Masking Strategy for Acrylic Strip Directly Above Green Lawn??? Aye Yaye

[fireandrain 39]

Well I begin a Acrylic Strip next week and I'm in pre-flight mode I guess you could say, just reviewing the project photos I took a couple weeks back of this project. My big concern, the one I';m really wrestling with has to do with how to handle a heavy strip of the portions of this redwood deck which are DIRECTLY above a nice green lawn...

A few job notes:

1. Heart Redwood Deck, Appx. 15 years old.

2. Current Existing Finish: "ACE WoodRoyal" Acrylic-Alkyd Semi Trans. Failing on floor, intact on vertical.

3. The Current Plan: Strip NaOH followed by floor and vert sanding.

Have a gander at the photo here, but my big concern is how best to avoid killing this nice green lawn that surrounds the deck and is located directly below these benches.

Here is my current thinking.

Option #1: Heavily water down the lawn (say 5 ft. out from the benches). Lay some tarps down on the lawn, perhaps alternating layers of canvas and plastic tarps. Hit the back-side of the benches 8oz. p/g NaOH. Rinse.

Remove tarps carefully with a helper, hopefully being able to dump stripper run-off away from lawn area.

Option #2: No stripper use on back side of benches. Instead, remove old acrylic finish by sanding.

I'm leaning towards Option #2. The main issue I see with this approach is the following: The vertical surfaces of the benches are constructed with tongue and groove redwood siding. The stripping approach in Option #1 would allow me to strip the old acrylic from between the cracks, or the "grooves" of the bench siding material, however, if I instead take the sanding approach, I may not be able to sand out the old acrylic in the horizontal grooves of the benches.

Does this make sense?

So, to strip or sand, this is my dilemma! Strip and may end up killing these nice homeowners beautiful green lawn around the benches. Sand, and I may be left with old acrylic stain stuck in the grooves of the tongue and groove bench "walls", the backside, above the lawn.

Final note: I'm hesitant to do any aggressive sanding to remove the old finish on the leading edge of the bench siding for fear of disfiguring the horizontal grooves of the benches. Does that make sense?

I'm left REALLY wanting to be able to strip these benches so I can remove all of the old acrylic from he cracks of the "grooves".

Question is, how can I accomplish this without killing green law that my stripper will run-off to? Will temporarily tarping the lawn beneath those benches to enable me to do a heavy strip kill the law as well? The last thing I want to do is have my clients return from their vacation to a professionally restored deck with a dead lawn surrounding their deck.

Any input would be greatly appreciated and sorry for the long-winded post!

[Greg R 82]

Prewet the lawn - lay down a blue tarp and layer up canvas drops on top of that to absorb any excess stripper (shouldn't amount to all that much really). By the time your ready to wash you should be able to remove the tarps without concern for the lawn. I always try to forewarn the customer that while we try our best not to damage any landscape the "water" consistancy of the finish removers get to unexpected areas at times. The positive side of this is you'll only have to strip it this once if they use you on maintenance down the road.

[James 625]

I have never had trouble with a lawn.

[RPetry 564]

Matt,

I agree with Jim above. A good pre-wetting of the grass, followed by another good soaking after applying your NaOH mix to the wood, should be more than adequate to negate any harm to the grass. Residual NaOH in the pressure washing phase is so diluted as to be virtually harmless to plants.

Another tact would to use a "paste" type stripper, ie: Eaco Chem's Stripper Cream, applied by hand. No overspray or dripping onto the lawn.

[acegot 14]

MAtt WHAT"S UP!!!!!!!!! I've never had a problem with grass. Pre-wet well put down canvass tarp, fold the edge over try to contain any runoff, then re-wet. When you sand after stripping, sand the "open" areas with your half sheet, then lightly hand block the edges & the groove. (PS, heard you ran into one of our competitors at the hardware store)

Lyle

[fireandrain 39]

Thanks for three pro opinions! Starting the job on friday. Will take some photos. Much Thanks Rick,James, and Lyle.

[James 625]

On a side note this is how to take a Pro -Active approach if u do screw up the lawn !! Take a Turbo nozzle and go over the grass from the base of the wood out 2 feet and then recommend thats where some rocks should go for better drainage .