Rookie in training... hi-diddly-ho!

[steelheader 0]

Hey guys and gals.  I'm the son of a general contractor based out of Toronto - we do kitchens, bathrooms, basements most of the time and I find myself restoring and staining exterior wood ( decks, cottages, docks, fences, etc. ) here and there.  This year I am planning on taking the wood restoration to a new level for numerous reasons - working alongside my father can be difficult at times, working outside is much more enjoyable and the satisfaction I get from restoring wood is quite tremendous which I'm sure most of you feel the same way.  I never risk anything on the job - proper procedure in order to get 100% customer satisfaction.

 

I've done a handful of jobs with knowledge I gained from here ( along with lessons that came from experience ) and as a result I have some super happy customers.  So far so good - knock on freshly stained wood.  This is year two.  Most of my customers have the typical " my painter stained my deck last year and its peeling" scenario so we come in, strip, neutralize, sand and stain.  I'm a detail *****, no doubt about it but from readnig through the forums here I sense I am doing something wrong.  Again, want to make my customers happy, happy happy.  My issue ( concerns? ) lies within how I remove stain and the how the wood looks afterwards.  I use store bought Behr stripper for stain removal - for all jobs.  I've had decks where I applied a light shot of it and others where 2 layers of different colored top coats were removed after 2 washes consisting of heavy scrubbing and heavy application.  It works but I feel there is room for improvement in this area because I always create lots of fur.  I think I must be gauging the amount of stripper needed incorrectly and using the wrong stripper for different applications.  Sometimes I need to blast the pressure washer to full to strip away the stain and it raises the grain.  I'm sanding all the time because of this...   Am I screwing up dwell time on the different stains I'm removing?  Using the wrong product?  Keep reading through the backpages rookie and learn more?  Do you guys remove all the fur?  I find getting between spindles/balusters very difficult but I manage using a Dremel like tool ( name escapes me right now )...  Am I'm worrying too much about the sanding part of things? 

 

Look forward to contributing to the forums :)

 

 

[steelheader 0]

Here are some pictures of our work.

 

This is the kitchen/living room from a complete gut job we did this winter.  Opened up the space and modernized the house.

 

 

This deck was torn down from the owners old house and brought to his new place.  The horizontals were peeling and the customer insisted we don't touch the railings and balusters.  The final product came out great.

 

 

I undersold myself on this job.  Old deck with serious stains on it - customer couldn't beleive we brought it back to life. 

 

 

Tough job here... lots of covering of vegetation/fence to prevent any damage.  Owner didn't like the color until her designer friend came and said it was a perfect match for the house.

 

 

A small deck surrounded by vegetation and rock gardens... wish I took more pictures of the entire yard instead of just the deck.

 

Edited May 9, 2014 by steelheader

[Douglas Hicks 128]

WElcome Rookie-in-Training!  Stick around long enough, and you can change your name to Experienced, but Still in Training.  Training  never stops.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Looking good! You have a good eye for detail! Welcome.

 

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I think I must be gauging the amount of stripper needed incorrectly and using the wrong stripper for different applications.  Sometimes I need to blast the pressure washer to full to strip away the stain and it raises the grain.  I'm sanding all the time because of this...   Am I screwing up dwell time on the different stains I'm removing?  Using the wrong product?  Keep reading through the backpages rookie and learn more?  Do you guys remove all the fur?  I find getting between spindles/balusters very difficult but I manage using a Dremel like tool ( name escapes me right now )...  Am I'm worrying too much about the sanding part of things?

 

 

Dwell time is critical in many situations and certain strippers are only good for removing likewise formulated products ie; stippers for oil based stains, acrylics, latex etc.

Some strippers can do a lot, others need help by adding a booster or additive.

 

Since you have not listed what you are using to strip with, I can only suggest you look into more than one.

We have had great success with HD-80 and boosting it with 633-ADD for most of our stripping purposes.

 

I cannot speak for others but our company does remove the fuzzing created by stripping. You may want to consider several options for this.

We use Osborn brushes on Makita 7" grinders (variable speed) to deal with the fuzzing on spindles but also use 3m pads (black coarse stripper pads)

used with the grinder and a back plate to get into areas under rails.

 

For the floor, you will have to consider either renting a buffing machine and buying a large brush for it or buying both for use on the floors.

This will help getting rid of the fuzzies.

