Latex Deck Stain

[Peak Mobile Wash 14]

GOt a call this weekend from a HO who stained their deck with a latex deck stain last summer. She said that it rained shortly after they finished and now the stain is coming off in 'sheets'. From what I have read here I should just run away from this job. If I were to take the job how would I go about getting the stain off? What are the best strippers to use on latex? WHat do I need to watch out for? Also, if I choose not to take the job is there any other fixes that may work for the HO?

Brian Martin

Peak Mobile Pressure Washing Inc

Fort Collins, CO

[Peak Mobile Wash 14]

Just went to the house and took pictures and spoke with HO. She is very nice and understood that she screwed up her deck. I warned her that stripping the latex would be costly, time consuming and use caustic strippers; and that even that may not take off all of the latex. I also gave her an alternative of cleaning, using cabot primer and restaining with solid but I also told her to be ready to do that every couple years.

When her and her husband did the deck they did not wash it first (just swept it off) and then it rained a couple hours after they finished. She said that some of the deck started peeling within a couple months and now half the deck has mostly peeled off. The other half near the house is holding on pretty good and looks like a tough job to strip. I let her know that I wanted to do more research to find the best chemicals for the job and would get back to her with pricing and gameplan. Deck is 182 square feet, with a long bench and no railings. The bench is nearly bare wood, the underneath and posts are all thick with stain.

Here is a picture of the bench and how easily the stain is peeling. I need to figure out how to resize other pictures before posting them.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Maybe this thread would shed some light... http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/chemicals-safety/6547-hd-80-mixing-instructions.html

You will need more than just a regular sodium hydroxide stripper on that deck.

Beth

[MMI Enterprises 289]

..more like maybe this thread would: http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/wood-cleaning-restoration-decks-fences-etc/9427-need-help-ugly-deck.html

Run...run like the wind!!...them cracks are gonna be way too fun..

[Peak Mobile Wash 14]

"Run...run like the wind!!...them cracks are gonna be way too fun.."

Problem is I am a new business and have a hard time running from any job. I am willing to work my butt off and get win over a happy client in a good neighborhood. I know that I can do very good work and have had great results with my wood refinishing. I have had a couple tough strip jobs that have come out looking great but nothing like this so far. I can understand not taking on jobs like this once established but now I want almost any job that comes my way.

What if I went the prime and restain with solid method? I've read that it only lasts a couple years and that over time she will have quite a bit of layers over the years.

WHen I went to the site today I was ready to run away but the deck is not that large, has no railings and no landscaping around it. The existing stain was so bad that I thought it may be something I could tackle. If I get it done well it's one to add to my portoflio and a client won. So I guess I just want to research and bid high and hope she goes with it, I will just need some advice.

[PressurePros 248]

Peak, go for it. Its better to get this out of your system early on. Since you have no rails and more time than income, this will give you an idea how to bid jobs like this later on. Read the HD-80 thread posted above. That's the only stripper I would even attempt to use. Factor in sanding.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Since yer game I'll add further....

Deck is small and no rails and low environmental issues of damaging plants so you boost the hd80 with a suitable booster (safe antifreeze, etc....research via the tgs search function), lay it on good and thick, cover it with plastic sheet for a few hours or overnight, then powerwash it off as high as wood will let you go without causing damage. (maybe 600psi, maybe 1k psi..?). If it firs up then break out the orbital or belt sander after it dries a bit...acid neutralize after of course before staning.

If this don't get it all then go with methylene chloride product such as 'jasco epoxy remover' on the left over spots. If the hd80 didn't do as well as ya hoped for and it still pretty bad then you could do the whole thing in the meth since it small deck..

You could even go there right off the bat with the meth and no pressure washer but have a fiver of lacquer thinner handy to both water it down or for easier cleanup of resultant goo. Pour a gal or two in a mop bucket and goto town on it with a mop after remover has dwelled a few. Don't let it dry...

My further feeling is you will want to have all the old stain off and go with semi-transparent penetrating stain. You try to sand down them thick edges of the existing stain and yer bound to be back after it continues to peel. It just doesn't seem in good enough shape to go over top of...

...wear protection, don't fall in it, and good luck..you can do it man! :)

[bigchaz 157]

If it has rails better sell them on a two tone. I stripped that same stain (looks like behr solid) 3 times and couldnt get all of it off the rails.

[RPetry 564]

Brian,

I tackled a few latex jobs years ago when first starting out. There was, and maybe still is a stripper named Stripex-L, maybe from Napier Environmental? Anyway, it is made for stripping latex exterior stains and does a good job. However, it will only strip one coat of latex at a time. And it is not cheap, years ago it retailed for ~ $20 / gal.

I think Daniel (posts under "Plainpainter") has a homebrew that also strips latex stains. May want to give him a call.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

He ever put the recipe out there in that teaser thread?

ps. yea, here: http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/wood-cleaning-restoration-decks-fences-etc/11353-stripping-latex-high-gloss-paint-off-railings.html

[Peak Mobile Wash 14]

I'm gonna go for it. If she accepts the bid it will be a good learning experience, I told her it could go as high as $5 a square foot, so for a 182 sq ft deck it would be just under $1000, I will probably bid $900 to strip brighten and stain with RS.

[seymore 90]

I told her it could go as high as $5 a square foot, so for a 182 sq ft deck it would be just under $1000, I will probably bid $900 to strip brighten and stain with RS.

WOW 1K to clean n seal 182 sqft?? :eek:

Well for that price might as well rip it up and re skin it!

[plainpainter 217]

You wanna know how to strip anything under the sun - just repeat these three words - Surfactant - Surfactant - Surfactant - I could strip that deck easy, and not use one molecule of Sodium Hydroxide, and nothing more costly than pennies per sq. foot.

[plainpainter 217]

Here is another clue...most latex paints formulated today are formulated to be 'breathable' - i.e. tiny passages that lead from one side of the paint film to the other side. With the right surfactant and caustic - you can get it through those tiny little pores. That and the wood in those photos aren't primed - so I'd say Zinnser Diff would probably have no trouble lifting that stuff off. Get yourself some Downy fabric softener - concentrate - put one capful to a gallon of water and a 1/2 cup of TSP - use very warm water to dissolve the TSP. Bring your pump to the job soak the latex - but no puddles either - keep drenching for 20-30 minutes - then you will see it curl off the wood.

[Dale 16]

Here is another clue...most latex paints formulated today are formulated to be 'breathable' - i.e. tiny passages that lead from one side of the paint film to the other side. With the right surfactant and caustic - you can get it through those tiny little pores. That and the wood in those photos aren't primed - so I'd say Zinnser Diff would probably have no trouble lifting that stuff off. Get yourself some Downy fabric softener - concentrate - put one capful to a gallon of water and a 1/2 cup of TSP - use very warm water to dissolve the TSP. Bring your pump to the job soak the latex - but no puddles either - keep drenching for 20-30 minutes - then you will see it curl off the wood.

Really?...thats it? A cap full of Downey, some water and TSP and the acrylic comes off the wood?

[plainpainter 217]

Downy concentrate - the extra strong downy. Apply that from a pump up sprayer- keep saturating - but no puddles either - 30 minutes later - you will be blasting that stuff off.