2006 Sealer Poll: Which are you using this year?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Hey all,

It's time to launch a new poll for 2006 to see what everyone is using, why and what you have on hand that you are not using and perhaps why as well there too.

Let's hear from you...

Rod!~

[seymore 90]

I have about 600 gallons of Gray Away on hand cause i have soo much wood to stain! Now if it would just stop raining i could spray it! We also sell it retail here in Houston and we have many repeat customers applying it themselves.

It's been the only stain we have used since 1990 and it has built a pretty nice reliable reputation for our company. :cool:

[Littlefield 65]

Have some Readyseal maint jobs coming up, new one with Wood Defender, I'll post pics, one coming up with wood tux, one with Weatherall, Just did two with Defy, ...... these are houses, not decks by the way. Or rather, they are houses AND decks, but not always with the same product, make sense now?

Oh yeah, next week, Weatherseal, the thick oil stain that brushes and sprays nice, no dripping, penetrates nice.

[R L S 14]

ReadySeal like always. I still might try a few others though.

[acegot 14]

Wood-Tux & Some Ready Seal & Some Wolman's F&P. Long Live Wood-Tux Wet!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Even though the options for the poll are maxed out, if there is another product not mentioned above, please feel free to add it in your post for others to be aware of.

Rod!~

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

:cup: Please vote :sunshine:

Beth

[Chris S 14]

I've been using Deckscapes/Cuprinol for several years, and I have been pleased with it. It is readily available, and the price is excellent. For those that use Readyseal and others, what is you reason for doing so? Durability? Ease of application? I can't say that I know of anyone that uses Readyseal or Wood Tux in my area, so I am interested in the reasons.

[RPetry 564]

Chris,

This is my third year of using Ready Seal, and will not use any other stain on any species of wood. There are some other brands of paraffinic oil stains such as Baker's Gray Away and some series of TWP stains, and I would assume they all have the same properties as Ready Seal.

First the downside. The wood must be prepped correctly and very dry before application. Any and all previous stains must be completely removed. Moisture content of the wood must be at 12% or less.

On pressure treated wood, especially older, poorly maintained wood, an initial application of Ready Seal will take a lot of stain. 100 sq. ft. to the gallon is typical coverage the first time RS is applied. It is in your best interest as a contractor and best for the customer to get as much oil into the wood as possible.

Now the upside. Paraffinic oil is a non drying oil. It penetrates very deep into the substate of the wood and actually conditions the wood by filling the voids with oil. I don't consider RS as a "sealer" per se, as there is no film on the wood keeping out moisture. It is more like a moisture repellant. Water cannot get into the wood due to the oil.

The iron oxide pigments are top shelf quality. They are so finely ground, the pigment stays in suspension in the stain. Aside from a quick shake of a 5'er, or turning them over prior to using, no stirring is needed.

It is a very thin consistancy so spraying using an HVLP pump at very low pressure is easy. I typically run my Pump Tec at 35-40 psi. Unless there is puddling on cupped boards, back brushing is truly not necessary. RS applies fast and does not lap, due to its penetrating properties.

The true benefit of the product is maintenance. As with most stains at least here in the Northeast, every two years is typical. A 2 or 3% bleach wash with very low dump tip type pressure is all that is needed. As there is oil still present in the wood, the wood dries very fast. It is not unusual to wash a maintenance job, take lunch, and the wood is ready for staining. Stain quantity on maintenance is 50 - 60% of the initial application.

The stain will never have to be stripped. There's nothing to strip. The stain is in the wood, not on the wood. The more I work on exterior wood, the less I like to use sodium hydroxide strippers. In my opinion they damage the substrate of the wood.

Clean up is soap and water. Brushes can be left for days with stain on as the oil is truly non drying. Ready Seal is VOC compliant and they did not have to change their original formulation to meet the new regulations. The company has been producing the stain since I think 1992.

Bottom line, it is a stain that is actually good for the wood.

[Mathew Johnson 123]

DITTO to Rick's post. I exclusively use ready seal. I bid the decks and buildings for a price plus the ready seal. If the homeowner wants a different product it is an additional 28 percent on the contract price and they buy the stain.

It is easy to use and cost effective when I buy 30 pail lots (150 gallons) at a time. Homeowners actually are calling me to buy it to apply themselves on new construction or after I have stripped thier deck

[Deck Guy 14]

I've read posts here criticizing Deckscapes, but I've never had a problem (oil-based semi-transparent). It is important to work quickly in a good order to avoid lap-marks and such, but that truly isn't so hard to do.

