This is my first on-the-job encounter with this situation as it is not common at all in our area, but I have been asked to SoftWash this house with redwood shingle siding. The house is over 100 years old, which is rare for Southern California. The home owner says that there was an addition put on the house over 40 years ago, and that some of these shingles could be that old. He has lived in the house for 28+ years and other than small repairs hasn't put anything new on the house as far as siding goes. So that sets the stage...the parts of the house in the photos are on the north and west facing walls. As you can see, the north side is very dark, the west side has some of the color showing through.
I'd love some help with pricing this correctly ($/sqft), so if anyone can call me 760.407.7162 or PM me in that regard I'd really appreciate it.
Beyond that (assuming I get the job), I could use some recommendations or tips in terms of how to use the Wood Wash effectively. Also, with the age of the shingles, is Wood Restore recommended, and if so, what concentration?
Thank you for any help! If I get this one I think it will make for some great before/after shots.
-- Edited by Josh Agadoni on Tuesday 25th of October 2016 05:38:39 PM
-- Edited by Josh Agadoni on Tuesday 25th of October 2016 05:39:12 PM
Josh, it may not matter but the siding looks like a Cedar wood shake to me.
Josh Agadoni said
Oct 26, 2016
Thanks, Steve. The home owner told me redwood, so I didn't question it. You're right though, it may not make a difference.
Brandon Vaughn said
Oct 28, 2016
With how dark the staining is, you may have more than just mold going on. This is may end up as more of a wood restoration than simply SoftWashing. Pricing would probably be somewhere in the .50-1.00 range. Tim @ Vesta Wash has done projects this bad before and may have some good advice for you.
If it was me, I'd see if I could do a demo on an inconspicuous part of the house, not only to set customer expectations, but also to determine how strong solution and how difficult the job may be.
Josh Agadoni said
Oct 28, 2016
Thank you for the response, Brandon. Home owner needed a response sooner, so I sent him an estimate this morning based on my best guess at what it would cost me in time and materials. I was thinking what you're thinking though, and I'm going to follow up with him tomorrow and ask to come and do a test. I'll report back with pictures and details.
Tim (Vesta Wash), if you see this feel free to share your thoughts. I'd love to hear them! Otherwise I'll probably try and get in touch with you soon depending on how my conversation with the home owner goes.
Brandon Vaughn said
Oct 31, 2016
With really dark tannin stains (what this may be), sometimes oxalic acid is needed as a final step in the restoration. There are a lot of guys that are better at wood restoration than I, so I don't want to lead you wrong.
I have used oxalic acid on wood before to get rid of very bad stains.
Josh Agadoni said
Nov 1, 2016
Thanks for the thoughts, Brandon! I set up a demo appointment with the homeowner for this Thursday, so I'll see what a basic SoftWash will do and report back.
Question for anyone with the knowledge/experience: Where is a good place to buy oxalic acid and what is the recommended method for applying it in this situation?
Josh Agadoni said
Nov 21, 2016
Alright, I have made two demo visits to this house now. During the first visit I only SoftWashed (2% w/ Terra Wash), and the difference was noticeable but minimal. For the second visit I SoftWashed with Wood Wash (2%) and followed it up with a coat of Oxalic acid. It was a little difficult to tell how much of a difference it made while everything was still wet, so I asked the homeowner to take some 'after' photos the next day and send them to me. He was very excited about the results (see photos).
The next question is pricing for doing a SoftWash with Wood Wash along with Oxalic Acid for the dark stains and potentially finished up with Wood Restore? Any guidance on this would be greatly appreciated. Also, any recommendations for applying/spraying the Oxalic Acid and the Wood Restore to a large area?
One other note about the Wood Restore...the homeowner is having this cleaning done because he is planning to sell the house, so should I bother with Wood Restore? Will it make the wood look even better for showing the house?
Also, I don't get why some of my photos get turned on their side once they're posted. It's a huge pet peeve but I'm not smart enough to figure it out on my own. If anyone can help me out with that I'd be forever grateful.
AC Lockyer said
Dec 20, 2016
Josh,
Wood Restore will make a difference in how the wood looks after. However brushing the wood before rinsing will remove more UV damage and bring fresher wood to the forefront.
This is my first on-the-job encounter with this situation as it is not common at all in our area, but I have been asked to SoftWash this house with redwood shingle siding. The house is over 100 years old, which is rare for Southern California. The home owner says that there was an addition put on the house over 40 years ago, and that some of these shingles could be that old. He has lived in the house for 28+ years and other than small repairs hasn't put anything new on the house as far as siding goes. So that sets the stage...the parts of the house in the photos are on the north and west facing walls. As you can see, the north side is very dark, the west side has some of the color showing through.
I'd love some help with pricing this correctly ($/sqft), so if anyone can call me 760.407.7162 or PM me in that regard I'd really appreciate it.
Beyond that (assuming I get the job), I could use some recommendations or tips in terms of how to use the Wood Wash effectively. Also, with the age of the shingles, is Wood Restore recommended, and if so, what concentration?
Thank you for any help! If I get this one I think it will make for some great before/after shots.
-- Edited by Josh Agadoni on Tuesday 25th of October 2016 05:38:39 PM
-- Edited by Josh Agadoni on Tuesday 25th of October 2016 05:39:12 PM
With how dark the staining is, you may have more than just mold going on. This is may end up as more of a wood restoration than simply SoftWashing. Pricing would probably be somewhere in the .50-1.00 range. Tim @ Vesta Wash has done projects this bad before and may have some good advice for you.
If it was me, I'd see if I could do a demo on an inconspicuous part of the house, not only to set customer expectations, but also to determine how strong solution and how difficult the job may be.
Tim (Vesta Wash), if you see this feel free to share your thoughts. I'd love to hear them! Otherwise I'll probably try and get in touch with you soon depending on how my conversation with the home owner goes.
With really dark tannin stains (what this may be), sometimes oxalic acid is needed as a final step in the restoration. There are a lot of guys that are better at wood restoration than I, so I don't want to lead you wrong.
I have used oxalic acid on wood before to get rid of very bad stains.
Question for anyone with the knowledge/experience: Where is a good place to buy oxalic acid and what is the recommended method for applying it in this situation?
Alright, I have made two demo visits to this house now. During the first visit I only SoftWashed (2% w/ Terra Wash), and the difference was noticeable but minimal. For the second visit I SoftWashed with Wood Wash (2%) and followed it up with a coat of Oxalic acid. It was a little difficult to tell how much of a difference it made while everything was still wet, so I asked the homeowner to take some 'after' photos the next day and send them to me. He was very excited about the results (see photos).
The next question is pricing for doing a SoftWash with Wood Wash along with Oxalic Acid for the dark stains and potentially finished up with Wood Restore? Any guidance on this would be greatly appreciated. Also, any recommendations for applying/spraying the Oxalic Acid and the Wood Restore to a large area?
One other note about the Wood Restore...the homeowner is having this cleaning done because he is planning to sell the house, so should I bother with Wood Restore? Will it make the wood look even better for showing the house?
Wood Restore will make a difference in how the wood looks after. However brushing the wood before rinsing will remove more UV damage and bring fresher wood to the forefront.
AC