Archive for the ‘Care & Maintenance’ Category

Q: How to Maintain Ipe Decking?

A: Process:

1.) If the wood is weathered one can use a deck wash first to prep the wood, let it dry fully, then recoat with a hardwood oil. Expect to recoat every spring.

2.) If the wood is in really bad condition, sand it first with a palm sander, use a deck wash…then re coat with oil. A good goal to have in mind would be to use this product on both the stairs and your Ipe furniture. If you are looking to remove the current coating on your furniture you can use a deck stripper before or in lieu of sanding. However, this process is trial and error.

Products: 

1.) Messmer’s UV Plus for Hardwood Decks- apply with a brush, rub it in with a rag. This product can be purchased online at http://www.messmers.com/ or at Sherwin Williams call beforehand to confirm the location nearest you carries it.

2.) Cabot’s Australian Timber Oil-For best results, use a high quality pad applicator or stain brush. If spraying  immediately back brush after each section is coated to ensure proper penetration. This product can  be purchased at your local hardware store, Lowe’s, and Seven’s Paint.

Maintaining Your Hardwood Flooring

If you have purchased raw flooring that has been sanded and finished, you have had one of the finest polyurethane finishes available applied.  This finish provides a protective layer for your floor.  If you have purchased a prefinished floor, it has had several UV coatings applied in the factory giving it a very hard finish surface.  The key to maintaining your floors natural beauty is through both preventive and regular maintenance.  To assist you, we have listed several maintenance tips.

Preventive Maintenance Tips:

• Use protective walk‐off mats at the exterior doors to help prevent sand and grit from being tracked onto the floor.  Sand and gritty dirt are any floor’s worst enemy.

• If your hardwood floor is located in the kitchen, you may want to place a throw rug in front of the kitchen sink to catch spills and splashes.  The polyurethane finish is not a waterproofing agent.

• Install proper floor protectors on the legs of all furniture in the rooms where you have hardwood.  Protectors allow chairs to move easily over the floor without scuffing. Protectors must be cleaned on a regular basis to remove any grit that may have become embedded.  Felt floor protectors are available at Rivershores Building Products, Inc.

• Vacuum regularly.  When vacuuming your household carpets, it is a good idea to also vacuum the hardwood floor.  A soft brush attachment works beautifully.

• Do not use household dusting sprays or treatments as they may cause your floor to become slick, or dull the finish.  The best treatment is to sweep the floors frequently.

• NEVER wet mop a hardwood floor.   Excessive water will cause the wood to expand, possibly damaging your floor. The finish put on your floor is to protect the stain and the wood surface.  It is not a bonding or waterproofing substance.

• Keep high heeled shoes in good repair.  Heels that have lost their protective cap, exposing the fastening nail, exert over 8,000 lbs per square inch of pressure on the floor.  This kind of pressure will damage any floor covering.

Regular Maintenance Tips:

• Food spills should be cleaned up in a timely manner using a damp rag.  Poly Care, available at Rivershores, is an excellent product.  It is a waterborne neutral cleaner which leaves no residue.  We do not recommend the use of furniture dusting products, oil soaps (Murphy’s oil soap, etc.) or other harsh cleaning products.

• Shoe marks can be removed using a spot application of Scuff Remover, available at Rivershores Building Products, Inc. and a non‐abrasive scrubbing pad.  Marks that are especially difficult to remove are best treated with a “white” grade maintenance pad and cleaner.

• Waxing is not necessary, nor is it recommended.  Once you wax a urethane floor, it is difficult to re‐coat the floor, as the finish does not bond to the wax.  In addition, once wax is used, you must maintain the wax AND the floor.  Preventive cleaning is the key to maintaining your floor.

• Re‐coating should be done when the floor BEGINS to show wear.  Do not wait until the finish is worn off and dirt and spills have penetrated the wood, or the floor will have to be sanded to the bare wood and completely refinished.

