Enterprises 289]

"What do ya'll think bout this one!"

ummm. I can'tsee no damages through all that bay area art work...haha. gotta luv a humble mind .. :)

ps. you may need boosted hd80 type product on them verticles..did you test strip on it's most intact spot like on a northern side of board?

[PressurePros 249]

Test that stain with a stripper. It looks shiny and hard. Could just be over application but it might turn out to be the dreaded "A" word.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

What the dreaded "A" word Ken?..acrylic?,,varathane, varnsih?.... my worst fears are the dreaded "p" word polyurethane but since this is red it likely get an "A" rating.. like your thinking..:)

[fireandrain 39]

Yeah, I know, Im a bit concerned about the failing finish... didnt have my portable tester kit on hand when I visited the site, going to swing through next week and do a bit of test work. Oh, I could scratch the surface and the stain seemed to be flaking off okay. This one could really go either way~ that was my thinking in the price, thought it would give me some wiggle room if it ended up acrylic.

[fireandrain 39]

You might have noticed that all that vert work (spindles) is going to be difficult to strip from the backside due to the height below. Im thinkin' some extension lances and shoot from below? I usually use my flex lance and lean over the rail, but with the stripper, not sure that such a good idea! Dont want all that caustic rinsing back in my face. My face is getting hot just thinkin about it!

[bigchaz 157]

You might have noticed that all that vert work (spindles) is going to be difficult to strip from the backside due to the height below. Im thinkin' some extension lances and shoot from below? I usually use my flex lance and lean over the rail, but with the stripper, not sure that such a good idea! Dont want all that caustic rinsing back in my face. My face is getting hot just thinkin about it!

don't think you can hit it leaning over going to the sides? Lean your left side over with the gun in front of you and spray a few spindles down the rail then just walk forward with it. Youll coat the front by hitting the two sides and youll get less overspray back onto the surface...and yourself

[Tmrrptr 164]

Your pictures are pretty much the typical deck I see, down here.

We don't get any foggy days like you do up in Berkely.

Can't wait to see your after pictures.

r

[RPetry 564]

Matt,

That old finish does not appear to be acrylic from your pics. Try maybe 8 oz. / gal. of NaOH on an intact stain area as a test.

As long as you can strip it, that deck will look terrific when restored. Agree with Charlie on the random orbital sander with low grit, you can work around the nail heads and get rid of the 0 tip damage. Looks like a bit of carpentry work is also in order.

Have used a 24" flex lance many times on stripping outside balustrade similar to your photo and it works well. Just hit the wood with your body at an angle to prevent blowback to your face. This biggest danger is keeping the tip away from body parts.

Take plenty of photos. The "before and after" pics will help sell plenty of future customers. That redwood will look terrific when done.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Sometimes a little agitation helps too. A stiff bristled deck brush can help to loosen the finish if it is difficult to remove. Apply, let dwell, agitate, apply, let dwell, check surface, wash.

Beth

[fireandrain 39]

Hey, thanks for all the support everyone! It's so great to get thee types of pre-game pep talks when tackling a big deck strip project. I plan on really taking my time with this one to get it right. I'm going to start with the 8oz. p/gal stripper and work it in with a stiff bristled brush. Will really be patient with dwell time, I think Ive been a bit impatient in the past with dwell, something Im really working on these days... I cant wait to get my hands on this one! Scheduled for July 19th!

[jbruno 14]

I know it's expensive, but that new wolmans stuff will eat up acrylic. And I actually think that deck was pretty well built. If he hadn't lagged in the spindles, they might not be there with his 0 deg. tip cleaning process!

And I hate to hear the sad stories, but didn't tou say these homes had milion dollar price tags?? If they can afford to own a big home, then they should be able to maintain them... Sorry, feeling a little angry today!!

[newlook 265]

Good luck and would love to see the "after" pics when you are done!!!!

[CLASSICPW 14]

I just finished a deck today that looked just like that. It was the worst deck that I have ever worked on in the past 5 yrs in business. 19 yr old cedar that the customer just kept applying sikkens without ever washing it. It looked putrid. Full strength stripper did absolutely nothing, it was like putting water on it. So I wshed the dirt off sanded it and applied sikkens Rubbol solid. The customer is ecstatic.

[fireandrain 39]

Yeah, maybe the RS med redwood is going to be too light on this one?

[RPetry 564]

Matt said;

Yeah, maybe the RS med redwood is going to be too light on this one?

RS med. red should look fine on that redwood. Just make sure to give the wood as much oil as it can take.

http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/wood-cleaning-restoration-decks-fences-etc/10744-best-stain-redwood.html#post105466

Link are some pics of RS med. red on very old, poorly maintained redwood.