What do you like least about wood care?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

What do you like least about wood care? I'm making this a poll, but I think elaboration in the thread is in order....

Beth :cup:

[CB works 14]

Other....applying a mystery product.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

You mean being given an unmarked can and told to put it on the wood?

Beth

[CB works 14]

No, I wouldn't do that.

Dealing with formula changes without knowing.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Ah....gotcha.

Yeah, that is the pits.

Beth

[RPetry 564]

Voted stripping off mystery product. In reality, dealing with those poor customers that have multiple coats of acrylics ruining their wood is by far the worst part of this business.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

My least favorite part of wood restoration only deals with the heat.

I find that when the temps are above 95* the temp on the deck can reach upwards of 110*-120*.

At this point, flashing becomes the issue along with the heat prostration. Cool down trips to the water cooler every 10-15 minutes and a good soak down of the head always helps.

Rod!~

[James 625]

Upper level decks anything above stone, Wind,Rain, Is it going to rain after I seal and and and Pita strips. I have two strips that require 24 hours and I'm still not sure ? AND test Spots on those Pita strips....

[reed 500]

I vote OTHER, I hate call backs stating there are several boards that didn't take the stain. When I go check it out, it is only the difference seen when on piece of wood is heart wood and the other is sap wood. You just can't explain enough to customers the difference in wood densities and stain appearance.

[plainpainter 217]

Just stained a deck today - other than always underestimating time - I'd say the sun-tan lotion stinging my eyes as I start sweating is the absolute worst.

[k2waterwerx 14]

I will strip them all day and night but would sub the staining in a heartbeat.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Oh my god!...ALL OF THE ABOVE...I can hardly move after todays job of sanding railings, defurring and stainign a raised deck,pergola, and lower deck.. Nothing about it was easy...the poll is missing above ground wood care.

[MudDuck 20]

The check bouncing:lgtear:

[jnoden 15]

exterior wood restoration can just be a general pita. Rewarding yes. All the above are issues and much more like working on small decks in general. Driving to do the estimates on small decks, splitting the work in to two days for small decks, small deck price shoppers, solid stain or painted decks.

No matter how good a job you do it always seems like there are more call backs for exterior wood restoration than anything else. I think that is part of the reason that many contractors get out of this line of business. Can you tell that I have had one of those weeks? Good thing is business is good and I have a lot of happy customers so far this season. knock knock.

[James 625]

I am very lucky I do not work on small decks in general. The ones that I do are next door to each other.

[plainpainter 217]

I just stripped a deck today with 5.5 gpm machine - and I have to say, my wrists, especially on the top of my hands area is sore like hell. And my arms in general. That guy Jarrod doing decks with an 8gpm machine is one crazy lunatic in my opinion - he must enjoy the pain!

[Celeste 341]

Roger uses a 10 gpm for wood - goes twice as fast as cleaning with the 5.6 :)

[plainpainter 217]

Another think I hate about deck resto - oily fingers. No matter how much you protect yourself with gloves, your hands always get oil on them. But deck resto pays the bills - can't give it up.

[jeffex11 121]

the worst for me is a deck way up in the air with difficult access. Add in a gazebo and the price reflects the effort. Plastic on 2 levels and under the deck if there is a patio. Time is money !!!

[ShineBrite LLC 14]

One of the worse I've had was when the customer insisted on a Behr semi trans water base on new treated pine railing. Like pushing muddy water. I checked stripping mystery stain, but I'd have to agree with all the other comments as well. Especially the weather related ones.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I love it when a job is right on schedule.... :)

I hate snags that make them drag out too long... :(

Beth

[Barry M 73]

Well let's see.......what I don't like is the weather. I can't stand being backed up on deck work. Then when it dries out all the decks are ready at once and people start complaining even though you've explained it to them before hand.

But I voted for dealing with plants around the deck. This is something I've really started paying attention to and I'll up my sq ft price if there are PITA plants everywhere. I love it when the bushes are so overgrown that they are bursting between the spindles and growing ON the deck, NOT! Or when overgrown trees and shrubs are draped all over the railings and you can't even see the handrails.

I hate it so much that I found a better way!

I washed a partially elevated deck (5 ft above ground level) today with a jungle of overgrown bushes around it. I grabbed my 6' wand that I use for fleet washing and was able to stand outside all the bushes instead of in them. I stayed half way dry and was able to see better and manipulate the wand in, around, behind, and above all the bushes without fighting them. It was way better than using my usual 3 footer, getting all soaked, and getting tangled up.

Edited September 6, 2008 by Barry M

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Thanks for sharing the tip! :)

Beth

[Greg R 82]

Finding a relatively good guy, teaching him how to do everything and having him leave unannounced to go try and start his own thing :lgangry:

Then finding out when your vendors call asking if the guy works for you cause he's been calling them to get prices on products. Just had it happen this week and I'm still very p*ssed.

Outside of that the weather is a big PITA...

[Greg R 82]

Well let's see.......what I don't like is the weather. I can't stand being backed up on deck work. Then when it dries out all the decks are ready at once and people start complaining even though you've explained it to them before hand.

But I voted for dealing with plants around the deck. This is something I've really started paying attention to and I'll up my sq ft price if there are PITA plants everywhere. I love it when the bushes are so overgrown that they are bursting between the spindles and growing ON the deck, NOT! Or when overgrown trees and shrubs are draped all over the railings and you can't even see the handrails.

I hate it so much that I found a better way!

I washed a partially elevated deck (5 ft above ground level) today with a jungle of overgrown bushes around it. I grabbed my 6' wand that I use for fleet washing and was able to stand outside all the bushes instead of in them. I stayed half way dry and was able to see better and manipulate the wand in, around, behind, and above all the bushes without fighting them. It was way better than using my usual 3 footer, getting all soaked, and getting tangled up.

I would note on the estimate Barry that the plants need cut back before you arrive or you will have to do it at so much per hour :)

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I would note on the estimate Barry that the plants need cut back before you arrive or you will have to do it at so much per hour :)

We always let them know when things need to be cut back. If they don't' want to, we tell them if we can not safely get to the wood without risk of injury to the operator, then it doesn't get washed. That usually (not always) get things trimmed.

Beth