Moisture & Humidity Issues causing Cracking:

All the wood in your home will contract or expand according to the moisture in the air.  Doors and windows may swell and stick during rainy seasons.  In dry, cold weather, cracks and fine lines of separation may appear in wall cabinets and furniture.  This is characteristic of wood because wood is a product of nature, and its natural quality is what makes it desirable.

The same reaction to humidity or the lack of it is happening constantly in your wood floors.  Tiny cracks between edges of boards may appear when unusually dry conditions are produced by your heating system.  Normal cracks, if truly normal, close up in summer months and no repairs are needed.  This can usually be corrected simply by installing a humidifier.  With a more proper balance of moisture content in the house (40 to 50%), both family and floors benefit from a healthier environment.

I received a great question through our website the other day and thought the answer might be helpful to our readers.  The question was regarding a guest bathroom shower that, when running, can be heard throughout the rest of the house.  Is there anything that can be done to quiet this noise?

There are actually several options when trying to deaden sound:

1) Solid Core Door – change the existing hollow core to a solid core door.

2) Sound Batt Insulation – this would require opening the walls.

3) Cellulose Insulation – it would only require a 1.5″ hole that would have to be opened, then patched, then the wall repainted… less intrusive than the sound batt insulation. If you don’t like the color, no problem. It can also be added to the floor if access is gained.

4) Add sound-deadening materials – curtains on a window, a tapestry, pillow, etc. Minimal cost, minimal effect.

Do you have a question about an existing problem or upcoming project?  Contact us here and we’ll be happy to help!

I heard a funny deck story from a client last week.  It’s summed up with this quote from him, “I should’ve just handed him [13 yr old son] $250 and done it myself.”  There were swirls all over the deck from power washing with too much pressure, stain on the vinyl siding up top, and stain on blue stone from lack of drip protection.  This week another client told me about how her father-in-law power washed and stained their deck while they were out of town a few years back.  Her comment, “There is stain on the siding, but can you tell Dad he did a bad job?  I guess we got what we paid for…”

Adults only – This is not your kid’s summer job.  Find something else to get him on cruise control for the summer.

Be careful with the power washer – If you see splinters on  your legs when power washing you’re using too much pressure.  Use a fan tip, keep the tip moving, stay a consistent distance from the surface.

Cover up – Use drop cloths and painters tape to make sure you don’t stain the siding or allow it to drip on the siding or patio below the deck.  It’s an outdoor room so do the same protection you would on an inside project.  Wear rubber/latex gloves.

Don’t buy cheap stain/finish – I recommend buying a stain or finish that feels expensive ($40/gal)

Expect bi-annual maintenance – Every other year you should expect to restain your treated or cedar deck.  If the deck is already in less than perfect shape, expect annual maintenance to keep it at its handicap.

Outcome:  If you follow the ABCs your wood treated wood or cedar deck will still be looking great 15 or more years from now.  If you don’t, it’ll look junky in <5 years.

Other Tips:

Staining- With stain you can only keep it the same color or go darker.  You cannot change the color to be lighter than it is now.  The more pigment in a stain the more it acts like a paint.  Paint is a coating that sits on the surface of wood.  It breaks down quickly as wood naturally expands and contracts through water absorption.  Stain penetrates.  I prefer a penetrating stain over a paint or natural deck sealer.  Cheap, paraffin deck sealers are a waste of money in my opinion.

Power washing – I recommend you rent a power washer versus owning one.  If you must own one, you can probably just own an electric power washer.  I power washed my siding 2 weeks ago and spent 2 hours trying to fix my dad’s power washer and less than an hour washing the siding.

Pricing – Expect to pay $700-1200 for a pro to power wash and stain your deck.

It’s one thing to discuss the possibility of energy savings with a prospective client.  It’s another to introduce Andy and Randy.  The infographic here is a colorful clarification of how the owners of two similar homes can have very different energy results based on the changes they (or their contractors) do or don’t perform.   Click here to see the infographic.