How soon can you strip a deck after sealing ?

[nlantz 14]

hey guy's Just finished up sealing the first deck of the season and the homeowner did what I dreaded would happen, they are unhappy with the stain color she picked out. Says the Semi-Transparent is not transparent enough for her and looks to solid. If I cant get her to live with it would it be better to strip A.S.A.P or to hold off until next year and let it cure and Fade/Fail. She picked out a oil based cil semi transparent cedar tone.

Thanks

[mick m 19]

If she's not happy with what she chose, thats her problem. Get the money first, then discuss the options.

[nlantz 14]

oh I got the money. Just feel uncomfortable leaving a customer unhappy.

[John T 744]

That's one of the drawbacks with staining and especially if they were to pick an odd color or they want a solid stain or in your case a semi transparent. We stained a house years ago where the lady picked out a snot green color and the house came out nice but she cried because she hated the color she picked.. And she waited for us to get done when she dropped this bomb...

I kept telling her and showing her before and after pics and saying the house looked so much better then the black mildew/mold cedar look her house had and the color will grow on her to where she likes it. Her response was we did a nice job but she really hates the color and then she paid the full amount owed.

If you think the customer is worth it then try to find a fair solution because you can't be paying for people's mistakes or you will be out of business in no time.

Good luck.

[bigchaz 157]

You can strip it right away if you want. Oil based itll come off like nothing just rinse rinse beware itll be slippery like crazy

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[nlantz 14]

Thanks guy's I am going to tell her to wait until if fully cures/ fall to see if it fades any, The deck looks like it was a home made job, looks ok just everything is 2x4 no deck boards.. Really don't want to strip it. charged about $500 for a clean and seal 350sf

[Doug Black 18]

Thanks guy's I am going to tell her to wait until if fully cures/ fall to see if it fades any, The deck looks like it was a home made job, looks ok just everything is 2x4 no deck boards.. Really don't want to strip it. charged about $500 for a clean and seal 350sf

Yeah, just wait...it will probably tone down.

[Adrian 155]

.... all that said,

why was the stain appearence too dark with a semi trans.

Just curious if you brightened/ nuetralized the wood after cleaning/ stripping.

However, I agree that you applied the color tone she chose. Collecting and discussing options was the right thing to do.

semis usu. apply darker at first anyway. She may like it after it cures for a month or so.

[nlantz 14]

Yea I told her it would lighten up. I even took along a picture of my gazebo with the same stain after 2 years showing it lighter. I did originally brighten with oxalic when I did the deck a few months ago. But I did not do anything other than slight pressure last week when I did a reclean to prep for sealing. Like I have mentioned it was a 20 year old deck that was never sealed before, but has been homeowner pwed a quite a few times.

Some of the 2x4 floorboards had ruts almost a quarter inch in spots and cracks everywhere so I put her on heavy then back brushed it "looking back I should have sprayed". Went back and touched up spots yesterday and it is something I wish I didn't put my name on. sucks leaving a customer unhappy but she is ok with it.

[AAPaint 14]

Just try to properly set expectations before hand. If it's questionable, try to have them pay for a sample area. I've had customers pick colors with my painting business, and then absolutely hate the choice they made once it was up. Of course, we have a clause for this kind of thing, so they're paying either way, and they unfortunately have to pay again if they want it changed. Also had a homeowner pick a color, and after we painted the exterior of their home, the HOA freaked and said change it! Again, our clause covers this, it's up to the home owner to get all necessary approvals for the project. We did help out by drastically reducing our price, and charging bare minimum labor and materials to repaint it for them.

With staining, the color can vary quite a bit on different species and age of wood. Tell them to expect that, and if you can, do a sample before hand. You can't be responsible for the final color with certain stains. Try to educate them fully so they know what they're getting into, it can save a lot of headaches.

[mick m 19]

Hi guys. Whats this HOA i keep reading about. I'm assuming it stands for Home Owner's Assocation, but what what is the deal there. Is this like a nieghbour hood committee thing? Different suburbs, different HOA's? Every thing has to be ''just so'' sort of thing.We don't have them here in Australia. Thanks.

[nlantz 14]

Hi guys. Whats this HOA i keep reading about. I'm assuming it stands for Home Owner's Assocation, but what what is the deal there. Is this like a nieghbour hood committee thing? Different suburbs, different HOA's? Every thing has to be ''just so'' sort of thing.We don't have them here in Australia. Thanks.

"Home owner association" they are mostly gated community's up here but they like everything more or less perfect. Grass cut every week, House exterior looking clean. You must ask permission or bring it up to the board before you do anything drastic to your home. Sometimes even your door color. I once got a friend in trouble by changing her door lock. The style did not fit the other door locks in the condo area.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

FACTOID: If you wait for a product to "cure" it will be harder to remove. Newly applied - NOT CURED - products are more vulnerable. Newly cured ones are tougher.....

Beth

[mick m 19]

"Home owner association" they are mostly gated community's up here but they like everything more or less perfect. Grass cut every week, House exterior looking clean. You must ask permission or bring it up to the board before you do anything drastic to your home. Sometimes even your door color. I once got a friend in trouble by changing her door lock. The style did not fit the other door locks in the condo area.

Thanks for the explanation. Why would anyone want to live like that? They may as well of stayed home with their parents, & live under their rules.

Edited June 22, 2012 by mick m

[bigchaz 157]

I would never want to live in an HOA community but part of the idea behind an HOA is to help protect the value of all the properties in the area. If all homes are kept up it means your house is worth more. Some are worse than others, but with no HOA at all your neighbors are free to do anything they want. Park cars in the front yard, paint their house pink, build a moat around the house, have 35 dogs, never mow their grass, etc, etc. That is an extreme example but it would be hard to sell your house if you lived next to that.

[AAPaint 14]

Yeah, HOA's are not something I can live with. I think the communism thing should stay in Russia and China, but as far as keeping a neighborhood looking good, they're ok for that. In some areas they can be really bad. There are plenty of horror stories about them all over the web.

Btw, letting anything cure before trying to get rid of it is crazy, and it doesn't take the resins in any stain very long to set up at all.

[nlantz 14]

Seems most of the residents in the HOA's areas are older rich retired folk or middle age business men who just hire out yard work and house chores. Of the 6 that I have done over there I have yet to see a lawnmower, yard tools or a shed for that matter. Usually just Maid service vehicles and landscapers during the week.

[Adrian 155]

HOA's = $$$$$$$$ due to homeowners violations.

Upper tier customers can be just as dirty filthy home owners as lower end customers.

Nothing wrong with HOA's they actually help keep upper end neighborhoods...... upper end neighborhoods.

[AAPaint 14]

Axe the spammer!

[AquaB 14]

She is unhappy with the color or unhappy with semi transparent?

Either way if she picked it and you did the job if she wants it redone i would give her a discounted price and tell her it needs to wait in order to strip.

Although it would be easier for you to strip it now.

With time it will change a little and she may also decide she likes it.

Tell also if she lets some time go by she has longer to pick out what she likes and consider her options.