Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 10:53:08 am

Title: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 10:53:08 am
Morning guys.
Ive been asked to clean this traffic discolouration on this wooden cladding prior to them painting it or re-staining it.
Im in the throes of considering TFR, pressure washing or soft washing. Or a hocus-pocus mix of all three!

Would biocidal wash or SH sort this effectively please?

(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519037567_IMG_0114.jpg)


(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519037577_IMG_0113.jpg)
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: nathankaye on February 19, 2018, 11:16:47 am
Soft wash would sort it, you don't want to be blasting it with a pressure washer, because if your not careful you could do more damage than good.
I normally advice the customer that they need to treat the wood afterwards or you could and adjust price accordingly.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Plankton on February 19, 2018, 11:28:07 am
Just hypo but maybe include cleaning the slabs as it'll look daft.
Or stick a tarp down to catch the run off.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 11:33:05 am
Soft wash would sort it, you don't want to be blasting it with a pressure washer, because if your not careful you could do more damage than good.
I normally advice the customer that they need to treat the wood afterwards or you could and adjust price accordingly.

The wood is meant to be being stained afterwards so that should resolve that issue.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 11:33:40 am
Just hypo but maybe include cleaning the slabs as it'll look daft.
Or stick a tarp down to catch the run off.

I think a tarpaulin is a good idea, it would look like a bodge job with streaks across the slabs.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: CleanClear on February 19, 2018, 11:42:37 am
1st Choice is Oxalic Acid. Apply from bucket with paint brush, leave to dwell then rinse off with your wfp.
2nd Choice, same method different product............ oxiclean, or as we know it.
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519040532_Selection_999(990).jpg)


You tube will show you loads of examples of both in action.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: nathankaye on February 19, 2018, 02:22:16 pm
Above is very time consuming and not as effective as hypo
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 04:40:39 pm
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519058423_IMG_0121.jpg)

Blackwash at 10%
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: nathankaye on February 19, 2018, 07:12:19 pm
Black wash is basically an expensive soft wash (made with hypo,) 
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: colin bird on February 19, 2018, 09:11:38 pm
I have no knowledge of that type of cleaning,but my thoughts are timber is absorbent,so if the timber has been there a while a surface clean won't work as the timber has been dyed.
But fair play if you clean it,and well done if it comes up well

Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 09:23:49 pm
Black wash is basically an expensive soft wash (made with hypo,)

I thought they were exactly same thing. Admittedly, one is made, mixed etc by Benz, but soft-wash/hypo/benz, all the same aren't they?
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Splash & dash on February 19, 2018, 09:27:55 pm
I would do it with farm hypo at £10 for 25 ltr drum and mix it 4-1 spray on and light scrub with brush rinse re apply if needed should come up quite well  I think
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 09:30:52 pm
Whats the farm hypo marketed and sold as?
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 09:33:30 pm
I guess this is it?

http://darrantchemicals.co.uk/sodium-hypochlorite
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Splash & dash on February 19, 2018, 09:40:39 pm
Whats the farm hypo marketed and sold as?



Any farm supplies shop will have it it’s sold under several names : dairy hypochlorite: sodium hypochlorite it varies in strength from 10%-15% the brand that we are using is Evans at the moment it’s only 10% but is cheap as chips they have it on offer at the moment 2x25 ltr drums £20 I think that’s very good value for money
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Plankton on February 19, 2018, 09:42:33 pm
Just hypo; http://www.bonnymans.co.uk/products/product.php?categoryID=1929&productID=8881
I think in paddy land they have different rules for chems so your paying for paddy approved chems, I use the above with clever wash.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: CleanClear on February 19, 2018, 09:50:24 pm
Black wash is basically an expensive soft wash (made with hypo,)

You seem knowledgeable in this area Nathan, what is "softwash" ? I thought it was a technique, using whatever substance you need for whatever problem you face. You seem to imply (to me at least) that softwash is some sort of chemical thing ?
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: CleanClear on February 19, 2018, 09:52:09 pm
Above is very time consuming and not as effective as hypo

Do you know what Sodium Hypochlorite does to wood ? See if you can find a wood restoration , preservation site or similar that promotes it ?
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: CleanClear on February 19, 2018, 09:56:59 pm
Whats the farm hypo marketed and sold as?

Great question...... its sold as Sodium Hypochlorite. Its generally about 11%, sometimes more. The reason you asked this question, i guess, is because chemical suppliers have told you that their 14/15% mix is stronger. But then it all gets watered down to about..this or that.......we pay about £12 for Hypo here for 25 litres, varying between 11% and 15%. From either Farmers markets or chemical suppliers.  The Facebook chem supplys are having your pants down, there's no easier way to say it...
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Splash & dash on February 19, 2018, 09:59:38 pm
Above is very time consuming and not as effective as hypo

Do you know what Sodium Hypochlorite does to wood ? See if you can find a wood restoration , preservation site or similar that promotes it ?




