Stripping IPE wood

[Tom DeFrancesco 23]

First let me apologize if I did not spell it right but I'm sure you get what I mean.

Second I was asked to give a quote on stripping (only) all this IPE wood that was just installed and stained with unknown product two years ago. I tried a test spot with som RM from Steve Rowlett but it did not appear to make a dent. I am sending numerous pics. Any suggestions would be great. I planned on testing some HD80 also.

p.s. Ken, this gentleman originally called you, it is in Queens, NY.

[Tom DeFrancesco 23]

More pics

[Tom DeFrancesco 23]

Even more pics.

[PressurePros 248]

Tom, I talked to him at length today. The customer kept using the word "paint" and by the looks of it, thats what it is. I explained to him that the process for removal was going to be expensive. He seemed hell bent on the idea that a contractor was going to rip him off.

You are going to need a specialty chemical. There are non caustics you can use if the paint is latex. Those products are pretty expensive. Be careful on this one, Tom. All of us that have done restoration for a few minutes have thought we could tackle a job like this only to lose our shirts in time and material cost. I charge $5 per s/f for this type of strip. You are going to have to factor in sanding and ipe cannot be spot sanded.

[plainpainter 217]

LOL - nightmare job, if the customer is anything less than cooperative - I would walk! I stripped a neighbors old front screen door with it's 10 layers of paint to the point where It's so beautiful that I am applying marine/spar varnish to it - I will be posting pics in a thread soon. Anyways - I had originally asked $350 for just stripping the front side - the customer had already stripped a bunch off with strypeeze. Well - after was all said in done time and materials with a rate of $40/hr - it was more like in the $700-$800 range just to restore one side of this door - and that doesn't include the finishing! So beware! That's a big deck - I would do it only for time and materials - and if the customer thinks a contractor is hell-bent on screwing him over - then he ain't your cutomer! Let him live with his stupidity. And who the hell would spend all that crazy money on Ipe - just to coat it with latex house paint?!?!? That's just ridiculous - and is a big warning sign that this guy is a big idiot who will give you problems. This is a free country and as Contractors we're free not to work for a@sholes. We're not indentured servants who must restore his deck - he is an idiot, let one of your idiot low-balling competitors get screwed over.

[Celeste 341]

WHO was the total idiot that put that on IPE?!?!?!?!? That beautiful wood in that condition is criminal and if he doesn't pay to have it completely & properly restored.....well, he'll probably be calling you back to finish fixing the mess later.

[Proclean 14]

Tom, by your post is doesn't sound like you have much experience with ipe, if you do I apoligize now.

What everyone has said is 100% right one. Although Ken said he would do it, maybe at $5 a sq ft that would peek my interest to have a look see, but more than likely I would walk on this job. Here is why. If he gets a couple of quotes there will be one guy who will quote $399 (just a made up number). Let them get the job and loose their shirt and work for $10 an hour.

You were wise enough to post and get feed back on this job.

Move on to the next deck.

[Chappy 138]

"and if the customer thinks a contractor is hell-bent on screwing him over - then he ain't your cutomer! Let him live with his stupidity. And who the hell would spend all that crazy money on Ipe - just to coat it with latex house paint?!?!? That's just ridiculous - and is a big warning sign that this guy is a big idiot who will give you problems."

amen to that. What a fool. Spent 20k on a deck, (probably more) and went to HD and said 'what can I do to protect this'? "duhhhh, this paint might work. why dont you try it and see. duhhhh.

probably didnt even ask the deck contractor

[Tom DeFrancesco 23]

Thank you so much everybody. Paul, no I have no clue about IPE but I figured I had to start somewhere. This will definately not be the one to start with. I was not even sure it was paint to begin with. I was under the impression that IPE does not take stain very well. The one thing I did know, this was definately not the right way to treat this wood. He is also hell bent on only stripping it. He will have his guys apply the new stain he already bought. I believe it is TWP or TWU, so he says. He want's all the trim done also including those ridiculous looking slots he has in the front and side entry way.

[charlie 14]

Maybe you can turn the boards over on the deck and then treat them properly. Is the railing IPE also?

Charlie

[seymore 90]

The customer kept using the word "paint" and by the looks of it, thats what it is.

This stuff looks like it could be an Acrylic huh Ken?

It just has that failing acrylic look i've peeling and cracking like they all do.

[PressurePros 248]

I'm not sure Shane. You know homeowners. They only own the property they have no idea what is usually going on with it. He was a bit ambiguous. I tried to get as much info as possible from him. I tried to convince him to not through good money after bad and hire a hack who will get 1/3 of the way in and abandon the job. The RM that that Tom tried is pretty strong stuff. I'm leaning towards it being a latex paint. Why anyone in their right mind would pay top dollar to cover it up with paint is beyond my comprehension. I'm guessing the builder fancied himself a finisher and gave the H.O bad advice.

