Hi and Happy Holidays,

What is the best way to remove weather crust from exposed wood? There is a
dark crust on much of our outdoor wood (the house is in Costa Rica and gets
beaten by sun, rain, and wind). The crust sands off easily enough but the
underlying wood is not flat and is extremely hard (teak?). My pad sander
does not get into the valleys and sanding down the high spots is too slow
even with 60 grit paper. Using the edge of the pad for the valleys is still
slow.

Can the crust be removed chemically? Probably not advisable even if
available here.

A belt sander would be more aggressive but is expensive. Would it be worth
the expense?

A hand planer isn't that expensive here but I have no experience with one.

Power tools go for about 60% to 80% more here than in the U.S.

Much of the work will be done from a ladder. Two handed operation would be
awkward. Safety is an issue.

Thanks,
Gary

"Abby" wrote:

What is the best way to remove weather crust from exposed wood?
There is a dark crust on much of our outdoor wood (the house is in
Costa Rica and gets beaten by sun, rain, and wind). The crust sands
off easily enough but the underlying wood is not flat and is
extremely hard (teak?). My pad sander does not get into the valleys
and sanding down the high spots is too slow even with 60 grit paper.
Using the edge of the pad for the valleys is still slow.

Can the crust be removed chemically? Probably not advisable even if
available here.

A belt sander would be more aggressive but is expensive. Would it
be worth the expense?

A hand planer isn't that expensive here but I have no experience
with one.

Power tools go for about 60% to 80% more here than in the U.S.

Much of the work will be done from a ladder. Two handed operation
would be awkward. Safety is an issue.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Fein multitool detail sander is the best way to attack assembled
articles.

A belt sander isn't going to get the job done.

Yes, you can use chemical strippers; however, they eat out the soft
pulp
between the hard ridges, leaving a major sanding project and thinner
teak.

If you want to avoid major sanding jobs every couple of years, allow
the teak
to turn silver then wash with a bucket of salt water and a soft
bristle brush.

It's the way teak decks are maintained on boats.

Lew

On 12/1/2012 11:55 AM, Abby wrote:
Hi and Happy Holidays,

What is the best way to remove weather crust from exposed wood? There
is a dark crust on much of our outdoor wood (the house is in Costa Rica
and gets beaten by sun, rain, and wind). The crust sands off easily
enough but the underlying wood is not flat and is extremely hard
(teak?). My pad sander does not get into the valleys and sanding down
the high spots is too slow even with 60 grit paper. Using the edge of
the pad for the valleys is still slow.

Can the crust be removed chemically? Probably not advisable even if
available here.

A belt sander would be more aggressive but is expensive. Would it be
worth the expense?

A hand planer isn't that expensive here but I have no experience with one.

Power tools go for about 60% to 80% more here than in the U.S.

Much of the work will be done from a ladder. Two handed operation would
be awkward. Safety is an issue.

Thanks,
Gary


A pressure washer will bring back the color.

"Abby" wrote in message
m...
Hi and Happy Holidays,

What is the best way to remove weather crust from exposed wood? There is
a dark crust on much of our outdoor wood (the house is in Costa Rica and
gets beaten by sun, rain, and wind). The crust sands off easily enough
but the underlying wood is not flat and is extremely hard (teak?). My pad
sander does not get into the valleys and sanding down the high spots is
too slow even with 60 grit paper. Using the edge of the pad for the
valleys is still slow.

A pressure washer or perhaps a media blaster (e.g., think sandblaster) that
uses something gentle like baking soda for media. In either case the risks
of blasting water or media into the building need to be assessed.

You might also be able to scrub it off with a long handled scrub brush and a
mixture of warm water, TSP or other strong detergent, and bleach. Warm water
and Simple Green works pretty well too. I've used this method to clean old
pressure treated wood that was covered in dirt, moss, mold, bird excrement,
UV damage, etc. and ended up with wood that looked like new. Spray the
solution on with a garden sprayer, brush it a bit to loosen the heavy
accumulation, spray it again and let it soak for a while before giving it
another brushing--do not let dry out during this process. The detergent and
bleach do the bulk of the cleaning if you let them work. Then hose it off
with water and examine it for any areas that need further attention.
Generally work from the bottom up to limit the effects of streaking... wear
long gloves and safety glasses!

John

"John Grossbohlin" wrote:

A pressure washer or perhaps a media blaster (e.g., think
sandblaster) that uses something gentle like baking soda for media.
In either case the risks of blasting water or media into the
building need to be assessed.

