redwood deck dilema

[Power Clean]

I'm nearly finished with a redwood floor deck and heres my dilema.

This deck is probably 10 years old. Solid stain has nearly worn off completely except for the usual hard to get areas and not sure when it was put on nor the brand name. Deck was extremely neglected, dirty, years of oak sap stain. It was so bad you couldn't tell what kind of wood it was until it had been stripped, neutralized and dried. It was still looking so bad from stains and where I went through the process again. The owner was impressed that I went this route but the outcome was no different.

The owner wanted the wet color look. He went with ready seal GOLD. When I put it down, man did that deck turn red. The pressure treated spindles and posts turned out a pretty gold color. But in my opinion, the deck floor looks like crap. I couldn't get those stains out. This was my first redwood deck and didn't know really until it had dried from neutralizing. I have not seen the owner since laying the stain. Got to go back for the touch ups and lattice.

I used "wolmans deckstrip" 3:1 and oxalic the first time and "remove"(used as directed) and oxalic the second time, then I told the owner no more.

WHAT PROCESS DO YOU MORE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE WITH REDWOOD USE?

This has been one fitch of a job, especially with the stripping of that stain. $60 bucks an hour now about $30.

roy

 

[Jon Fife]

hi roy,

were the spindles redwood?? when using ready seal, the normal products you buy for pressure treated and cedar and not to be used on redwood. look around on the pail and it will say it somewhere. they make a special redwood product. personally, i would not use readyseal on anything except pressure-treated wood. if you put the cedar color stain on red cedar wood, it will turn bright red, almost a purple/maroon color. at least that has been my experience. i know this is too late to help, but who knows, maybe that will be the color the customer wanted!! good luck roy and let us know how it turns out.

take care,
jon fife
nashville,TN

 

[Power Clean]

Jon.....

thanks for the reply. the color i think looks great, i just don't know if the customer will.. by the way before i started, i read on the label that:

["ready seal can be used on all types of wood. there is another formula called"redwood only" made for redwood, mahogany and outdoor furniture"]

this is why we chose the gold.

but now that you have brought this to my attention, i pulled a pail out and read the whole thing. and as a matter of fact, there is another section on the far left of the label that states:

["ready seal can be used on all types of exterior wood except redwood. specially formulated "redwood only" is made for use on redwood, mahogany, and outdoor furniture."]

hummmmmmmmmmm.........

now the right side of the label says use on all types of wood and the left says except redwood. now this is very very very misleading. why would they have both ways printed on the same label is beyond me.

this is a $1200 job!!

HOW COULD I HAVE GOTTEN ALL THOSE DARN STAINS OUT???
thats my main concern.

thanks,
roy

 

[Jon Fife]

hi roy,

are the stains you are talking about a stain from a product or a stain like a rust stain or something. or do you mean the leftovers of the solid stain???? they say stripexL will work on solids, but i tried it last week and didnt have great results. it loosened it up, but not a lot. i believe Biowash makes another product just for solid paints and stains, so that is something i will look in to. if there are solid stain spots left on the deck, sand them. you could still go back and do this and get it down to bare wood, sweep it good, and apply finish. the sanding probably wont be nearly as hard as you think. i reccomend palm sander. let me know what kind of stains you are talking about.

take care,

jon fife

 

[Mike Hughes]

Originally posted by jfife81721
personally, i would not use readyseal on anything except pressure-treated wood. if you put the cedar color stain on red cedar wood, it will turn bright red, almost a purple/maroon color. at least that has been my experience

Jon,

Using Ready Seal on cedar has huge advantages, such as not having to strip the deck the next couple of times the deck is done. Cedar decks take more abuse in the stripping process, and therefore, if you can avoid it, I say go for it.

I think what you meant to say was, not to use certain colors of Ready Seal on cedar, and that I would have to agree with.


Roy,

There is a special formula of Ready Seal made specifically for redwood. I would go back in about two weeks and take a look at the floor........it will probably look better. Remember, if the floor is redwood, and the rails are PT, no matter what you do, they are going to look different. I'm sure after years of neglect they somewhat blended in..........but after cleaning they probably looked different.

As long as the homeowner is happy, I wouldn't put a second thought to it............but next time use the redwood formula.

 

[Power Clean]

jon.... i have no idea what caused the stains... surely the strippers would have taken care of the solid stains. i went back got on my hands and knees and sanded that baby with a frecking belt sander.... the whole deck floor! that still didn't get those stains. they are really embedded in the wood.

mike i'm going back today to spray the lattice touch up.


this has been one from #@*%!

thanks for the help.


roy

 

[Jim Bilyeu]

Soundes to me like you may have some tanining stains. Redwood is known for it's high tanining acides. If this is the case, there is not much you can do about it.

Have you ever noticed when you moved a flower pot or matt off a cedar or redwood deck that there is a dark area under them. This is caused by the tanining acides being drawn from the wood. Some will come out and some won't. Some will come out, only to re-appear in a short period of time.

Here's a test for you: Take a piece of iron and lay it on a piece of cedar or redwood, let it stay there for a few months and see what happens. After a few months, remove the iron and try to clean wood, good luck.

Jim Bilyeu,
Exterior Woodcare

 

[Power Clean]

jim,

i really do appreciate your input. just knowing about tanning acids and that theres not much i can do about it gives me answer for the home owner. heck if i tell him that, maybe he'll think i know something!!!!!!!!!

this has been one pain in the buttocks though.

thanks again, roy

 

[Glenn]

Roy,
I haven't got any advice for you about the stains, all the decks I have cleaned have been Pressure Treated. I just wanted to say I think your one heck of a power washer for going the extra miles on this one. Next time, try to get us some pics so we can see more of waht your talking about. We could also give you opinions about the results. Sometimes you can be your worst critic.
Glenn

 

[Power Clean]

glenn,

i only wish i could have posted some pics. i don't have my color scanner hooked up now. hook ups aren't compatible with my new christmas monster computer. this job has made me want to get that thing hooked up though.

i did finish that deck today. went away with my fingers crossed. owner on vacation. spindles and lattice look good, but that floor and top railing was NOT to my satisfaction. hope i am my worst critic.

roy

 

[Deck Works]

Did you Neutralize the stripper?

That brightens the wood after the stipper. If it was solid stain.....You should have ran Wohlmans 1 : 1, then PW, then Nuetralized. Higher chemical costs but out of there a hell of a lot faster.

John

 

[Deck Works]

Please tell me you charged them to belt sand the floor!!!

If it was free he got a great deal - that should have been $55/hr plus equipment rental and sanding pads.

If your not making at least $40 - 50 an hour in this business - take home, your doing something wrong.

John

 

[Power Clean]

john, heres my thoughts.

my earlier post indicated i neutralized twice after stripping twice. yea, the wolmans 1:1 is only hind sight now though. i feel that if you strip 1:1 on every job, then you are using to much stripper.

nope i did not charge for belt sanding the deck. my feelings on that is that i don't won't my name associated with someone who comes to your home, start a job, then tells you, whoopps..... you now you need this because that didn't work, and then charge you more. i hate those people with a passion and would never refer anyone like that. some mechanics are like that and i will not go back to them. i did not figure belt sanding in the job, so why should i charge them more?

i have generally made $60-70 an hour, this is one is to about $38-40. you try to win all, but you lose some.

roy

 

[Deck Works]

Roy $70/hr....your doing something right. I may call you too discuss.