[Neil_Asheville 114]

Nice one, Tom. Que un pendejo!...that's my new statement of the week. What an idiot.

I'm seeing an epoxy there. I've seen Poxy Coat and Poxy Sealer on Ipe and it weren't purdy. http://www.poxycoat.com/products.asp#poxySeal 6 months and it was a peeling flaking mess. These were sample boards thank God and not a customers investment.

Cut your teeth on something a bit more chewable ;) The guy's already picked out his stain....that is HILARIOUS!

cheers,

/neil

[PressurePros 248]

There is a forum where a deck builder posts about TWP (layered on wet on dry several coats) and I cannot convince people why that is a bad idea. He has decks he has done in this fashion that have held up for 3 years (ipe decks mind you) I have seen no pictures and I know this is a bad idea but people here that and TWP become THE product to use on ipe. The readers have used and loved the RAD cleaning system and that was how this lead came about.

[seymore 90]

Well whatever this stuff is it can be removed with tiime and patience to allow multiple strips.I've never worked with IPE but if it's as tough as mentioned it could handle the chems and pressure unlike cedar or PT pine that will splinter and crack.

I couldn't really tell how big the job is total sqft wise but i'm cringing at the slats up against the house.

If someone is applying multiple coats of TWP it must be the 500 series or else it's gonna rub off like crazy.I couldn't see doing that with 200 series that's for sure.

Hire someone or rent a floor sander to sand the deck floor like Paul D.@ Proclean does over in Ga..

[PressurePros 248]

Shane, he uses the 100 series. Basically turns a penetrating sealer into a film. Evidently this film is tough as nails though.

[Tom DeFrancesco 23]

I have already considered the great ideas you guys are offering, but my exact fear is what Shane says. Those slots scare the heck out of me also. For ME it is not a job I would want to take on yet. It seems like this will most likely be a very labor intensive but profitable job. If anyone is interested let me know and I will be more than happy to refer a known member from this board. The HO I think at this point wants this done in the worst way. He also told me he had and has non-english workers of Asian decent and cannot communicate with them to find out what it is they put on it. He is having the same guys re-paint, I mean re-stain it. Any takers ? Let me know

[Beth n Rod 1,278]

Looks a bit like Sikkens Cetol DEK. Ask him if he knows what it is. If it is Sikkens, a full strength application of HD-80, or F-18 Max will strip the stuff off. Allow a Loooooong dwell time. Not an easy strip, do a test spot first, but if it is Sikkens it will come off.

Beth

[Tom DeFrancesco 23]

I will try and ask him again, but he says he has no clue. The workers he has literally speak no english. They were there when I first went to look at it and I could not get it from them. I have both HD80 and F-18. I will try it. What do you think about dwell ?? 1-2 hrs or longer ???

[PressurePros 248]

One thing to mention and I think it was Neil whom touched upon it.. The surface of ipe is sensitive to marring and scratching. Wand marks are easy to achieve on a chemical strip/clean.

[JFife 14]

It kinda looks like CWF-UV Clear to me, probably over-applied and obviously never cured, as it couldn't penetrate. Stayed at the surface and turned cloudy. Just a wild guess, but that ugly whitish opaque color reminds me of what clear CWF looks like.

IMO you guys are way to leary of these expensive strippers and should put them in the arsenal rather than pass on this type of thing. Tom, do a search on my name or Rick Petry in relation to stripping acrylics......lots of info on these expensive strippers. The last time we used it this summer, we removed about 10 stacked coats of shellac off of a T&G exterior porch roof. My guys had never used it before, and I wasn't there to show them how, and achieved 100% results in two passes. Done right, it would have been one pass. All I know is that if I were restoring decks, I'd want one crew tasked for nothing but "nightmare" work, i.e. heavy duty stripping, etc. at a premium price. With the finishes that have become popular the last 3-4 yrs, this work is going to soar and you may as well be ready for the boom.

[bforbis 14]

Tom and Beth,

I agree as I have several expereinces with removing that Sikken product. It looks exactly as it did on the jobs I did and it was a MPITA to remove.

I have not had any experience with IPE, but I was able to remove with about 1 hr dwell time (using very strong HD80 mix)and multiple applications for final clean up in very tough spots.

I know Roger at Carolina Pro Wash has a lot of experience with this wood

[RogerG 14]

Here's some ugly proof that Ipe is NOT indestructable and can be damaged by a turbo tip in inexperienced hands!

[Beth n Rod 1,278]

Swirley swirley...nasty nasty....

beth

[Tom DeFrancesco 23]

Man that looks horrible. I decided to let it go. Just not worth the headache even if it is to get experience.

[James 624]

That's pretty funny?