Need some advice on cleaning & staining apartment decks

[MaineWindowCleaning 14]

Hi All,

I'm still new to the whole power washing and stain world so please be as clear and descriptive in your responses as possible. I have a PW & stain job I need to complete for a college here in Grand Rapids MI. The decks are on apartments, 1st and 2nd story. One of the deck types are freshly built treated lumber and the other has a old dark stain that needs to be stripped and brightened. It was to wet last fall to get at it so I need to complete them this spring. Here is my question:

1. How to set up an proceed in cleaning decks that are over one another. The decks all have spindles. What is the best procedure?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Ken

Maine Window Cleaning

Grand Haven MI

[henndersonmarc 14]

do you have lift

[Celeste 341]

If you're "new to pressure washing", how much experience do you have with wood in general? College decks are probably THE most abused surfaces on earth if you think about it. You're going to have to consider the general traffic, not to mention the unthinkable things that will hit those decks (beer, special water, stomach contents, the list is gross) when deciding on the stain product. How much time to you have to complete these? Will weather affect your ability to complete the job before folks are "locked" off of their decks?

This type of work can be a challenge with companies with multiple trained crews servicing it - how many will you have working on this?

Will there be residents/students on site when you're working? Gravity is a b*tch when you're on an upper deck - wouldn't want something caustic dripping on someone grilling below.

Upper level deck spindles can be a PITA - especially if you don't have a lift. Are you prepared/equipped to do defurring on those on the outsides?

I'm not trying to frighten you off of a job by any means, but you do have to consider all of these factors - for your safety as well as the residents.

Celeste

[MaineWindowCleaning 14]

I have a small amount of experience with wood but it's growing with each job and the research I do and associations I acquire. I will be doing this alone. I did thirteen decks on a ground level in the late fall and all went well but this is another story. This happens to be seminary housing so the stuff on the decks will be grills or gardens. I just need to drive on and get it done. We are having nice weather at the time so I will probably start the cleaning process next week on the first two buildings. Thanks for your input, all very valid points !!

Ken

Maine Window Cleaning

West MI

[Celeste 341]

Well Seminary students would be a completely different animal :)

Is it the top level decks to be stripped or the bottom - it may be a college for a greater purpose, but gravity doesn't care !

[MaineWindowCleaning 14]

top & bottom I believe if new wood needs to have a stripper. It seems to me that the new wood will be easier than the old decks with the old brown stain.

[Celeste 341]

New wood should not have to be treated that aggressively - I was just wondering if the stripping processes were 1st or second story. If the old decks are up, the lower decks won't necessarily suffer from dripping stuff (they're bare, right?)

[Adrian 155]

Well Seminary students would be a completely different animal :)

.......yeah, Preachers daughters are the worst. :)

[Adrian 155]

Ken, Please go to your "settings" and fill in your signature line. House Rules.

That way you don't have to type it in each time you post.

You will get better responses to your post if everyone knows who they are talking to.

Welcome to TGS.

[MaineWindowCleaning 14]

Thanks for the heads up on signature line!

[MaineWindowCleaning 14]

What is a good chemical to use for readying a new wood to take stain?

[big mike 14]

What is a good chemical to use for readying a new wood to take stain

If its not dirty, don't use anything.

[Celeste 341]

Still haven't figured out the signature thing?

[Greg R 82]

Just treat them all all a strip job... if the newer decks are below presoak them - apply the chem on the upper decks - strip the upper - rinse the lower then brighten both. As far as finish removers there's a ton of them. Call bob at pressuretek.com and he can get you the stuff you need OR there's TimberStrip, HD80 and a few others that are powdered formulations but more potent as well.

The goal is to not fur them so work with your chemical concentration to get the best results. How did you pull off getting the work for the college? Alot of those jobs around here go to the low bid which really stinks but it is what it is. The main question I have here is how do you know where your bid needed to be without having everything figured out 100% before hand? :)

[Greg R 82]

BTW - what with all the window cleaning outfits pushing deck cleaning and sealing all the sudden? I have three in my area that suddenly have become "professional" restoration contractors for decks! Go back to your windows :) LOL

[MaineWindowCleaning 14]

I thought I had saved the signature line I created , I guess not. I've attempted again. see if it works now????

[MaineWindowCleaning 14]

I've been doing a lot of window cleaning work for Calvin College here in Grand Rapids and bottom line is they trust me. I gave them a quote of what I thought I needed after doing some research and that was it. I couldn't complete the work last fall because the we weather didn't allow. So here I am ready to complete it this spring, Lord willing.

I have really come to enjoy power washing and staining decks, I just don't like all the chemicals. My hope is that I will be even better at this work than my window cleaning!

Thank you for you response, very helpful!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Ken,

I like you already. We have a Sprinter too.

Is yours Dodge or Mercedes? Ours is the Mercedes.

Beth

[MaineWindowCleaning 14]

It's a freightliner, And we love her :)