It’s fine if you wet it down with water first don’t use to strong a mix and rinse well have a look on the Benz Softwash site on there videos they promote it for wood , bleach is used extensively inthe market place for bleaching wood pulp and timber for building trades to alter the colours of timber I hav3 done my fence for the past 20 years with hypo and it’s fine but starting to look taty due to age but the hypo hasn’t hurt it at all
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 10:03:02 pm
Benz Softwash recommend Biocide for wood preservation and treatment.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: p1w1 on February 19, 2018, 10:22:09 pm
Is that job of the wood the final finish as it doesn't look to be  that great of a result especially if they want to stain it .  Not knocking your work just generally interested if that is the best the softwashing has done.
I've had a few customers recently ask to clean  a bit of render etc ( for some reason they think just going over with pure water will do the job)  but as i've no clue really on softashing and the use of hypo ( i prefer to know what i am doing before selling a service)
I'm just interested on this post and the lessons your learning. Have you done render cleans with hypo? 
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 10:38:54 pm
Yes, thats it.

But Im wondering if I over diluted. I was using Benz Blackwash (which is 10%) and diluted that to 10%.

So, now Im thinking does that mean it was just a 1% mix?
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: nathankaye on February 19, 2018, 11:13:58 pm
Black wash is basically an expensive soft wash (made with hypo,)

You seem knowledgeable in this area Nathan, what is "softwash" ? I thought it was a technique, using whatever substance you need for whatever problem you face. You seem to imply (to me at least) that softwash is some sort of chemical thing ?

Soft wash in this sense I am implying is a mix of hypo, water, a surfactant and a scent base mix. Soft wash as supposed to a hard wash using a high psi pressure washer.
But this you know, and I took the bait, oh well only missing the adverts on TV  ;D

If the wood is being treated afterwards then yes using a weak mix of hypo (which I and others have suggested) is perfectly OK to do so.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Plankton on February 19, 2018, 11:25:36 pm
Yes, thats it.

But Im wondering if I over diluted. I was using Benz Blackwash (which is 10%) and diluted that to 10%.

So, now Im thinking does that mean it was just a 1% mix?
I would have thought about 3% so 7 litres water to 3l Blackwash
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 11:38:20 pm
The boys at Benz are recommending a 10% wash. I’ll pop back tomorrow and give it another splodge,  see what that does.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Plankton on February 19, 2018, 11:45:52 pm
This is where it gets confusing. Although I wouldn't have thought they would apply it neat and I wouldn't have thought they would dilute it down to 1%
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: CleanClear on February 19, 2018, 11:47:37 pm
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519058423_IMG_0121.jpg)

Blackwash at 10%


This deserves a bump........................
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 19, 2018, 11:53:22 pm
This is where it gets confusing. Although I wouldn't have thought they would apply it neat and I wouldn't have thought they would dilute it down to 1%

I’ve gone back and asked him to clarify.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Plankton on February 20, 2018, 12:04:40 am
Third paragraph down it says 1 to 2% hypo http://www.bonnymans.co.uk/products/product.php?categoryID=1929&productID=8846
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: CleanClear on February 20, 2018, 12:28:22 am
Benz Softwash recommend Biocide for wood preservation and treatment.

etc. etc. etc.....

(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519086486_Selection_999(993).jpg)
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Plankton on February 20, 2018, 12:59:03 am
Your/their right but it takes longer to do the job. For my garden I'll spray left over antifungal wash on the fence and garage render and I know it'll sort out the algae but on a job it's "softwash"
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Smudger on February 20, 2018, 09:35:44 am
Matt before you go any further I’ll get you the name of what you need I’m in the horse piddle atm but I’ll post later

Hypo will clean it but you need pressure on it as well use 25 deg nozzle

Darran
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 20, 2018, 12:10:12 pm
Cheers Darren!
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 20, 2018, 12:23:34 pm
I went back today to take another look.

It looks better than yesterday IMO. I'd only really concentrated the chemical on one particular piece of wood. It looks good when you're face to face with it. I think a properly addressed cleaning visit to it instead of just pouring a 2% mix on it and waiting for two minutes will do the job.

(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519129382_box.jpg)
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Plankton on February 20, 2018, 12:38:10 pm
I thought that was the finished article  ::)roll
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: andyM on February 20, 2018, 12:43:07 pm
After all this piddling about, backwards and forwards it probably would of been quicker to just run a Sander over it!  (http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519130586_grin.gif)
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 20, 2018, 01:54:42 pm
I thought that was the finished article  ::)roll

Nooo, lol.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Elfyn on February 20, 2018, 02:07:49 pm
I'd pressurewash it - just to be safe. That way you know that there won't be any problems with (a) whatever it's going to be painted with and (b) any runoff causing problems somewhere else.
I find timber - especially softwood like this - comes up very well with pressure washing. A quick sanding and it's ready to paint.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Plankton on February 25, 2018, 10:02:25 pm
How did it progress?
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 28, 2018, 04:48:22 pm
This is how this job turned out.

(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519836499_B304DF31-9548-4640-9759-E701966D9EF7.jpeg)
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Slacky on February 28, 2018, 04:49:24 pm
Pre-soaked the cladding then applied a 1% mix of hypo. It required 2 or 3 applications but came up great.
Title: Re: Wooden cladding
Post by: Splash & dash on February 28, 2018, 05:00:27 pm
That’s looking better nice job just takes a bit of time experimenting with the right mix