Power Washing Organization
The United Association of Mobile Contract Cleaners (UAMCC) is a new organization for pressure washing contractors. This association has been built from the ground up. With details on everything from how to start a pressure washing business to tips on sales, marketing and administration, the UAMCC can help your business get off the ground running. For seasoned pros the UAMCC offers discounts, networking, conventions and advanced training. The UAMCC also has a pressure washing forum where contractors share ideas and thoughts on proper power washing technique. The forum is a great place to gain knowlege and trade stories with other industry pros.
Pennsylvania Pressure Washers
There is a company in PA that promises to give you more than just pressure washing. From dazzling curb appeal house washing to full deck cleaning and sealing Pressure Pros offers pressure washing services, yes. But where they step above is in how the job gets done. Insured and experienced at the pressure washing PA craft, PressurePros guarantees against damage and insures a cleaning job well done. Hundreds of customers along the Philadelphia Main Line and Delaware County swear by this company. Their number is 610-446-0555
Do It Yourself Chat Forum Message Board DIY help contractors
There is a new message board that caters to the DIY (do it yourself) crowd. It promises to offer DIY help to amatuers from professional contractors. If you are looking to chat about do it yourself projects including deck cleaning and staining, plumbing, windows, home improvement, you name it.. check it out
DIY Home Improvement Forum
DIY Home Improvement Forum
The Basics About Deck Stains and Sealers
Understanding the Phrases Deck Stains versus Deck Sealers:It may be best to first define some terms used for deck finishing: Sealer, Stain and Waterproofer are words you can use interchangeably and are single products. You don't apply a stain and then a sealer like you would an interior finish. These products are available as:
• Clear: has no pigmentation and just seals the wood against moisture. This type of product lets the sun (UV) turn the deck gray.
• Toner: has a very small amount of pigment and offer minimum UV protection.
• Semi-transparent: allows the grain of wood to show through but has a richer color and better UV protection
• Solids: more paint-like hiding all of the wood's grain. These products also do not penetrate the wood.
There are also classifications of finishes. For simplicity, they can be narrowed down to two types: film forming and penetrating.
• A film forming finish will form a barrier over the wood. At first, this type of finish offers the best protection (while it is intact) Unfortunately, outdoor elements and moisture quickly cause this type of finish to expand and contract at differing rates than the wood. This causes the finish to lose it's integrity and quickly break down into a peeling mess.
• Most professionals prefer to use an oil based, penetrating, semi transparent deck stains. These seem to have the best balance of longevity, durability and ease of maintenance.
From this author's personal experience I stay away from anything that is not oil based. Water based sealers offer no conditioning for the wood. (Think of the way an emollient softens your skin and keeps it moist versus water that lays on the surface of your skin then evaporates away) The downsides of course are odor and cleanup.Another type of sealer is called an acrylic. These types of products are not friendly for exterior surfaces. They are generally film formers so they crack, they peel, they flake, they cause wood to rot from the inside out, they are very maintenance intensive and if you ever decide you want to remove them be prepared to spend a hefty amount.
If you have seen commercials on TV for 5 and 7 year "guaranteed" sealers, these are acrylics. I watch these commercials and just shake my head in disbelief. I have NEVER seen a sealer last for seven years, nor five years for that matter. I strongly recommend anyone reading this article stay away from acrylics. You'll thank me in the future.
Where To Buy Quality Deck Stains
I would avoid anything you would see at a home store. Products from the big box stores like Home Depot have a host of inherent problems like cheaper pigmentation and mildewcide. My recommendation is to go into a paint store like MAB, Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore etc. You will see products made by Cabots', Sikkens SRD, Deckscapes, and TWP. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations on temperature, amount of coats etc.
Application
Again, first read the manufacturer's directions on application. Some common methods include
brushing, rolling, spraying or using a stain pad. Your goal should be even application with attention paid not to leave any puddles or shiny spots. Oil based penetrating sealers are best applied heavily, allowed a short time for penetration into the wood and then brushed out to remove excess. Following the proper steps for cleaning, pH balancing, and choosing a high quality sealer will give you longer life without the inherent problems from mold or finish failure that seem to plague many homeowners.Where To Buy Quality Products I would avoid anything you would see at a home store. Products like Behr and CWF have a host of inherent problems like cheaper pigmentation and mildewcide. My recommendation is to go into a paint store like MAB, Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore etc. You will see products made by Cabots', Sikkens SRD, Deckscapes, and TWP. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations on temperature, amount of coats etc. Application Again, first read the manufacturer's directions on application. Some common methods include brushing, rolling, spraying or using a stain pad. Your goal should be even application with attention paid not to leave any puddles or shiny spots. Oil based penetrating sealers are best applied heavily, allowed a short time for penetration into the wood and then brushed out to remove excess. Following the proper steps for deck cleaning, pH balancing, and choosing a high quality sealer will give you longer life without the inherent problems from mold or finish failure that seem to plague many homeowners.
If You Want it To Last, You Have To Do The Right Prep
Since I do this professionally and have been seen on many DIY sites like Garden Web and DIY Chat I was constantly being asked what people could use to prep their outdoor wood for sealer. One day a brainstorm hit me. Why not offer the deck cleaning system that my company uses every day? A fairly obvious but nonetheless revelational idea. Thus was born Restore-A-Deck cleaners and stains . RAD is safe for the enviroment, removes failed sealer, cleans up new construction, and sets up your wooden deck in proper pH balance for staining.
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