clean, stain, weathering questions and more

[sturgisjr 14]

I have a deck to start at the end of this month. It is a newly built structure and has weathered for a year. Do I clean this deck or go right ahead with sealing? If I should clean, what do I use? This is a 2 tone job using Honey Gold on the floors and I wanted to know what you would use for the railings which will be white. I don't know whether to use Sherwin Williams, Cuprinol, Cabots. Should it be oil based or Acrylic Latex? Will I need to use a primer? Isn't there a white stain in which a primer would not be needed?

As for weathering... is it true that wood should weather at least a year before applying stain?

How far into the season can I continue this kind of work? Is there a certain temperature I need stop at for the season? I was thinking of March to the end of October, but I wanted to know what the minimum temperature should be. I am concerned on the performance of stain application and whether or not it will dry well.

How do you advertise wood restoration in the fall? Is there something like "winterizing" your deck? I am trying to get more customers before the winter hits and sad as it is, its going to come quick. How can I sell to my customers to have their decks done before the winter and what advantages, if any, does it have other than the fact that they can go right ahead and entertain on their decks the first beautiful day in the Spring thru the whole summer with no interruption to their lifestyle.

One more thing... I have a customer who has a grey painted deck and will be going in for an estimate on Wednesday...how do I know if HD-80 will work on that or not? Customer wants it removed and I was wondering what specific paints and/or stains will NOT be removed with HD-80 and what would the alternative be? Sanding?

Thank you very much and I hope someone can help me with what seems like a lot of questions at one time.

[paul-uk 500]

"Thank you very much and I hope someone can help me with what seems like a lot of questions at one time."....it helps to have 1 question to answer as ther are always several possibilities.

for the first question a picture would help to answer it....other than 12mnths old we dont know if it has any mildew\heavy traffic or whatever...normaly a light wash with efc38 brighten with a brightener and seal would do the job...on the railings 2 prime and 1 topcoat...do a search on twotone and you will get all your answers

[staudend 14]

As for the two tone, I applied no less than 50 gallons of Sherwin Williams deckscapes, formerly Cuprinol solid extra-white water borne decking stain this summer. The first coat acts as a primer, and the next makes for a great looking finish. I have never done a two-tone, but I've put a ton of this stuff on 60, 5x10 apartment decks including rails and floors, two coats on everything. It will stick to anything and looks great. Nick

as a side note, I applied Wood tux Western Cedar on my first wood tux deck today. It looks good and a ton of it soaked in. I'm hoping for the customer's sake it's all its cracked up to be.

As another side note, I will never clean a deck without using hang time again!! It rocks. I wish I had been sold on it when I started using EFC-38 and HD-80. I cut down on my cleaning time because it stuck the cleaner up in those hard to stick places a ton easier than without hang time. The old finish melted right off. even on the under side of the railings.