Sikkens strip job, new white cedar playset in Charlottesville VA

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

A lady contacted me in Charlottesville, VA, she has a white cedar play set that was just built and the builder sealed it in Sikkens, not sure if it was SRD or DEK. They did a sloppy job and she is looking at thick areas, thin areas, runs, drips, etc... She wants it stripped and recoated in something else, she deosn't like the "orange" either.

If you are used to stripping Sikkens, working with cedar and this is your area, let me know and I'll put you in touch. Very nice lady.

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

UPDATE: it was sealed with SRD.

Beth

[aandsmommy 14]

I am that lady...anyone out there who can help would be greatly appreciated. I am so upset over this and no one I have spoken to is able to help us.

Thanks so much!

Anita

[bigchaz 157]

Anyone know where in VA chuck donahue is located?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Anita,

You'll be in good hands here.

Beth

ps the plants are all planted! :)

[aandsmommy 14]

Thanks, Beth. I called about 20 places...no luck. Anyhow, I did strip it with an NaOH solution and got most of it off the picnic table (which was the worst). The fool glopped it on in I could actually peel off the layers. I used a brightener after and it still looks dark/black overall. DH suggested to let it dry overnite and then sand it with a fine sander in the morning...yes/no???

I decided to leave the rest alone and try and let it weather and hopefully live with it, unless someone (who knows what they are doing, not the people I called so far) professional comes along.

I am bummed...expensive lesson learned...you get what you pay for.

Thanks again.

Anita

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

80 grit on that sandpaper.

Beth

[PressurePros 248]

Anita, yes, you do get what you pay for unfortunately. I'm sorry to hear about your dilemma with your playset. I'll be honest with you, my sympathy only runs so far if you hired this cheapest contractor. In your case you may have just have hired whomever came along in good faith. I don't know.

You may just need to strip it again. Often multiple layers of a penetrating stain turn it into a film former. It takes patience, but it does come off. You do have to use a pressure washer in most cases. Hopefully a wood care company will step up and take care of this for you.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Anita, yes, you do get what you pay for unfortunately. I'm sorry to hear about your dilemma with your playset. I'll be honest with you, my sympathy only runs so far if you hired this cheapest contractor. In your case you may have just have hired whomever came along in good faith. I don't know.

You may just need to strip it again. Often multiple layers of a penetrating stain turn it into a film former. It takes patience, but it does come off. You do have to use a pressure washer in most cases. Hopefully a wood care company will step up and take care of this for you.

Anita,

Ken's right, strip it again, then once it is dry you will most likely need to touch up sand it, but you will have less product to remove. Be gentle on the cedar. Don't muscle it off.

Beth

[aandsmommy 14]

I am not sure we went the cheapest route, but we went with someone who has done some work for us before...deck stairs, etc. Anyhow, I now realize their is more of an art to this. I knew I was not equipped to do the job, but I thought he was. Lesson learned to do more research.

Thanks for the advice...I think all of the gunk is off...it is just now blackish...does that mean there is more sealant?

And with the areas I am going to live with, is there a way to add more sealant to kind of smooth out the areas where it is splattered? Or will you see those splatter marks till the end of time?

I REALLY appreciate the advice...with any luck it won't look so bad soon. I will try and post some pics as well.

Thank you, thank you!

Anita

[RPetry 564]

... Anyhow, I now realize their is more of an art to this. ...

Anita,

That quote is music to wood restoration contractors ears.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Was the brightener you applied after you stripped a pure brightener or a combo cleaner/brightener? If it was not just oxalic or citric acid, but said it had a cleaner, your pH might be off, that would cause a darkening.

Beth

[PressurePros 248]

Yes, post pictures. It should not be black.

To get that set looking right, everything has to come of and the wood has to be buffed/defurred. You will never be able to touch up spots. You may be able to go over it with a product like Armstrong in a dark color.

[aandsmommy 14]

Rick, you know I am a convert now :). Only a pro from here on out. Anyway, here are some pics....overall playset, the stripped picnic table, and the runny areas (which I hope to even out)....share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbuWLhi5cNGym

Beth, I will check on the brightener...I am so done with this right now :(...will check in the AM.

Advice please...and of course, anyone in the Central VA area who is listening, I would love to have someone come out and help.

Thanks again.

[PressurePros 248]

All in all you did fairly well getting it off of there. I think it would stain acceptably. Not sure whats going on with the black. Looks like some type of bleed.

[James 624]

The black is from the butt end of the wood where there was no finish and it sucked up stripper. Then not enough acid can get in there to get rid of the Tannins and Neutrailize .

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

The black is from the butt end of the wood where there was no finish and it sucked up stripper. Then not enough acid can get in there to get rid of the Tannins and Neutrailize .

Point!

With the ends covered it didn't help....

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Anyway, here are some pics....overall playset, the stripped picnic table, and the runny areas (which I hope to even out)....share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbuWLhi5cNGym

I took a look and from what I could tell is two things:

1. There is still some remnant of sealer in the wood.

2. The black is tannin bleed from the cedar or un-neutralized wood. When you apply a neutralizer, it will work best if the wood is not saturated with water. It can be moist but the acid needs to penetrate deep and dwell a little longer to alleviate the discoloration.

At this point, I would suggest re-stripping the roof if it is not to your liking. The other areas I would suggest just sanding the remnant stain once the wood is thoroughly dry.

I hope this helps. My apologies that a contractor in this field let you down. It is an egg on the face of this industry when it happens and we are trying so hard to build and sustain a better image of our trade. But as you may understand now, it is easy to get into but the damage once done is hard to reverse.

Rod!~

[aandsmommy 14]

Do you think I would have any luck with this Powersolve Deck Stripper 1 Gallon | Powersolve Wood Deck Cleaners | The Sealer Store? As well as the brightener? Maybe go over one more time with this treatment?

Rod, I would love to restrip the whole thing, roof included, but I don't know if I have it in me. But there are parts on the one landing (where the slide comes out) where it is super thick and messy...I amy try and strip that as well.

On the others that you suggest sanding, do you mean where the sealant has dripped down and caused an unsightly mess?

You are right, Rod. It is sad as well...I wish we did more research...I am still heartbroken over it, but my kidlets don't care whether it is orange, green, blue or black, so I am just trying to find the joy in that.

Thanks for all the help.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I have not used that product but I don't not believe that The Sealer Store would carry anything that did not work well. Not good business for any one and Scott Paul is a good guy.

We use HD-80 and have done so for 8 years with about a 98% success rate overall considering we have had to boost it for acrylics.

Understand, Sikkens is an oil based resin and it penetrates deep into the substrate of the wood. It can take a few applications to get it all out and the best indicator I can give is make sure the wood looks dark consistently all over before you wash it off.

Then, neutralize it and rinse thoroughly.

Sanding is in case you are not going to strip again. I was referring to the wood that showed a marked presence of sealer still in the wood because there is a difference in color. If you strip it, a light sanding may be necessary to remove the fuzzy crushed velvet looking condition strippers create.

Rod!~

Edited May 26, 2009 by Beth n Rod

[aandsmommy 14]

Thank you, Rod...I ordered the Powersolve....wish me luck! I will need to definitely sand...I can see where the wood fibers have been disturbed.

This forum is invaluable...now in two years, when I need to do this whole mess again, I will know where to go, and HOPEFULLY by then, there will be a real pro in my area.

Thanks.

Anita