Debating on wether to use wtw or rs.

[krpalex 14]

I like the dark red readyseal pics that Israel posted, I would love to see some readyseal and wood tuw wet deck jobs. Thank you, all you guys post great information, I have learned more here than any where else.

[Celeste 341]

Go check out the Gallery at www.seedirtrun.com Large percentage of their work is with Wood Tux. We have several on our site as well - www.carolinaprowash.com . Reed Smith (sorry, his website is escaping me at the moment) has some beautiful work with Ready Seal on it - that's his gazebo on their brochure I believe. You can also search through the wood forums here to see pictures that are posted for these stains.

Celeste

PS - Could you fill out your signature please :)

[Mathew Johnson 123]

We have several projects with dark red ready seal on our website. We have two houses, one cedar and one board and batton, they both came out great. Click on the wood restoration link on our main page.

Call me with questions!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Hands down, Wood Tux! See the photos on our site...Celeste gave you the link.

Beth

[PressurePros 249]

I think you should use both. A good compromise is to use Wood Rich which you would find more comparable to ready seal. (but not even close to be the same thing)

[Mathew Johnson 123]

I cant say wood tux is a bad product..... I can say that Ready Seals ease of use and results have never given me a reason to switch or try it... If Russell at ESI sent me a five gallon free sample, I would certainly try it.

[James 625]

Talk out trying to confuse someone or somebody. Photo's are great but Thomspon's looks good after being used also..

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Invest in your company and buy a pail.

Wood Tux has held up better than the majority of products out there for us.

Beth

[Mathew Johnson 123]

maybe next year

[Russell Cissell 65]

krpalex

I would be hesitant to make a finish recommendation without knowing your selection criteria. I understand that you would like to samples of both product in real world applications. Clearly appearance is important to you, as it should be.

What else are you looking for in a product? What are you offering your customer?

Most products look good when they are first applied so pictures of freshly stained decks only tell part of the story.

When it comes to ease of application Ready Seal is clearly the product of choice. I believe it's billed as the "Goof-Proof" finish. You will never have to worry about runs or lap marks. With wood-Tux you have to apply it like you would any oil based sealer which means back brushing to remove excess product.

When it comes to cost, there is no comparison, Wood-Tux is much less expensive to use both on initial application as well as long term maintenance. With all things, there is a trade off. Ready seal is easy to apply however to get a good lasting finish requires a lot of product.

If you are running a business based on staining wood, a very important consideration is ease of use. This is much different from ease of application and clearly Wood-Tux offers the greatest flexibility. In many parts of the country it is difficult to use a product that relies on a very low moisture content. Wood-Tux can be applied to both wet or dry wood. This is a huge advantage if you are trying to stay on schedule during the rainy seasons.

Wood-Tux is also designed as a one coat application. That means that you can achieve optimal results/performane in just one application. Many of the seasoned users of Ready Seal say that in order to get comparable results you have to apply Ready Seal in multiple applications waiting as long as possible between coats. This is time consuming and can result in multiple trips back to the same job site.

I am confident in saying that when it comes to ease of use, Wood-Tux is the more contractor friendly product.

Best of Luck

[Mark Williamson 14]

How many colors does wood-tux come in?

[Mathew Johnson 123]

Great Post Russell,

There is a thread that is on the BBS as a poll asking who is using what... I think that if you look at it references Ready Seal as the most common used amongst contractors which suggest it probably has market share over WT or others listed for the contractors that responded to the poll.

If you are still undecided, call Pierce Fidgett at Ready Seal or Russell at ESI / I am sure you can get all of your questions answered.

I dont know if I could agree with the statement that Wood Tux is easier to use if you have to back brush it after spraying... seems like more work to me.... again, I havent used it, maybe next year.

Keep searching the BBS, you will get the answers you are looking for.

Good Luck!

[jquick77 14]

What is Wood Rich? I seem to remember reading it is kind of like a cross between RS and Woodtux? Who makes it, and has anyone used it?

[Mathew Johnson 123]

krpalex

When it comes to ease of application Ready Seal is clearly the product of choice.. ............

I am confident in saying that when it comes to ease of use, Wood-Tux is the more contractor friendly product.

Best of Luck

OK Russell, make up my mind....Which is it?

[Russell Cissell 65]

I don't know if I could agree with the statement that Wood Tux is easier to use if you have to back brush it after spraying... seems like more work to me.... again, I havent used it, maybe next year.

OK Russell, make up my mind....Which is it?

Matthew

I agree that back brushing is more work with Wood-Tux, because you never have to back brush Ready Seal, however that is an "application" issue. Application is only one of many characteristics that make up a products ease of use.

If you consider that Ready Seal usually requires more than one coat, and sometimes more than one trip back for another application Wood-Tux is a time saver.

Another consideration is the amount of product used. Job for job you are clearly buying/applying more Ready Seal to achieve the desired results. You have to physically "move" all of that product, whether from the truck to your garage, from your garage to your trailer, from the trailer to the sprayer or from the sprayer to the wood, it all takes time.

