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Hey guys, im working on stripping the finish of a deck and re-staining it a different color. Ive used F-18 stripper, 12oz to 1 gallon of water,and it just doesnt seem to be doing thr trick. I put it on with a pump sprayer…and make sure it doesn’t dry up (adding more here and there to keep wet) for 30 minutes, then rinse with my power washer. Do i need to do something different to get a better result here?
Honestly cheaper, quicker and easier to replace, You can’t get it all off and you have many hours of sanding ahead of you as it is. Tell the homeowner you did the best you could, charge nothing and walk away. You will be better off in the long run.
Do you think i should have used a stronger mix of F-18 or what do you think i should have done differently to get a better result? This is the first time ive tried that cleaner.
Nothing will get it all off. Looks like Behr Acrylic. You didn’t do anything wrong in your technique other than not knowing it won’t come off. Someone may chime in with a “use a hotter mix with antifreeze mixed in and yada yada” but sometimes you make more money by not losing it. Walk away.
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Believe me on the first bit of rinsing that i did i had an “Oh F#@!” moment. I’m sure the customer is going to ask “What am i supposed to about this now?”. What would you advise i tell her?
Flip the deck boards and replace the pickets.
I took your advice and stepped away from this job, and since then i have already closed over $3400 in work in the last day. Started a fence this morning that pays triple what i was receiving for the deck. Thank you for the suggestion @Innocentbystander
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When you say you stepped away did you just literally bounce what did the customer say? I ask because last season I had a deck with solid stain that half was coming up with just my boot so I thought EASY boy was I wrong especially when come to find out there was several layers of solid stain I powered through loss money and REALLY wanted to just walk away and not look back but was to afraid of the bad PR in the end I got as much off as I could and convinced the home owner to go with a darker solid stain to hide imperfections. In the end the deck looked great and basically made me change my policy if it’s solid stain I’ll basic wash it for you and you can restain it yourself
On a job like that, if I decide to do it since the wood is split and pretty bad I will tell the customer upfront that it’s on its last leg. Clean it the best you can like you did, then use a deck over product to fill cracks and make it look better.
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You’ve got to have the right product for what you’re trying to do. Sodium Hydroxide not the answer to everything:
https://chemique.com/product/stripit®-safer-solvent-based-paint-remover
@Racer which materials do you use that product for? Specifically acrylic? I checked out the website and it seems intriguing
@Dark_Knight i simply said that more pressure washing is not the answer in this particular case, then suggested she have a carpenter come over with a sander or have him replace the really bad boards. I said that she doesnt owe us anything for the time we spent already, and then she said that she will call to have us stain it once it is ready.
It took me one deck that was 600 sq ft that I sanded down completely and retained to realize, NEVER AGAIN. even if it pays decent sanding a deck is absolutely miserable. I just pressure wash them and tell them of the expected outcome before I start the job.
I’ve only used it for my personal deck so far but it seems like it would work in a jam. Not very cost effective unless you built it into an estimate.
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Wooden decks are a lucrative specialized service. Take alot of extra study to do right. Have to use the correct stripper on it sanding etc. For excellent results pick and choose decks that have only been water sealed or left raw. If they are painted or deep color stained it’s hard to please with a simple approach. You can average 2 dollars a sq ft with simple water sealed decks and get them on yearly contract while offering spectacular results. If the deck was stained previously can be more of headache would leave that to a paint contractor.
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Snap here I am replying to an old post again…blushing
No matter how old the post is, we still get the notification! Thanks for replying. I’m finding that you are right. I love house washes, and am marketing myself in that way, but the minute I put out a sign that says “fence & deck staining” my phone rings almost instantly. Worth taking the time to figure it out right.
In regards to your suggestion, yes I have begun to pass on decks that have been previously stained. Unless they want to get it washed and go with the same transparency/color as the previous coat. Or you could always go darker brown over a lighter shade.
Good to know. I’ve never used these forums before…wish I had. Veritable treasure trove of information. Most of which I learnt though the school of hard Knox. I stopped power washing in 01 and just got back into it. I had forgotten how satisfying instant gratification was lol. I’ve always loved this industry it paid for my college tuition.
flipping the boards seems the least labor, unless they used screw shank nails, then definately run away!
