Pergola-tory

[RPetry 564]

I'm getting too old for this. Cedar pergola stained with Cabot's Clear Solution, black as night, has to be stripped.

Lots of fun, walking topside on 2 x 4's covered with stripper, applying from down below, with NaOH dripping down onto your head. Washing every sq. inch of this sucker, then applying an acid which you hope does not get into your eyes.

But its worth it. Red mahogany below, real nice customers, and a very cool pool!

[Adrian 155]

... and I thought I was crazy!!!!!

[MMI Enterprises 289]

That's coincidence..is about the color of the one I bid today:) Plan to freshen'er up with AC mahogany over top. Think it about 3x bigger though at approx. 900' footprint. Hey Rick you ever see one where the sun shade boards are angle cut/ripped to increase the shade? Strangest thing I ever saw..

[RPetry 564]

... and I thought I was crazy!!!!!

Adrian,

I think cleaning roofs is dangerous, but will walk on stripper slick elevated 2 x 4's. Go figure. Problem is I will not allow the help to do this kind of hazardous work, so its the old man every time!

Worth it though, its a very nice property in a high end area. You can see how black the cedar pergola, and even the red mahogany, has turned with the Cabot Clear Solution. Gotta' love untinted linseed oil!

Kevin,

Can't imagine what you are describing. Do you have a picture?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Ha! Great pic, cool job, and man you sure can title a post....

Beth :cheers:

[TNRoofCleaner 16]

Throw a small piece of plywood up there to stand on. Helps with the slick part.

[James 625]

Rick ,I Hate those things, Rick, I hate those things, Rick, I hate those things.............ect.......

[MudDuck 20]

Ahhhh Jim you just skeered aint cha....Rick dat don't look so bad,,,.

Geez when are people going to learn not to build some high dollar fancy decking stuff then go to the box store and get the cheapest crap off the end cap at the store.....

[RPetry 564]

Ahhhh Jim you just skeered aint cha....Rick dat don't look so bad ...

Mr. Brooks,

You are as a guess, 20 or 30 years younger than I am. Go for it. At a certain age, experience with a dose of wisdom does wonders for self preservation. Its not dangerous, if you've done this type of work many times before. But when you get older, experience and common sense is a wonderful thing.

No plywood board. If I cannot skate this thing, its time to sell or more likely, give away the business.

Anyway, the job prepped out well.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Beautiful prep pic there Rick!!

[RPetry 564]

Beautiful prep pic there Rick!!

Thanks Kevin,

Proper preparation is 75% of a good job.

[RSuds 24]

Nice work for a old guy, and yes I still hate wood and I agree with Jim.

I,m ready for another convention??

[Adrian 155]

There is some old black and white footage ( from the 30's I think ) of Rick climbing a skyscraper as the "original human fly".

.....or was that Vincent Price?

Kidding of course Rick.

[fireandrain 39]

As always, well done, Rick. Nice post-strip photo as well, I'd love to see the same shot BEFORE you initiated said tightrope walking act! Also, I'm curious how you managed the masking of the house and the vertical columns... Well, great job, I hope you were fairly compensated for such a brilliant performance.

Edited June 5, 2010 by fireandrain

[RPetry 564]

As always, well done, Rick. Nice post-strip photo as well, I'd love to see the same shot BEFORE you initiated said tightrope walking act! Also, I'm curious how you managed the masking of the house and the vertical columns... Well, great job, I hope you were fairly compensated for such a brilliant performance.

Hey Matt,

Good to see you back on TGS. Hope all is well in Northern California.

No masking. The house is stucco and the columns painted with a tough acrylic. Stripped out easily at 4 oz./gal. of NaOH with a bit of added surfactant.

If this dry weather holds, we'll start staining the pergola tomorrow. Again, no masking. The Decker 5'er at about 25 PSI will keep overspray to a minimum for the majority of the wood. 2 - 3 feet of the pergolatory closest to the walls will be stained by hand.

Different angle, but attached is a picture taken prior to stripping.

[bigchaz 157]

Rick random question but do you use a cone tip with your decker or something else?

[RPetry 564]

Rick random question but do you use a cone tip with your decker or something else?

Hey Charlie,

Yes, we use the brass cone tips for both the long and short guns. Been meaning to play around with a fan tip but haven't gotten around to it.

[bigchaz 157]

Thanks, for some reason when I try to go under 50psi with the cone tip, stain seems to want to come out more like droplets and I lose the pattern even when adjusting the cone. Didnt know if a fan tip for lower pressure was the solution

[RPetry 564]

Thanks, for some reason when I try to go under 50psi with the cone tip, stain seems to want to come out more like droplets and I lose the pattern even when adjusting the cone. Didnt know if a fan tip for lower pressure was the solution

Charlie,

On my unit, at lower PSI, the flow adjustment has to be at the full setting. Otherwise the stain kind of splatters or spits out of the cone tip.

[RPetry 564]

Escape from pergolatory. Finally finished. Stain is Ready Seal medium red on the cedar pergola and mahogany deck.

Edited June 9, 2010 by RPetry

[Chappy 138]

how did you get away with not masking? Thats a rediculous amount of white surface surrounding that wood.

[RPetry 564]

how did you get away with not masking? Thats a rediculous amount of white surface surrounding that wood.

Jon,

We do a lot of cutting in by hand. About a foot and a half away from the walls/roof. Then its spray time with the PumpTec.