2006 Sealer Poll: Which are you using this year?

[Beth n Rod]

Hey all,
It's time to launch a new poll for 2006 to see what everyone is using, why and what you have on hand that you are not using and perhaps why as well there too.

Let's hear from you...

Rod!~

[seymore]

I have about 600 gallons of Gray Away on hand cause i have soo much wood to stain! Now if it would just stop raining i could spray it! We also sell it retail here in Houston and we have many repeat customers applying it themselves.

It's been the only stain we have used since 1990 and it has built a pretty nice reliable reputation for our company.

[Littlefield]

Have some Readyseal maint jobs coming up, new one with Wood Defender, I'll post pics, one coming up with wood tux, one with Weatherall, Just did two with Defy, ...... these are houses, not decks by the way. Or rather, they are houses AND decks, but not always with the same product, make sense now?

Oh yeah, next week, Weatherseal, the thick oil stain that brushes and sprays nice, no dripping, penetrates nice.

[R L S]

ReadySeal like always. I still might try a few others though.

[acegot]

Wood-Tux & Some Ready Seal & Some Wolman's F&P. Long Live Wood-Tux Wet!

[Beth n Rod]

Even though the options for the poll are maxed out, if there is another product not mentioned above, please feel free to add it in your post for others to be aware of.

Rod!~

[Beth n Rod]

Please vote

Beth

[Chris S]

I've been using Deckscapes/Cuprinol for several years, and I have been pleased with it. It is readily available, and the price is excellent. For those that use Readyseal and others, what is you reason for doing so? Durability? Ease of application? I can't say that I know of anyone that uses Readyseal or Wood Tux in my area, so I am interested in the reasons.

[RPetry]

Chris,

This is my third year of using Ready Seal, and will not use any other stain on any species of wood. There are some other brands of paraffinic oil stains such as Baker's Gray Away and some series of TWP stains, and I would assume they all have the same properties as Ready Seal.

First the downside. The wood must be prepped correctly and very dry before application. Any and all previous stains must be completely removed. Moisture content of the wood must be at 12% or less.

On pressure treated wood, especially older, poorly maintained wood, an initial application of Ready Seal will take a lot of stain. 100 sq. ft. to the gallon is typical coverage the first time RS is applied. It is in your best interest as a contractor and best for the customer to get as much oil into the wood as possible.

Now the upside. Paraffinic oil is a non drying oil. It penetrates very deep into the substate of the wood and actually conditions the wood by filling the voids with oil. I don't consider RS as a "sealer" per se, as there is no film on the wood keeping out moisture. It is more like a moisture repellant. Water cannot get into the wood due to the oil.

The iron oxide pigments are top shelf quality. They are so finely ground, the pigment stays in suspension in the stain. Aside from a quick shake of a 5'er, or turning them over prior to using, no stirring is needed.

It is a very thin consistancy so spraying using an HVLP pump at very low pressure is easy. I typically run my Pump Tec at 35-40 psi. Unless there is puddling on cupped boards, back brushing is truly not necessary. RS applies fast and does not lap, due to its penetrating properties.

The true benefit of the product is maintenance. As with most stains at least here in the Northeast, every two years is typical. A 2 or 3% bleach wash with very low dump tip type pressure is all that is needed. As there is oil still present in the wood, the wood dries very fast. It is not unusual to wash a maintenance job, take lunch, and the wood is ready for staining. Stain quantity on maintenance is 50 - 60% of the initial application.

The stain will never have to be stripped. There's nothing to strip. The stain is in the wood, not on the wood. The more I work on exterior wood, the less I like to use sodium hydroxide strippers. In my opinion they damage the substrate of the wood.

Clean up is soap and water. Brushes can be left for days with stain on as the oil is truly non drying. Ready Seal is VOC compliant and they did not have to change their original formulation to meet the new regulations. The company has been producing the stain since I think 1992.

Bottom line, it is a stain that is actually good for the wood.

[Mathew Johnson]

DITTO to Rick's post. I exclusively use ready seal. I bid the decks and buildings for a price plus the ready seal. If the homeowner wants a different product it is an additional 28 percent on the contract price and they buy the stain.

It is easy to use and cost effective when I buy 30 pail lots (150 gallons) at a time. Homeowners actually are calling me to buy it to apply themselves on new construction or after I have stripped thier deck

[Deck Guy]

I've read posts here criticizing Deckscapes, but I've never had a problem (oil-based semi-transparent). It is important to work quickly in a good order to avoid lap-marks and such, but that truly isn't so hard to do.

Tomorrow AM, I will be using Ready Seal for the first time on a maintenence job. I hear it's idiot-proof, in which case I'll be in good shape.

[shelland]

I was leaning towards TWP to stain my deck, but am impressed by the comments about Ready Seal. Would most here consider Ready Seal to be superior? (for a DIY'er)

[Mark Williamson]

RS. I use to offer a few stains to choose from. I like to keep it simple now. RS and I'll see ya in 2 years.

[Beth n Rod]

Would most here consider Ready Seal to be superior?

Ready Seal is easy to apply. It's forgiving in that you won't have to deal with drip marks, lap marks, etc. like you might with other things. We prefer Wood Tux. Both are popular. I can see why RS might be better for a homeowner to apply. If you decide to go with Ready Seal for your own deck, contact www.acrproducts.com and tell them Beth sent you. They are the closest dealer I know of to you off the top of my head. Back to my coffee...

Beth

[Ethan]

Hey everyone! My company manufactures exterior oil-based semi-transparent wood stain. It has been through accelerated testing and is showing to last longer than the one's we tested against. Since I am a member of this site and "LIKE IT ALOT", I will offer all members our stain at $19.95 per gallon. If you would like, I will give you 10% off the first order so you can see how great the product is. Call me or reply if you have questions.

Ethan