using the Shur-flo

rambo

New Member
Hi guys,

I have read about some contractors using a shurflo- pump sprayer for applying stains /sealers......

Are these pumps effective on applying finishes to wood surfaces? pros-cons?
do you back brush everything after you spray with the shur-flo?

where do purchase these pumps?

thanks,
Ramie
 

Tim Lynch

New Member
Originally posted by rambo
Hi guys,

I have read about some contractors using a shurflo- pump sprayer for applying stains /sealers......

Are these pumps effective on applying finishes to wood surfaces? pros-cons?
do you back brush everything after you spray with the shur-flo?

where do purchase these pumps?

thanks,
Ramie

Well Northern tools is the place I got two from at like 69 bucks. and they have some great wands get a brass one that extends to 6 feet you'll love it.

As for sealing with stains yes I used one today as a matter of fact. Yes you will need to back pad I don't think any stain or sealer sprayed cannot be left with out back padding.

If you can afford it get one that you dont have to lug around a battery. I use a battery charger for mine it works well and the pump is screwed onto an plastic milk crate that I toss my charger and extention cord in for storage and carrying.


If your doing decks you NEED to really get one of these ASAP! You will gain half the time doing work and enjoy your job 120 percent better than a pump up sprayer. You can apply the cleaner and wood brightener so much faster and safer. Get one with the ahhh it's been to long chemical resistant seals. Anyway I bought two I still have one never touched and going on year two with the original. Your local hardware store will have the hose get 50 feet and the fittings a five gallon bucket for cleaner, you don't really need a big tank most deck cleaners mix out at 5 gallons anyway. If you get the brass wands get two one for backup. The ends like to split I fixed one with JB weld and it worked great. Just take care of them and they will take care of you.

I mean this now if you do deck work at all get one shipped next day if you can and get ready to injoy the non-pump up world.
 

Tim Lynch

New Member
Originally posted by Don.EMS
Tim, do you use the same pump for cleaners, stripers, and stains?
( flush inbetween )

Yes stain and cleaners with same sprayer. I run the deck cleaner through the hose gun and shrflo after using it. Seems to hold up okay when I do that.

I should point out I am not crazy about spraying flat work I feel the stain pad is faster in the long run. But railings and lattice I spray when even I get the chance.

Cleaners and wood brightener all the time.
 

Don.EMS

New Member
Thanks, I'll give it a try. I have about 1000 sq to do tomarrow and will be happy to get rid of the pump up. I've had good luck with back brushing but it has alwas felt like double duty. Never tryed stain pads
 

mhpoole

New Member
I just stained a 800sq ft deck today in 3 1/2 hours with railing on one side for 2 coats. I use the shurflo for chemicals when cleaning and stripping and i use a pump up for staining followed by back brushing.

I used to use a airless but to many clouds. Now i just use a pump up once or twice and pitch it. Why deal with clogs and such when they are only 20 bucks.
 

Aplus

New Member
It seems to me that throwing away a $20 pump sprayer every two jobs is a very costly practice.

The main point of a sureflow system is that the pressure stays constant. A pump up just doesn't provide that. At a constant 60psi @1.4 gpm, a sureflow can apply over a gallon of chem before you could even get the chem into a pump tank, and get it pumped up.

I keep a couple pump ups in each trailer as backups. I also keep a backup sureflow as well.
 

Tim Lynch

New Member
Originally posted by jon chapman
How do you get the Stain in the cracks between boards. and what is meant by back brushing?

Lets get a few things right first... Wood rot's from the bottom up! Unless it is under one of these great inventions called half oak or wine barrels. Then they rot under top to bottom. Rot is cuased by bringing the fungus into the area example Wood chips, non-sterilized soil and clogged cracks that hold crap in them for extended periods of time.

It's just about that simple!

If a customer asks you to seal the thin cracks in the deck then go ahead and do it but your doing zippidy squat for the customer and just making more money and if your busy wasting your time and the customers $.

Wood sealer if anyone reads instructions is made to go on as one lite coat on smooth flat areas. Why? To prevent small chunks of wood from entering ones foot or hand. How far does sealer go into wood? About 1/8 inch if your wood is rough I have never seens a flat deck built with 1x6 fence boards and beat up so bad to need two coats if it's new with lumber glaze then 3/32 is about it. You are expected to see whats called a dry film suface when done. Meaning a coat of oil that will no longer set ( INTO ) the wood. Anything above the wood is useless and makes problems and does nothing for the wood but incapsulate it with a stickey hard to remove glaze.

