impressed with olympic maximun

[joe g 14]

ive always used cabot or ready seal, i sealed a deck last year in may this deck got 100 percent sun during day it was on the ocean,i live in nj but i figured i take alook at it as i was driving by there the other day and i was shocked after the extreme winter this year and the amount of sun this deck gets it was still golden in color .This deck ived done every year for 3 years using cabots and ready seal and it never looked like this the following year.i wish i took pix but just didnt think it would last.

[Paul B. 523]

Welcome to the board Joe!

What Cabot stain were you using?

[Everett Abrams 501]

Joe G,

I too have been hearing some good thinks about that product as well. I believe Tim McCulla is using the Maximum as well. Joe, have you thought about attending the Roundtable in Medford, NJ this Saturday?

[James 625]

Joe in the long run a deck treated with Ready seal vs Olympic will make the deck last longer and maint is easier. In 2 to 3 years the deck will be black and you will have to strip it off with a product that forms a film like Olympic.

The surface may not look good but RS is better for the wood preservation.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

We have gone back to decks this summer, fall and winter that were sealed with Wood Tux and found that they did not blacken, but held the clolor beautifully. Rod was very happy to report that even homes with northern exposure on the decks during this wet season had not had any problems. Homes in full sun held up beautifully as well. This is amazing during such a wet season.

Beth

[One Call Power Wash 500]

Just a note on Olympic. Today, did some work for a great customer that we have been servicing for 3 years now and WOW. I do not know what changes Olympic has made but the Cedar stained deck I did for this gentleman early April 2003 looked as if we did it yesterday. And yes this deck stays in the sun and faces the northern exposure.

I checked on the ticket and we used Olympic Cedar Semi-Transparent. We have been using Olympic for years now and this is the first time they have looked like this (new) after a year. Usually there is a small difference but not on this one. I was amazed.

It kinda sucks because I dumped all of the Olympic Brochures and went with Cabot and also have intentions of looking at Wood Tux. This is where I did not want to be. Using two/three different products. It gets to be too complicated. But oh well. So much for wishing.

[James 625]

Gordon- With a product like Olympic when it's time to redo do you strip then re-seal?

[One Call Power Wash 500]

Yes we do. I think it is very important when offering a service of Deck Restoration, it means just that. Allot of deck restorers will just clean and seal. This I do not believe services the wood fibers well although some stippers will damage wood fibers if not mixed properly. I think of wood as a living thing - It needs its vitamins also.

I have read somewhere that Olympic does not require stripping between service restoration if applying the same stain as used before. But needless to say, we do.

Wolman - we use the same process.

[Aplus 525]

Hey welcome aboard Joe!

You may want to take a closer look at that deck, because usually the vertical surfaces hold up much better than horizontals, and a closer inspection may reveal just that. A driveby may not be accurate enough to assess the stains' performance.

On another note.....from a marketing stand point, I like to mention the fact that I use contractor grade products that are not available to the general public in stores like Lowes, HD, etc.

I believe it plants a seed in the customers mind that premium grade products are key in acheiving good results. Of course, the reality is that surface preparation is the real key to a quality result, which I also stress.

[John Orr 206]

I have been using Olympic Maximum exclusively since late 2002. I try to steer customers towards the Honey Gold. On pressure treated wood (which all decks are made with around here) OM Honey Gold makes it look better than new.

Tony is correct about the verticle surfaces, however, the decking can be cleaned, without stripping, and it will look good.

For me, aside from durability, ease of application is key...and OM fits the bill.

Also, Olympic guarntees the stain not to gray-out for 3 yrs. (I let the customer know that the guarantee does not include labor,)