Scheduling is also an important consideration when it comes to ease of use. Having the ability to work with damp wood allows you to work many more days out of the year. That leads to more jobs and more money.

[Russell Cissell 65]

Mark

Wood-Tux comes in a natural "Warm Honey Gold" color. It is a semitransparent finish so the actual color will depend greatly on the color of the wood it is being applied to.

Wood-Tux is easily tint-able with pigments readily available at most paint stores. Using black and transoxide red tints you can custom blend anything from a light brown to a very rich redwood color.

[JFife 14]

IMO, if you are applying RS without backbrushing you aren't doing a quality application. Sure, it might dry fine and not show the flaws, but that doesn't mean you've done your best application possible. We flood the wood and brush until even, let it dry, and come back and do it again. Backbrushing isn't a serious task---plus it looks sloppy if you are out there just blowing and running and not leaving an even coat. I train our guys to saturate to the point of refusal, then brush to the point the entire board looks evenly wet. Then it is done!:)

[Guest John Sanford]

Wood Tux is my brand of choice without a doubt! It's easy and fast to apply, I don't have to strip it to reapply the product and it won't scratch off the surface. I said in the past it would. I was wrong. I quit using Ready Seal. It can't hold a candle to Wood Tux.

[RPetry 564]

Krpalex,

I've been using Ready Seal exclusively for three years now. Used WTW on one job last Nov. when I knew the wood would not dry out enough to apply RS.

The differences between the two stains are vast, and the advantages of each depend on species of wood and more importantly, whether it is a new customer or a maintenance for an existing customer.

A new customer, wood that you have never worked on.

For old weathered pressure treated spruce or southern yellow pine, and very old weathered cedar, initial stain costs will be much greater using RS. These woods will really soak up a penetrating oil the first time it is applied. And yes, to correctly stain most species of wood the first time with RS, I believe two separate applications on horizontal wood, and a single heavy app on vertical wood is advisable. Initial application stain costs - advantage WTW.

Ease of application. Being that I only used WTW one time, I'm not the best judge. It took me forever to apply the product, but much of that was being unfamiliar with the stain. I do not think there is much arguement that RS is easier and much faster to apply. But with two apps on horizontals with RS as opposed to one with WTW, I'd give a slight advantage to WTW.

Ease of use. RS is ready to use as is. A shake of the 5'er and its ready to go. With WTW, the stain is often pigmented on site, and also cut with mineral spirits or water, with measuring, mixing in a separate container, stirring during use. With WTW, brushes, pumps and sprayers, should be cleaned daily. As RS is a non drying oil, brushes can be left alone for a week or more and sprayers left as is. I use a PumpTec HVLP with RS, and the only time it is cleaned is for winter storage. Advantage - RS.

Preparation for staining. The clear advantage goes to WTW. RS requires that the wood be dry, 12% moisture content or less. WTW can be applied to wet wood. I personally am not sold on the idea of applying any stain to wet wood but that is another matter. Big advantage - WTW.

Overall, on new jobs, I would have to give the nod to WTW. This advantage lessens with new PT and cedar, and certainly hardwoods, due to less difference in stain costs.

Maintenance for existing customers.

Again, using the typical old pressure treated wood. For maintenance, RS is a single application stain. As there is still a good quantity of oil left in the wood from the initial application, you are replenishing lost oil and pigment from weathering. Still, you will probably use more RS than WTW. Advantage - WTW. For other species, its probably a toss up.

Ease of application. With one treatment of oil on the horizontal and vertical wood, RS will be much faster, less labor intensive to apply. Advantage - RS.

Ease of use. No change from above. Advantage - RS.

Preparation for staining. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe WTW requires a "deep" cleaning, in other words something like a percarb cleaner and a pressure washer. With RS, I use a light bleach mix with a very low pressure rinse. Actually, with RS you do not need a pressure washer. On many days I can do a quick cleaning and then stain with RS as the existing oil in the wood allows the wood to dry quickly. Can you apply WTW over an existing WTW finish if the surface of the wood is still wet? Not sure on that one. Advantage - RS.

Overall, for maintenance of existing customers, advantage - RS.

Other considerations.

Some speculate that WTW is a three year stain, as oppose to RS, which at least here in the Northeast, should be applied every two years. Some speculate that WTW will eventually have to be stripped, while it is clear that RS does not require stripping. As WTW is a new product, time and use will tell.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Very well written review Rick.

Rod!~

[RPetry 564]

One further consideration that I have never seen any discussion here on TGS. Which stain is actually better for the exterior wood itself?

There is so much talk of appearance of the wood surface, stain cost, application techniques, lifetime of pigments before maintenance, etc. None of us "woodies" seem to address the long term condition and protection of the wood.

The subject is not limited to RS versus WTW. It is more generic, non-drying paraffinic oils as opposed to linseed or other drying oils.

I have never seen any studies or documentation on the long term condition of wood using the two types of oils. I certainly have some subjective ideas and observations, which is one of the primary reasons I use RS on virtually all my exterior wood jobs. But no straight facts or impartial third party studies seem to be available.