Latex and wax finishes do not let wood get the small amount of water it needs. I hate dip heads that use wax!!! for sealing decks they just make bad names for the trade.

Cracks in the deck sealed? Please you do not know what your doing by your questions and thats okay! But you should charge a customer that wants this done 150 an hour for doing it and it is worth nothing to them.

We are in basic form washing a car, and or a kicthen floor and putting a protectorant on the surface to make the area look nice and prevent wood from entering the skin and prevent stains from kids with kool aid.

Im crazy right now! and hate pro's that say two coats of this water based crap will last two years and then go away after making the $ so real Pro's can fix the problem.

Take your car like folks treat decks and don't wash it for one year and tell me it holds up for two with out washing? Cooooooooooooooommmmmooooonnnnnnn it's going to like like crap!

Once a year!!! Just like the carpets in the house! One lite coat and educate your customers about planters and keeping cracks clear.

TIm OUT!


:p :p Maybe a bad day but sometimes pro's are nothing but one time jerks thats don't know the trade and make things crappy for those that do.
 

jon chapman

New Member
man you must of been having a bad day, but i think you misunderstood the question.
No I am not experienced in deck work, have been trying to educate myself. I stripped my dads deck last week, then neutralized, Unfortunatly it rained the rest of the week I was there and couldnt seal. That was my training deck with the knowledge I have picked up so far and I didnt get to finish. Bummer.
Any way, back to the question, What im talking about is on lots of the decks Ive seen, including the one above, the boards are spaced apart enough so if you did not get the stain in between, it would look funny. If just sprayed on the floor boards, it would seem that runs and drips would be seen that run down the sides unless getting inbetween to even them out.
anyway that is the question, hopefully rephrased better.
 

Tim Lynch

New Member
Yep I was off the wall on what you asked all right :).

I do run into what your asking about once and a while. I use a staining pad to seal decks and I can get the cracks by wetting the pad a bit more than i normaly do. I also use a brush on a broom pole and strap it down with duct tape then run the cracks and finish with my pad. If it is workable set the shurflo up and just hit the cracks real quick to make it look proper. Otherwise I don't get to deep into doing cracks in general. And I never get complaints about it. In fact most decks if you look at them will show that others do the same thing.

Now a popped board yes I will make sure to get sealer onit so it does not stand out. I just scrap the side of the board with the pad and it runs down.


If a customer get's picky about cracks I would simply let them know that the request is going to be a bit more labor intensive and cost some more.

Never had that problem as of yet 15 years. I don't like spraying most flat work, I have found that the Staining pad is about the same time wise with less risk of overspray on windows and less time pad padding puddles and putting up drop cloths and masking. I do spray railings when possible as well as flat work if it's out away from everything but the pad to me is much better.

Now I feel better... :)
 
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mhpoole

New Member
Yes, A shurflo will pump out faster, but to say its even is not really true. All i know is i dont dont want to be wasting stain on railing and with the amount of stain a shurflo can spray out would certainly waste quite a bit. Im sure on a bigger deck a shurflo would be faster on the flat, but there is no cleanup and spending $20 every few decks isnt going to break the bank.
 

Tim Lynch

New Member
Originally posted by mhpoole
Yes, A shurflo will pump out faster, but to say its even is not really true. All i know is i dont dont want to be wasting stain on railing and with the amount of stain a shurflo can spray out would certainly waste quite a bit. Im sure on a bigger deck a shurflo would be faster on the flat, but there is no cleanup and spending $20 every few decks isnt going to break the bank.

I agree with you on that Mark the shurflo can put out too much vs a pump system. I did find that the round tipped wand I bought at Northern tools (the three foot extendable to six brass one ) can go from flood spray great for chems to a fine mist for railings. I allways thought flat tips were the only way to go for deck work, but find I;ve been having no trouble with the round tips. If you have not had a chance to try the on I'm talking about you mite want to take a look at it. I recall they are only like 24 bucks. But last a long time if taken care of.

I also messed with wands from pump sprayers and found they worked good for reducing the amount of waste.

And the time spent on cleaning and unclogging a pump sprayer that runs 20 bucks makes tossing it away realistic. I used to do that with the little Olympic ones with the 8 foot hose and bendable wand at the end for large railing jobs.

It's all overhead and tool write offs in the long run and I allways make sure it's added into the customers bid.

You could also apply that to the waste using the shurflo I would guess.
 

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