Tomorrow AM, I will be using Ready Seal for the first time on a maintenence job. I hear it's idiot-proof, in which case I'll be in good shape.

[shelland 14]

I was leaning towards TWP to stain my deck, but am impressed by the comments about Ready Seal. Would most here consider Ready Seal to be superior? (for a DIY'er)

[Mark Williamson 14]

RS. I use to offer a few stains to choose from. I like to keep it simple now. RS and I'll see ya in 2 years.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Would most here consider Ready Seal to be superior?

Ready Seal is easy to apply. It's forgiving in that you won't have to deal with drip marks, lap marks, etc. like you might with other things. We prefer Wood Tux. Both are popular. I can see why RS might be better for a homeowner to apply. If you decide to go with Ready Seal for your own deck, contact www.acrproducts.com and tell them Beth sent you. They are the closest dealer I know of to you off the top of my head. Back to my coffee... :cup:

Beth

[Ethan 14]

Hey everyone! My company manufactures exterior oil-based semi-transparent wood stain. It has been through accelerated testing and is showing to last longer than the one's we tested against. Since I am a member of this site and "LIKE IT ALOT", I will offer all members our stain at $19.95 per gallon. If you would like, I will give you 10% off the first order so you can see how great the product is. Call me or reply if you have questions.

Ethan

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Ethan,

http://forums.thegrimescene.com/showthread.php?t=6759

Beth

[garcii2 14]

I am going to use Ready Seal and I have seen Baker's Gray Away product work too But since I am a part timer I can't get Baker's because of the distance. Ethan, what about the locals since I am here in dfw area? would the price be the same?

[Barry M 73]

I use Deckscapes because I can get it locally. I don't have the funds to order pallets of stain for the season and I don't like depending on vendors to send me stain as I need it, I've had trouble in the past with that crap. Much easier to go to SW grab what I need and go. If I run low on a job, not a problem go get more.

[sjpressurewashin 64]

I have used Wood -Tux and was very pleased with the looks and how easy it was to apply. I recommend it to all my clients.

S & J Pressure Washing

[YVPW 20]

I use Wood Tux, there's nothing like the beauty of it. I know there are other stains that are "goof proof" and you can apply them quicker, but they just don't give the look of Wood Tux, nor do they last as long. The thing about Wood Tux is it's actually cheaper to use in the long run, because of the coverage rate. If you're in business to beautify wood then there's no other choice. I am confident that when I apply Wood Tux the wood will be beautiful and will last and the customer will be pleased.

[Mathew Johnson 123]

Has anyone tried to strip wood Tux Wet?

[Celeste 341]

We stripped WTW from Ipe (our test tiles) last week. (This stain has been on since March but has had very very little weather exposure so was pretty darn intact) We were provided some of Flood's new stripper/cleaner so tried it. It took about a 25 minute dwell time at full strength, also keeping it consistently wet. That product did remove about 99% - did fuzz a bit, but a light osborning took care of that and the remaining pigment.

Celeste

[Integrity Curb Appeal 64]

Ready Seal is easy to apply. It's forgiving in that you won't have to deal with drip marks, lap marks, etc. like you might with other things. We prefer Wood Tux. Both are popular. I can see why RS might be better for a homeowner to apply. If you decide to go with Ready Seal for your own deck, contact ACR Products, Easton PA - Power Washers, Waste Heaters, and Supplys. acrproducts.com and tell them Beth sent you. They are the closest dealer I know of to you off the top of my head. Back to my coffee... :cup:

Beth

Beth,

Do you know of a dealer anywhere close to Lexington KY?

Scott

[Rfitz 14]

I use both Wood defender and Ready seal, and both look good at first, but most wood we do need re-aplication in 1-3 years, wood defender lightens the most where as Ready seal keeps it orig. color for 1-2 years, I wish I could find a product that would last at least 3 years before maint is needed, I always have to apply 2 coats on horiz surfaces, even with Wood Tux, If I knew wood tux would look just as good in 3 years on horizontal surfaces as the day I appled it I would switch stains in a heart beat, Does Wood Tux Wet offer a 3 year warranty on horiz surfaces, before a maint wash and recoat is needed..??? every 3 years or more, and thats using 2 coats on Horiz surfaces..? if so sign me up... I use thousands of gallons a year of the other 2 I mentioned... WD and RS..???

[bigchaz 157]

Why do these threads and occasionally others like the show up in my new posts search? It says the last post was made today (Jan 29) at 12:46 pm

I go to the thread and there is nothing new? Its happened several times already to me

[RPetry 564]

Charlie,

When someone responds to the poll, it updates the timestamp on the thread.