 

If you need to grind/sand the floor, look into a square buff sander. It is approx. 18"X30" and utilizes a combination of a pad for holding the sand paper and the sand paper itself.

It comes in varying grits. We use 36 for most heavy sanding and finish off with 60 - 80 grit once the desired result has been acheived.

 

Sanding is a necessary step in order to get the best results and not have splotchy looking stain so your efforts are not in vain. You have a good idea of what to do so far and just need the right 'tools' for the jobs, and I meant that plurally because no two decks are going to be alike.

 

Having had to strip numerous coats off any one deck alone finding out as the stripper removed each layer, you never know exactly what you are getting in to.

If you are going to test spot an area....don't do the floor. THAT is the easiest. Try under the rail cap where the sun never shines and it is always the most intact.

 

There lies the true test of your stripper.

 

Rod

[John T 744]

Rod is a true expert!! Can't think of a thing to add except this DON'T USE ANYTHING BEHR. Ok I said my piece.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Thx John.

 

Rod

[steelheader 0]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses.  I certainly want to get to the level on knowledge you guys have and I'm here learning it alone ( along side you gurus :) )

 

Beth n Rod - want to start by saying nice avatar pic of the blue and yellows, are they yours?

 

You mentioned sanding must be done in a way to eliminate the splotchy look of the stain...  What causes this? Yes, I am in the process of getting the right tools ( and strippers ) however I have seen the splotchy look  before ( I'm on my knees with a 5" hand orbital - poke fun of me its ok ).  Hand sanded the entire floor, stained and it became spltochy, customers were happy but now that you've mentioned it I know I must of done something wrong ( just don't tell them :peaceful: )

 

Here is a case from today - saw the work that needed to be done.  The wood is very old ( customer wants to keep the wood and only stain it - still solid just beat up ), gray, beat up, gouged, checked, warped and so on and so forth.  Reminants of some film forming stain on it but most clear and gray.  Would this be the straegy for the deck... I would first use a stripper to clean it, neutralize, let dry, drill in any exposed screws/nails, use a square buff sander to level the playing feild, run the osborne brush or 3M buffer over it and then apply stain.  Good lord I have so many questions and I don't even know where to start...

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

No, we saw them on vacation, and they were very camera shy. Had to work really hard to get this pic.

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

You mentioned sanding must be done in a way to eliminate the splotchy look of the stain...  What causes this? Yes, I am in the process of getting the right tools ( and strippers ) however I have seen the splotchy look  before ( I'm on my knees with a 5" hand orbital - poke fun of me its ok ).  Hand sanded the entire floor, stained and it became spltochy, customers were happy but now that you've mentioned it I know I must of done something wrong ( just don't tell them :peaceful: )

 

Here is a case from today - saw the work that needed to be done.  The wood is very old ( customer wants to keep the wood and only stain it - still solid just beat up ), gray, beat up, gouged, checked, warped and so on and so forth.  Reminants of some film forming stain on it but most clear and gray.  Would this be the straegy for the deck... I would first use a stripper to clean it, neutralize, let dry, drill in any exposed screws/nails, use a square buff sander to level the playing feild, run the osborne brush or 3M buffer over it and then apply stain.  Good lord I have so many questions and I don't even know where to start...

Splotchy stain can result from a few different things but mostly it is caused by uneven wear and UV exposure.

Traffic patterns, furniture and shade are examples.

 

Sanding isn't always the cure on really old wood. This is the caveat to wood restoration. There are times wood has reached a point it will no longer lookeven or present the

stain favorably because it will turn darker than normal and absorb a lot of it.

 

Conditioners help where over/under absorption occurs but that is considered for furniture mostly. In cases where the wood has gotten so old and dried out, I would actually recommend an oil based stain like Armstrong, Ready Seal or TWP to help revitalize the wood.

Problem is, the regimen requires that this happens over a couple of years (clean and re-apply) in order to get it to a point where it can accept another longer lasting stain and get more uniform application. It still will be darker just because of the age of the wood.

 

Being on ones knees with an orbital is something we all did in the beginning till we found a better way.

If the customer is willing to go with the same stain, your suggestions would work except using a stripper to clean it. Are you stripping it or cleaning it?

The answer will dictate the next course of action and probably prompt other questions.

 

Rod

[tigerwash 14]

Looks very good! You have a lot of talent