AC Redwood Tone & Cedar Semi Fence

[plainpainter]

I don't know about you folks - but there are always those 'throw-away' jobs. People are moving - want the deck look nice for a sale, use your leftover woodtux. Or you are painting a house, and you throw in staining the deck for free - again woodtux. Or that crabby old customer that's been with you since the beginning - but is on the 'old' payscale - when you charge a buck a foot, only counting floor area, have absolutely no idea about stripping, and all you do is clean and put another layer on, coat over coat over coat - again, perfect scenerio for woodtux.

[RPetry]

I don't know about you folks - but there are always those 'throw-away' jobs. ...

Daniel,

That is a very good suggestion. Kind of works hand in glove with a "throw away" stain!

[Tonyg]

Tonyg,
We make up actual samples of all our colors and products available. If we get something new, we just add it. It is pretty cumbersome at times, but qualifying a customers needs will soften the blow. Our samples are PT and about a foot long. If they are tough to deal with, just make a new sample for their approval and be sure to add it to your collection.

Had the opportunity to take some pics of the samples I carry. Instead of 3 of each it is actually sets of 2 for 8 total. Also added a deck board picture of the RT/CS mix.

1. Sequoia/Natural 1:1
2. Siera Redwood/Cedar Semi 2:1
3. Redwood Tone
4. Redwood Tone/Cedar Semi 3:1
5. Cedar Semi
6. Super Cedar
7. Rustic Brown/Cedar Semi 1:1
8. Rustic Brown/Cedar Semi/Natural 1:1:2 (that may supposed to be 1:1:4)

[Tonyg]

The SR/CS blend look nice and gives a darker color with more of a Semi-trans body.

I'm not a big fan of the RB but the RB/CS blend looks better and adding the Natural gives more of a milder brown.

[Tonyg]

I used the same batch of the RT/CS mix on my own fence. My fence was a much rougher cut then the one I did last weekend and absorbed more stain.

I understand how stains/coatings react and look on different substrates but there is a learning curve with my expectations of how the exterior wood restorations are going to come out.

Here are pics of the same stain on my own fence and I have not decided if I like it or not. The customers fence I thought looked really nice but it was a much smoother board. My fence came out very rich looking but some areas are quite orange. (Jake, this is what I was talking about.)

What do you think of this color mix? I'm not sure if I want to include it as one of my standard colors yet. I guess I will need to stare at it a while longer.

The first pic is the fence I did last week and the others are mine.

[bigchaz]

Personal opinion...not a big fan. Its like its stuck in the middle trying to be red and orange at the same time.

[PressurePros]

Tony I was just like you in searching for that perfect tone. It doesn't exist. Ten decks built on the same block of the same wood species at the same time will all turn out differently. I ask people if they want red, brown or what 95% of people choose "deck color".. a reddish brown. Its the painter in you that has put you on this quest.

[Tonyg]

Tony I was just like you in searching for that perfect tone. It doesn't exist. Ten decks built on the same block of the same wood species at the same time will all turn out differently. I ask people if they want red, brown or what 95% of people choose "deck color".. a reddish brown. Its the painter in you that has put you on this quest.

Ken, ya know, come to think of it I think that is exactly what I have been trying to do. I have been trying to come up with that "perfect" reddish brown. It is almost like the holy grail - I keep trying color combinations but when I put them on different boards I like them one day and the next when it is cloudy I don't.

I'll keep playing around with them but I will probably just rely on the Cedar Semi as the primary.

[PressurePros]

I had that problem with Wood Tux. I hated every stock color. Decks were turning out orange or bright yellow or bright red.. ugly.. so out came the tint kits and a few drops of this and few drops of that.. 20 minutes on every job to get it right. Then came the documenting and living up to the sales hoopla of "I can make any color you wish right on the spot." Then it hit me.. this deck will not look this good in six months. People just want it to look real. To me, Baker's is the ultimate in color tone finish. All of them look fantastic. You blend a couple colors 50/50. The A/C is close but just not quite the same. I'm battling it internally a little bit. We're in the middle of a large condo deck project and those are all getting Baker's. Every owner is calling the HOA and raving how good their decks look. Hard to get away from that. long story short, I do feel your pain and relate perfectly. That's what makes what you offer different from the painter that slaps on that atrocious bricky red Behr crap.

[acegot]

Tony, I had to blend cedar tone with redwood tone with cedar semi & rustic brown together to get the perfect reddish brown. I just have to start an hour earlier & pull a trailer to haul everthing. LOL

[Beth n Rod]

Tony, I had to blend cedar tone with redwood tone with cedar semi & rustic brown together to get the perfect reddish brown. I just have to start an hour earlier & pull a trailer to haul everthing. LOL

Try the Semi-cedar with the redwood tone... (3:2) We have used that quite a bit, looks especially nice on old, severely neglected PT.

Beth

[RPetry]

Beth,

That is a real good color for weathered PTSYP. Maybe Jake could poll high volume A-C wood contractors on their most popular mixes and come out with a few new stock colors.

[Tonyg]

I did this about 6 weeks ago and have been back twice to get pics but can't seem to get there when it wasn't raining. It's the same mix of RT/CS. From looking at the dry areas it mellowed out on the deck & rails pretty nicely. Although it is hard to see the true color with the rain you can get a better idea of how this color looks on a deck. Next time I get over there I will try to get some dry pics.