You might also be able to scrub it off with a long handled scrub
brush and a mixture of warm water, TSP or other strong detergent,
and bleach. Warm water and Simple Green works pretty well too. I've
used this method to clean old pressure treated wood that was covered
in dirt, moss, mold, bird excrement, UV damage, etc. and ended up
with wood that looked like new. Spray the solution on with a garden
sprayer, brush it a bit to loosen the heavy accumulation, spray it
again and let it soak for a while before giving it another
brushing--do not let dry out during this process. The detergent and
bleach do the bulk of the cleaning if you let them work. Then hose
it off with water and examine it for any areas that need further
attention. Generally work from the bottom up to limit the effects of
streaking... wear long gloves and safety glasses!
-------------------------------------------------------
Real teak doesn't like the above.

P/T lumber is a whole different game.

The usual practice to clean teak is salt water and a soft bristle
brush,
if you want your teak to last.

At $16-$18/bd'ft, I try to get the longest life possible from my teak.

Lew

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
b.com...

"John Grossbohlin" wrote:

A pressure washer or perhaps a media blaster (e.g., think sandblaster)
that uses something gentle like baking soda for media. In either case the
risks of blasting water or media into the building need to be assessed.

You might also be able to scrub it off with a long handled scrub brush
and a mixture of warm water, TSP or other strong detergent, and bleach.
Warm water and Simple Green works pretty well too. I've used this method
to clean old pressure treated wood that was covered in dirt, moss, mold,
bird excrement, UV damage, etc. and ended up with wood that looked like
new. Spray the solution on with a garden sprayer, brush it a bit to
loosen the heavy accumulation, spray it again and let it soak for a while
before giving it another brushing--do not let dry out during this
process. The detergent and bleach do the bulk of the cleaning if you let
them work. Then hose it off with water and examine it for any areas that
need further attention. Generally work from the bottom up to limit the
effects of streaking... wear long gloves and safety glasses!
-------------------------------------------------------
Real teak doesn't like the above.

P/T lumber is a whole different game.

The usual practice to clean teak is salt water and a soft bristle brush,
if you want your teak to last.

At $16-$18/bd'ft, I try to get the longest life possible from my teak.

Lew

I agree that generally you'd want to take a gentler approach. However, the
surface conditions the OP articulated call for a relatively aggressive
cleaning approach--though probably not as aggressive as the sanders or
planers they have been using or might try... A "crust" of weathered decayed
wood full of micro organisms is pretty tough to remove...

I wonder if using something like vinegar first and then soda water combined
with a stiff brush might work for cleaning off the crust... The acid to kill
organisms and the baking soda to neutralize the acid followed by a water
rinse.

"John Grossbohlin" wrote:

I agree that generally you'd want to take a gentler approach.
However, the surface conditions the OP articulated call for a
relatively aggressive cleaning approach--though probably not as
aggressive as the sanders or planers they have been using or might
try... A "crust" of weathered decayed wood full of micro organisms
is pretty tough to remove...

I wonder if using something like vinegar first and then soda water
combined with a stiff brush might work for cleaning off the crust...
The acid to kill organisms and the baking soda to neutralize the
acid followed by a water rinse.
------------------------------------------------------------
If we are talking real teak, it is already very rot resistant.

I suspect the "Crust" described is little more than the normal
silvered/gray
surface naturally generated with exposure to the sun and air.

The typical chemical strippers such a Te-Ka, use phosphoric acid as
a neutralizer.

The only problem is it also consumes the soft pulp wood leaving raised
ridges which must then to be sanded smooth again.

Two or three rounds of that and your teak needs to be replaced.

The brush needs to be soft bristled or it will remove the soft pulp
just like
Te-Ka does.

Trying to maintain teak in "bright" condition is doomed to failure,
IMHO.

Most people don't have deep enough pockets to do it right.

It is a very labor intensive job.

Lew

Abby wrote:
Hi and Happy Holidays,

What is the best way to remove weather crust from exposed wood? There is a
dark crust on much of our outdoor wood (the house is in
Costa Rica and gets beaten by sun, rain, and wind). The crust sands
off easily enough but the underlying wood is not flat and is
extremely hard (teak?). My pad sander does not get into the valleys
and sanding down the high spots is too slow even with 60 grit paper. Using
the edge of the pad for the valleys is still slow.

The only way you are going to get the wood flat after removing the crust -
whatever that is - is by sanding it.

BTW, teak isn't particularly hard, similar to walnut.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On 12/2/2012 10:07 AM, dadiOH wrote:
Abby wrote:
Hi and Happy Holidays,

What is the best way to remove weather crust from exposed wood? There is a
dark crust on much of our outdoor wood (the house is in
Costa Rica and gets beaten by sun, rain, and wind). The crust sands
off easily enough but the underlying wood is not flat and is
extremely hard (teak?). My pad sander does not get into the valleys
and sanding down the high spots is too slow even with 60 grit paper. Using
the edge of the pad for the valleys is still slow.

The only way you are going to get the wood flat after removing the crust -
whatever that is - is by sanding it.

BTW, teak isn't particularly hard, similar to walnut.

yep, but the silica content removes the cutting edge of any tool ,
including sandpaper.

