need quick quote

[plainpainter 217]

Need to give lady a quick estimate to strip, brighten and seal this little porch - what do you guys think this job is worth? There's an old failing stain that didn't clean up with bleach/tsp. So it probably from reading these posts looks like a job for HD80 at half strength. Thanks

[PressurePros 248]

I don't know if you have a job minimum but this would fall under mine. If there is 115 s/f there of total wood that might be pushing it. I can't see you getting more than $200-$250. Thats definite Wood Tux/Wood Rich territory so you can finish the whole thing from start to finish in a couple hours.

[plainpainter 217]

Ken - do you know what the lightest shade of woodtux is? One gallon would definitely do this. But she has some railings on her rear door that needs some work too - maybe 2 gallons.

[Neil_Asheville 114]

$300-$350 if you have a full book, less if you have down time. Definately woodtux. Since she's a housewash customer already do that BRICK at n/c while your hd80 is dwelling.

/neil

[Greg R 82]

$350 - got to make it worth your time especially if you are making two trips to complete it.

Greg

[PressurePros 248]

Ken - do you know what the lightest shade of woodtux is? One gallon would definitely do this. But she has some railings on her rear door that needs some work too - maybe 2 gallons.

Dan the stock color of Wood Tux is pigmented with yellow. On pressure treated lumber its a golden color if you dilute it with spirits. On cedar its orange. I almost alway add some black and red to it as my customer are very adamant about not having their decks look yello or orange. One of the things that makes Wood Tux such a good product is that it has twice the amount of pigmentation. The downfall of course of that pigmentation is that if you apply it to dry wood it can be a bit overwhelming. In Russell's new Wood Rich formulation he addressed the problems inerent to Wood Tux (what I perceived as problems) I tried some last week and like it much better. It penetrates much better and dos not begin to cure as quickly. Gve me a call if you hav more specific questions about my experiences with Tux.

My minimum deck job is $500 so the only way I would do this one is with other work. Dan, what about the front deck/porch?

[plainpainter 217]

You see railings on the left side of the house? That's a covered rear entrance/porch like 8 by 8 feet with double the amount of railings and spindles you see there plus deckboards that need another coat of latex porch and floor paint. It may be too late in the season for me to start experimenting with woodtux - I really don't feel like storing a 5 gallon container - or getting into the whole business of pigmenting stain, I have no clue where to start. Maybe next year I could experiment with different shades on samples of wood. But I don't know if I can stomach it now. Does Russell at least give formulas for several shades? Maybe a brochure with samples of how the different shades look? Not to mention what am I accomplishing by using a product like woodtux over a commonly carried product like Aussie oil, cabots, or penofin? If I had high profile customers with African Bubinga decks - and I wanted to score big time brownie points and keep a lucrative 5 grand deck job every other year - sure. But for most people with pressure treated - why not stick with the above quality products and sell on yearly maintenance?

[Greg R 82]

You pretty much have to weigh out what works for you. If I was only doing a couple decks a month I don't think I would be ordering in ANY finish - just using a good product available locally. There's really only 2 main reasons I use Ready Seal

1. Ease of application and repair (should it rain!)

~ Fixing Wolman, Cabot or many others after a rain can turn into a strip job! Not to mention there's virtually no concern with overapplying or laps.

2. It's not readily available to the homeowner

~ 2 benefits here - one obviousely so they can't just run out and buy it but also it throws a little credibility to our service in that we're using something thats unique and perceived as a greater value.

Prep the job right and heck.... CWF will give you 2 years! I just won't envy you when it comes time for maintenance :)

Greg

[PressurePros 248]

You see railings on the left side of the house? That's a covered rear entrance/porch like 8 by 8 feet with double the amount of railings and spindles you see there plus deckboards that need another coat of latex porch and floor paint. It may be too late in the season for me to start experimenting with woodtux - I really don't feel like storing a 5 gallon container - or getting into the whole business of pigmenting stain, I have no clue where to start. Maybe next year I could experiment with different shades on samples of wood. But I don't know if I can stomach it now. Does Russell at least give formulas for several shades? Maybe a brochure with samples of how the different shades look? Not to mention what am I accomplishing by using a product like woodtux over a commonly carried product like Aussie oil, cabots, or penofin? If I had high profile customers with African Bubinga decks - and I wanted to score big time brownie points and keep a lucrative 5 grand deck job every other year - sure. But for most people with pressure treated - why not stick with the above quality products and sell on yearly maintenance?

There is absolutley no science to the tinting. I don't even bother measuring anymore. I pour a little black into a cap. Stir. I pour the red directly in.. stir. I guess its like when a chef can judge a cup just by pouring directly from a bottle. You do it enough times it just becomes second nature. When I first started doing it I used pipettes and took careful notes.

Your question about the retail products would have validity if they were indeed quality products. Most Penofin I see turns black after six months. Aussie oil fades and has nasty color shift after same time. The problem is, Dan.. Tightening VOC restrictions have forced these manufacturers to cut down on mineral spirits. Mineral spirits are cheap (and effective) They have to replace that lost volume and they have to use more expensive oils etc. Well a large company has strict margins to work on so they cut down on using effective fungicides and chemicals that prevent color shift. Just about every commercially available sealer here in PA is a shadow of its former self. The new formulations flash dry and do not hold up at all. You might have different laws governing formulas in your state but I can't imagine the big companies are going to continue producing differing versions for each state.

I can understand your issue with not wanting to have a pail of sealer laying around this time of year. If you are planning on getting into wood restoration seriously next year it wouldn't be a bad idea to order some differing products now so when next year rolls around you will have decided which you like best, have samples painted out onto boards for customers to look at and you will hit the ground running.

[plainpainter 217]

I get your point Ken - but what do you think of a product like sikkens Cetol SRD? Is that product so bad? I have never tried it - my mainstay has been a product from a small paint company located in New Jersey, Muralo. And I use their Lumberjacket clear/natural deck stain with trans oxide pigments and tung oils. If I did get this woodtux stuff - do you have any color recipes - why do Beth and Rod talk about Warm Honey Gold, is their a recipe for that color?

[PressurePros 248]

Dan, Warm Honey Gold is the stock color. Sikkens SRD is another product I used to love but has changed. Dan, I am not trying to convince you to go with one product over another . I am just giving you my experience so at least you have something to base a decision upon. Wood Tux has the incredible advantage of flexibility on moisture content. Like anything there are trade offs. With sealers there seems to be a tradeoff of fragility versus beauty. The prettier something looks when first applied the less durability it has (and vice versa)

I prefer to use a product like Wood Rich which may not last as long as Wood Tux but looks nicer upon application.

[plainpainter 217]

Well, Ken I am willing to give the stuff a try - but plan on me harrassing you on the phone, lol!