Deck staining without stripping, anyone ? anyone?

junker1

Roundtable Host 2009
We all know people want things cheap, they dont want to pay 1 or 2 thousand dollars to redo a deck. So i run into this a lot , " cant it just be washed and stained ? " I explain the issues with the deck, I educate them about the process and also the benifets of routine maintenance. after i explain all this they still say its to expensive. Thats when i leave a card and tell them to call if they have any more questions.

My question is, does any one go ahead and give them a quick wash and re-stain for $500. My biggest scare is that a friend is going to say " who did this it looks like crap "
 
depending what kind of stain or sealer. I do a lot of decks myself .
 
If it is washed properly, No problem in most cases. However, $500.00 isn't going to buy much for washing and staining a deck! If you have someone who is trying to be that cheap, I would walk away from the job. Your name will be on it once you touch it and unless the deck is extremely small, You will be kicking yourself in the tail about mid-way through the job.

Mike
 
the money isnt the point, 500, 700, 1000 whatever, the price. would anyone here just do what the homeowner wants even though they feel it isnt the correct way ( why is your way the only correct way ). Ok if you wouldnt do it for 500, would you do it for five thousand?
 
Most people around here that clean decks don't even attempt to get all the stain off. I've been hitting them with clorox and deck stripper applied thru x-jet and slapping on one thick coat of semi-solid latex stain. Looks perfect.

Edit: I apply brightener too. I agree people don't want to pay for a perfect deck job.
 
I personally would not do it any other way besides the correct way. Your brand is way more important than a customer trying to save a few bucks. As someone stated, they will never be a recurring customer anyway.

I would rather go this route. Decks are a lot of work when done right, but they are beautiful when done. I will continue to let the cheapo's be cheap and focus on the ones that want a good quality job.
 
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