On 12/1/2012 11:55 AM, Abby wrote:
Hi and Happy Holidays,

What is the best way to remove weather crust from exposed wood? There
is a dark crust on much of our outdoor wood (the house is in Costa Rica
and gets beaten by sun, rain, and wind). The crust sands off easily
enough but the underlying wood is not flat and is extremely hard
(teak?). My pad sander does not get into the valleys and sanding down
the high spots is too slow even with 60 grit paper. Using the edge of
the pad for the valleys is still slow.

Can the crust be removed chemically? Probably not advisable even if
available here.

A belt sander would be more aggressive but is expensive. Would it be
worth the expense?

A hand planer isn't that expensive here but I have no experience with one.

Power tools go for about 60% to 80% more here than in the U.S.

Much of the work will be done from a ladder. Two handed operation would
be awkward. Safety is an issue.

Thanks,
Gary

Here is a tool that I saw on This old House. They used it to make
gorgeous used wood tables. Probably more than you want to spend, but a
neat tool.
http://www.timberwolftools.com/tools/makita/M-9741.html

--


___________________________________

Keep the whole world singing . . .
Dan G
remove the seven

On Sun, 02 Dec 2012 10:03:31 -0600, DanG wrote:

On 12/1/2012 11:55 AM, Abby wrote:
Hi and Happy Holidays,

What is the best way to remove weather crust from exposed wood? There
is a dark crust on much of our outdoor wood (the house is in Costa Rica
and gets beaten by sun, rain, and wind). The crust sands off easily
enough but the underlying wood is not flat and is extremely hard
(teak?). My pad sander does not get into the valleys and sanding down
the high spots is too slow even with 60 grit paper. Using the edge of
the pad for the valleys is still slow.

Can the crust be removed chemically? Probably not advisable even if
available here.

A belt sander would be more aggressive but is expensive. Would it be
worth the expense?

A hand planer isn't that expensive here but I have no experience with one.

Power tools go for about 60% to 80% more here than in the U.S.

Much of the work will be done from a ladder. Two handed operation would
be awkward. Safety is an issue.

Thanks,
Gary

Here is a tool that I saw on This old House. They used it to make
gorgeous used wood tables. Probably more than you want to spend, but a
neat tool.
http://www.timberwolftools.com/tools/makita/M-9741.html

-1

The Makita Yuppifier! Yuppies everywhere will love it.
I wonder how well it works on blue pineywood...

Very distressing. (double entendre intentional)

--
Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.
-- Franklin D. Roosevelt

tiredofspam wrote:
On 12/2/2012 10:07 AM, dadiOH wrote:
Abby wrote:
Hi and Happy Holidays,

What is the best way to remove weather crust from exposed wood?
There is a dark crust on much of our outdoor wood (the house is in
Costa Rica and gets beaten by sun, rain, and wind). The crust sands
off easily enough but the underlying wood is not flat and is
extremely hard (teak?). My pad sander does not get into the valleys
and sanding down the high spots is too slow even with 60 grit
paper. Using the edge of the pad for the valleys is still slow.

The only way you are going to get the wood flat after removing the
crust - whatever that is - is by sanding it.

BTW, teak isn't particularly hard, similar to walnut.

yep, but the silica content removes the cutting edge of any tool ,
including sandpaper.


I've milled, sanded and otherwise deformed 100s of board feet of teak, never
a problem. And that was with steel blades/bits, not carbide.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

Likey a Rose wood and local. Importing Teak is unlikely.

The crust is nature protecting the base wood for the long time.
If you cut it off - you expose pretty insides and it turns to crust
on a thinner board.

Likely you need to clean it and then protect it with a good UV
protecting coating. If clear - that won't yellow - maybe keeps pretty
out for all to see for a longer time. re-treat as needed
(read the label)
The same thing happens to Redwood - like on decks or siding. It is
normally coated with a UV wood deck and water proofing coating. I used
to re-coat every 3 or 4 years. Depends on the stress on the deck.

Martin

On 12/1/2012 11:55 AM, Abby wrote:
Hi and Happy Holidays,

What is the best way to remove weather crust from exposed wood? There
is a dark crust on much of our outdoor wood (the house is in Costa Rica
and gets beaten by sun, rain, and wind). The crust sands off easily
enough but the underlying wood is not flat and is extremely hard
(teak?). My pad sander does not get into the valleys and sanding down
the high spots is too slow even with 60 grit paper. Using the edge of
the pad for the valleys is still slow.

Can the crust be removed chemically? Probably not advisable even if
available here.

A belt sander would be more aggressive but is expensive. Would it be
worth the expense?

A hand planer isn't that expensive here but I have no experience with one.

Power tools go for about 60% to 80% more here than in the U.S.

Much of the work will be done from a ladder. Two handed operation would
be awkward. Safety is an issue.

Thanks,
Gary