Wood Restoration

[The Cleaning Doctor]

Some of you have talked about pressure washing decks etc. If you are going to do this be sure to learn to prep the wood properly and use only high quality stains. The ones most recommended are Armstrong Clark, Ready Seal and Bakers Gray Away. Unless you have a distributor in your area you will have to ship it. Box store stains are a film forming stain and they will flake and peel way to soon. Using high pressure or bleach is the incorrect way to prep wood for staining. High pressure removes the soft wood and bleach changes the PH causing the stain to fail prematurely because it does not adhere as well. Here are a few pics of a deck we completed today.

Attached Images

	Deck Before With Failed Stain.JPG (153.1 KB, 5 views)
	This deck needs help.JPG (149.4 KB, 6 views)
	Deck Staining AC Sequoia.JPG (157.8 KB, 4 views)
	Clarksville TN Deck Staining.JPG (141.3 KB, 5 views)
	AC Sequoia Deck Staining.JPG (162.4 KB, 6 views)

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Pat

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[Steve]

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That is an amazing job! Unless you have a distributor in your area you will have to ship it. Box store stains are a film forming stain and they will flake and peel way to soon. When you say they are a film forming stain, what are the better kinds? How do they differ as far as this goes?

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[The Cleaning Doctor]

With film forming stains they form an outer shell like an egg on top of the wood surface. You want to use a penetrating stain. Not to mention that with an oil based stain you are replacing the natural oils that dry out of the wood and allow for splitting and curling etc.

I gave 3 brands of oil stains in the original post. Each one is different and has it's own unique capabilities and drawbacks. You just have to pick which best suits you.

[picframer]

Depends on the wood in question and the type of stain, for example I built my home 21 years ago, have Pine band sawn siding with Sikkens natural stain, haven't touch it yet and it looks great, if you pressure wash decks in upper end homes that may have Ipe or Jatoba decks, you have to have a high pressure washer. An oil based stain will not replace the natural oils in many woods, I have studied woods for 30 years and write as a hobby for the largest wood magazines in North America so it's something that is dear to my heart, my woodworking company imports 79 species from around the world and works with about 21 North American species.