How do YOU clean..?

[Matt in Dallas TX 14]

Opinions, everyones got one....

Only regarding the CLEANING part....not staining

Whats your method of choice to clean an 8yr old gray 8ft b/b FENCE. That has no previous sealer.

Whats your method to remove the gray and prepare for stain/seal?

Pressure washing?

Chemical?( What, how much)

We all know the cleaning is one of the most important parts, so what do YOU do to get the best possible end results?

[bforbis 14]

Saturate with oxialic acid and pressure wash with minimal pressure to avoid damage. Let dry then stain with your choice, two wet coats or as per manufacture's recommendations. Be sure to seal the top edges. I usually use spray equipment and back roll or brush into the wood.

[steve r 14]

you need to use hd -80 to clean then acid for neutralizing.the hd will get that mold on there to

[Matt in Dallas TX 14]

another part of info I forgot to include....this fence is 1700 linear ft long

large job.

Does that change your method of thinking..?

talk amoungst yourselves.....

[seymore 90]

Bleach/soap will work to clean that fence ...you can use Oxlaic if you want but but it won't effect the stain you are using Matt.I don't always use Oxalic after using Bleach.i've never had problems

[Jarrod 22]

I would inject a SH based stripper on the fence and then lo pressure wash, then inject Phosphoric acid on the fence to brighten it. Using a stripper will cut your wash time in half & give you way better results.

Brent - Brightener is applied AFTER you wash, not before.

Shane - Bleach is a BIG no no. It dries out the wood, it's also outdated tech.

I'm not trying to sound condescending, I just like to keep from being too "wordy" by leaving out all the "fluff" when I post. Please don't be offended.

[Matt in Dallas TX 14]

You'd use a "stripper" on just sun damaged wood. There's no previous sealer/stain present. HD80 seems like a bit over kill....for just gray wood.

What about a simple Pre-carb?...which one would you use?

what about EFC?

ok...keep talking.....

[bforbis 14]

Jarod,

Thanks for correcting my mistake. I forgot a step in my haste to post....Long day and time for a cold beverage!

[seymore 90]

I would inject a SH based stripper on the fence and then lo pressure wash, then inject Phosphoric acid on the fence.

Do you mean Oxalic or Citralic?

I've never heard phosphoric acid being used on wood?

You can strip this fence and it might speed things up but it still adds another step to cleaning.

I would do a test area and see what works best Matt :cool:

Hey Matt...send me some snow here in Houston I see you getting some in BIG D :cool:

[Jarrod 22]

Brent - I hear ya - it's all good.

Matt - YES use a stripper!!!!!! It loosens the grey so you dont have to pound on it. It will really save you 50% of time & effort!! We strip EVERY deck no matter what.

[seymore 90]

I would inject a SH based stripper on the fence and then lo pressure wash, then inject Phosphoric acid on the fence to brighten it. Using a stripper will cut your wash time in half & give you way better results.

Brent - Brightener is applied AFTER you wash, not before.

Shane - Bleach is a BIG no no. It dries out the wood, it's also outdated tech.

I'm not trying to sound condescending, I just like to keep from being too "wordy" by leaving out all the "fluff" when I post. Please don't be offended.

Jarrod I've been cleaning wood for 9 years and i've cleaned my share of wood in that time.Just look at all my work i've posted that i've cleaned with Bleach :cool:

Bleach doesn't hurt wood people not using bleach correctly damage wood!

[Jarrod 22]

Shane - Yes, it is an extra step that only takes a few minutes and is 100% necessary. Phosphoric acid is a great wood brightener.

By the way, applying bleach is an extra step too :}

[Matt in Dallas TX 14]

HA Shane. yeah I'll send you some of our snow we got here today.(rare)

Actually their saying its going to be back to sunny and 60 again by Sat. It doesnt last long, just like a minor speed bump in the work schedule. :)

[seymore 90]

HA Shane. yeah I'll send you some of our snow we got here today.(rare)

Actually their saying its going to be back to sunny and 60 again by Sat. It doesnt last long, just like a minor speed bump in the work schedule. :)

Cool Thanks Matt :cool:

We might see some sleet/ice in the morning.>WOO HOOO !

[Matt in Dallas TX 14]

Shane how do you mix your bleach and soap combo? ...

