What's the WORST thing you can do to wood, or have seen done to wood

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

This thread is in honor of Rick and all the other woodies who hang out here.

You asked for a debate thread, make it happen!

What's the worst thing you could to do wood, or have seen done to wood, or even ever did as a rookie to wood?

Beth

[dcoronado 19]

I received a call to give an estimate on a deck last mid year. When I arrived the home owner was there and showed me what some one he had called to do the job had done. They...it appeared had used the zero tip in an attempt to clean the deck. Once they saw the damage they quickly left before he (the homeowner) arrived.

Funny thing is, is that when I gave him my quote, he said he did not want a perfect job but just wanted it to look better then it looks now :).

[RPetry 564]

The single WORST thing?

Apply any acrylic stain to horizontal exterior decking.

[James 625]

I was at a house leaving a Quote and left a note saying the wood was not ready due to the moisture content being to high. ( it was just built PT and I was referred by the builder).That night I got a call by the customer to ask if was alright to have the spindles Painted ? Too which I replied No! Because the moisture will get trapped in the wood and not bond. Then she said; The painters were here today and painted all the spindles white. It's been a White flakey mess since( nine years). This happened a few time with the builder. When WR cedar is painted too soon red residue leaks out and gets all over the white paint. I have a bunch of nightmares !

[RPetry 564]

Arrggg... Painting or using a solid stain on any good wood, redwood, WRC, mahogany, ipe', etc. should be a criminal offense, punishable by forcing the perpetrator to strip it off with a toothbrush and no knee pads.

[sealerguy 14]

I think that the big box stores should exclude the zero (red) tip when renting to homeowners, 8 of 10 choose the zero for some reason, must be a brain color thing?? I have seen so many decks ruined by this including a past customer who applied BEHR (first mistake), then rented a unit, and chose the red, this guy did the entire deck unknowing, mind you the deck was only two years old (cedar 12,000.00 deck), he then called us and although we cant bring back the damage he caused, he is content with as good as it gets.

Edited February 17, 2009 by sealerguy

[Adrian 155]

I've seen some decks that have had surface cleaners on them.

I could tell exactly where they started by the pressure circle.

Seen plenty of zero degree tips by the DIY's.

seen plenty of bad sanding jobs as well.

So sad.

[MudDuck 20]

Got a bid out now on a 175ft privacy fence (both sides) where apparently the last guy PW'd the crap out of it with a 15 at about 1/2 inch away..blasting the old sealer away, or trying too..then put on what is said to be 2 yr old Thompson's but I don't know for sure it's got a weird tent to it. About 60% of the "whatever" is failed but you can see wand marks stripes in the wood from every direction and angle that look like he down streamed the "whatever" sealer with the same 15 tip horizontally, vertical and X's and uneven..It almost looks like graffiti...HO just wanted it "washed off" and "re treated" but I said no it needed to be stripped completely or what I would do would just be changing the stripes when the "whatever" failed this year leaving my job looking like crap. Made a pretty cheap bid (he's a 91 yr old man, he's got money but still), Bid was what I figured cost + 500.00. He's turned me down trying to negotiate my price and I said I couldn't do it for any less and shouldn't be doing it for twice that. Told him the cheapest guy in town doe's work like that, pointing to his fence, and that I made the decision to be the best guy in town not the cheapest and that I was cutting him a heck of a deal..That he was welcome to call around for other bids..He called back yesterday and left a message asking if "I've reconsidered" ,,LOL...

[charlie 14]

Painted purple and pink

[sealerguy 14]

Sikkens deck base topped with cetol 23, just walk away.

[RPetry 564]

Some kind of white primer followed by a white latex finish coat on the balustrade on a brand newly built large mahogany deck. Mind you, mahogany, not SYP. Very nice wood.

Naturally, some kind of tan colored solid on the fine mahogany horizontals. New owner realized what he had purchased and contracted us to get it back to real good wood.

No matter how much some have acquired, many are still idiots.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I think the saddest deck I ever saw was the one painted white, that was redwood underneath and the rail caps were rotting.....

Beth

[Tegrey 121]

This thread is in honor of Rick and all the other woodies who hang out here.

You asked for a debate thread, make it happen!

What's the worst thing you could to do wood, or have seen done to wood, or even ever did as a rookie to wood?

Beth

Nothing!

[RPetry 564]

I think the saddest deck I ever saw was the one painted white, that was redwood underneath and the rail caps were rotting.....

Beth

Looked at a huge clear WRC deck a few years ago, covered with 2 separate coats of acrylic stain. Some floor boards were rotting, down to the joist in a few places.

What was really surprising is that many of the custom designed balustrade 2 x 2's were rotting, with the acrylic barely holding them together. You could literally poke a hole through them with a finger. Nice wood, a real shame.

[Palmetto Home and Deck 167]

I don't know why, but a lot of people around here have gotten the idea that hydraulic fluid make a good deck sealer. A friend of mine works at an automotive parts store and claims he sells more hydraulic fluid to people that say they are going to seal their decks with it than to people that use it in hydraulic equipment.

I saw a guy leaving Sam's Club one day with four 5 gallon pails of it and was sure he was not going to be putting it in a backhoe.

I have seen it on a lot of boat docks around here too. When you are on the lake you can smell that stuff for two hundred yards away. Can you imagine having your deck right next to your house smelling like a mechanic's shop? The hydraulic fluid always leaches out of the wood when it rains or gets wet, it collects dirt like crazy, turns the wood black, the wood gets so hot in the sun you can't walk on it barefooted.

Go figure. I guess in one way they are right. I don't think the wood will ever rot, but good lord what have they done to their wood?

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Yea it probably wouldn't be so bad if they used such in moderation along with some pigment...how about them tele poles?, that some nasty slop and go protection eh..

[plainpainter 217]

I haven't seen too many things. But I was confronted with a house wash where the front wrap around porch had mahogany decking that was painted with latex solid stain. I came across a trex deck with latex solid stain as well - but surprisingly held up extremely well. Lots of latex painted pressure treated decks.

[CLASSICPW 14]

I came across a mahogany deck with IPE floor that was solid stained 2 tone. What a shame, if you want a solid color dont waste your money on hardwoods. On the other hand if a customer requests a solid I use Sherwin Williams. Did a maintenance wash last year that I stained 4 years ago, the solid stain looked brand new after a wash.

[Dave O 15]

You asked for a debate thread, make it happen!

Beth

Nah maybe I shouldn't stir up a nice quiet forum

How about using a surface cleaner to clean it

Or wait I have a good one

How about cleaning with bleach

There this should put some wood in the fire

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Ok, I'll start....

Bleach breaks down the wood lignin. Bad...bad bleach.....

Beth

[RPetry 564]

Ok, I'll start....

Bleach breaks down the wood lignin. Bad...bad bleach.....

Beth

Nah, no good. You can't resurrect a classic, the Great Bleach Debate so very long ago was probably the most entertaining and fun thread in the history of TGS.

Its a shame, went searching but cannot find it. Brings back fond memories.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

How about an enigma of a sealer.....DOH!

:lol:

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Rick, is this the thread? http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/wood-cleaning-restoration-decks-fences-etc/6083-bleach-really-bad-cleaning-cedar.html

Beth

[James 625]

Here's a couple a Beauties form last years!

[James 625]

Here is one of the worst disasters I 've come across and fixed by the way !

[James 625]

This is what a deck can look like if you take care of from Day One ! It's a 9 year old Pressure Treated with yearly Maint of the Hoizontals and I redo the whole thing every couple of years. This deck has put me on the receiving end of more work and has gotten the Builder more work for it's appearence and condition due to the Maintenance plan .