Everyone else.....How do you mix up your "stripper" for a job like this? (amount, what kind)

So you dont think HD80 is overkill for just a gray fence? I've used it on older stained decks but not on just a gray fence with no history of a previous stain.

EFC ? - no comments on that yet....

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

you need to use hd -80 to clean then acid for neutralizing.

I agree. This is what we would do also. It is NOT overkiil. It's a powder, you can mix it to the strength you need.

HD-80 followed by Citralic acid.

Beth

[seymore 90]

Shane - Yes, it is an extra step that only takes a few minutes and is 100% necessary. Phosphoric acid is a great wood brightener.

By the way, applying bleach is an extra step too :}

Stripping is harsher on the wood than bleach anyway...

Doing a test area is the way to go on a job like this

[Jarrod 22]

Stripping is not harsh on the wood at all.

Go to my Website - www.mpwpros.com - go to residential, scroll down to decks and click, look & read.

[seymore 90]

Shane how do you mix your bleach and soap combo? ...

Everyone else.....How do you mix up your "stripper" for a job like this? (amount, what kind)

So you dont think HD80 is overkill for just a gray fence? I've used it on older stained decks but not on just a gray fence with no history of a previous stain.

EFC ? - no comments on that yet....

12% mixed 3:2 a few squirts of Dawn soap let dwell 10 min or so keeping wet then rinse off. thank you come again :cool:

Mix my own stripper so accient chineese secret :D

You can mix some stripper at min.amounts and let it dwell for 15 min or so then rinse then use your oxalic.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Stripping is harsher on the wood than bleach anyway...

Not necessarily.

Depends on the strength of the product, depends on the dwell time...and the person who is doing the job. Pro's who know how to use a tool well can get some wonderful results. You do it with bleach, we do it with SH quite often as well. ;)

We would hit this with HD-80 at 2-3 oz per gallon, wash, then apply Citralic at about 4-6 ox per gallon, then rinse. You will have a real short dwell time on that fence if nothing has ever been done to it.

Just my .02...

Beth

[squirtgun 122]

Jarrod,

Just about everyone on this BBS has or considered using bleach. It's another tool in the arsenal in wood restoration.

IMO stripper is over kill for wood that has never had stain or sealer on it.

[Matt in Dallas TX 14]

OH ok...

We've done this before. (jobs like this)

I was just curious to see what others thought and would do to get the best results they see fit. Like they say..."two heads are better than one."

I like trying new things sometimes. If there's an easier way I like to try it.

I also like to hear what works well for others.... Sometimes you learn what not to do.

good feedback.

(also brings the M-board back to life)

[PressurePros 248]

I think HD-80 is overkill but it really depends on how much mold there is and how much time I'd want to spend on it. EFC-38 is perfect for this job. 8 oz of powder/gallon in warm water. I'll wear the back pack sprayer and treat it while my helper sets up hoses and prepares the Citrallic. I'd let dwell 20-25 minutes on that fence walking around to make sure the fence stayed wet with chemical.. 65010 nozzle to rinse.

[Jarrod 22]

IMO stripper is over kill for wood that has never had stain or sealer on it.

You can insert a bunch of screws into wood with a screwdriver or a drill. What you're saying is that using a drill is overkill. You can use a screwdriver if you want, I'll use a drill.

Next time you get a grey deck, try stripping it, you will never do it any other way again.

[squirtgun 122]

You can insert a bunch of screws into wood with a screwdriver or a drill. What you're saying is that using a drill is overkill. You can use a screwdriver if you want, I'll use a drill.

Next time you get a grey deck, try stripping it, you will never do it any other way again.

The chances of me doing a deck anytime in the future are slim. I stopped chasing deck restorations in Jan 2005. I truley love doing them ,but since I can't find customers willing to pay for quality work, I focus on selling other jobs. If I do find a customer who will accept the prices I quote now,they will get the the best work their money can buy them. 7 quotes this year for deck ranging from 500sq.ft to 4200sq.ft and not one home owner accepted the bid.

I have used stripper on older unstained decks.It does work,but there are less aggressive cleaner that can be used to accomplish the same task. I prefer percarbs on wood that has never been stained or sealed. Yes, I have also used bleach with great results.

[Jimmy M 14]

If you wouldnt use efc-38 on something this easy to clean, why use a percarb at all, just use hd-80 on everything. I thought the theory was to never subject the wood to nothing harsher than needed?