Refinishers Warehouse Newsletter Archive

A SUCCESSFUL FINISH
Occasionally someone will ask why a coating on a tub, counter or some other surface has failed. Is it faulty coating? Usually not. About 99% of the problems have been due to human error, mostly in the very important area of preparation.

Preparation is VERY important in the job. It will directly reflect on the quality of finish and the durability of the job itself. It is said that preparation is about 80% of the job as far as results are concerned. The rest is product and technique.

To prepare a job correctly, you will need to follow several steps to get it done correctly. Follow the steps to the letter. Short cuts usually spell disaster Here are some ideas that I hope will help you achieve better success:

When cleaning porcelain, ceramic tile, plastic or fiberglass surfaces, it is best to use a Scotch-Brite pad. The medium texture pad really cuts into the dirt and other contaminates on the surface. Use either Refinisher's Warehouse Industrial Power Cleaner (IPC) or Dissolve-X Cleaner . For MOST jobs the IPC is great, for really nasty crud use the Dissolve-X. It will even remove most rust stains on porcelain tubs. Rinse thoroughly. As a follow-up, use the Prep Solvent and Silicone Wash. Those who have tried to substitute other products have ended up with some really bad results/problems. Most other cleaning products will leave a residue behind, causing adhesion and other problems. Refinisher's Warehouse products are formulated NOT to leave ANY residue!

If you are repairing a chip in a counter or sink and are ready to sand, wet sanding with water keeps the dust level down and gives you a smoother finish. Make sure that you feather-sand the filling resin completely, otherwise you could have a problem with the repair showing.

To determine if the area is properly feather-sanded, LIGHTLY drag your fingernail along the surface FROM the undamaged area back towards the filled/repaired area. If it hasn't been sanded correctly, your fingernail will slightly catch on and feel a ridge or edge. Sometimes using your FINGERTIP will not pick up those small ridges or edges. Then, when you spray, the repair will show up like the Grand Canyon or Mt Everest. You can also use a small straight edge to determine if your repair is level with the surface, or concaved or raised above the surface.

If you are having a hard time feather-sanding a particular area, there are a couple of things you can do. First (on a porcelain chip repair) make sure to use Glaze-WeId clear on the bare metal and surrounding porcelain before you apply your filling resin. This will help "cement" those thin edges. Secondly, before you begin sanding, make sure that the filling resin has cured. Rubbery (uncured) filling resin will not sand well and will have a tendency to curl up on the thin edges. OVER catalyzing your filling resin will result in slow cure and a rubbery texture, also causing problems.

Additionally, consider stepping down sandpaper grit size when you sand. For example, if you normally use 240 grit wet dry sandpaper, go down to 320 or 600 grit. Also, sanding in a circular motion, not in a back and forth motion, will help eliminate all the little sanding marks you would get if you sanded in a back and forth motion. For counters and fiberglass tubs, wet sand with Industrial Power Cleaner (IPC), instead of plain water. This does two things. First if it's a really dirty fixture, you are beginning the cleaning / sanding process at the same time and are saving some time. Secondly, wet sanding eliminates any extra dust in the air, dust that can and will settle on your wet surface, messing up your refinishing job.

On masking, always carry a variety of masking tape sizes and types. Use Blue, pressure sensitive tape to tape off the area. If it's wallpapered, the Blue tape will not pull off the wallpaper. When masking off the aluminum trim around the back splash on the counter, it's usually quicker, to use a larger size tape, I ", rather than 1/2" or 3/4". Use your razor knife to cut and remove the excess tape. Also use this technique when masking off the aluminum trim ring around the kitchen or bath sink. Rather than trying to lay the tape exactly along the edge of the trim ring, use the larger size, lay it down, trim it off and go to the next step.

I hope these surface preparation suggestions will help you in achieving more success.

Why Are Shipping Costs Different?
I have been asked why shipping costs are different each time. Well they are and they aren't. If you order a gallon of Superglass 9000 Clear, a quart of A900 and a gallon of thinner, for example, that will weigh a certain amount and the charge will be for that weight.

On your next order, you ordered a gallon of Superglass 9000 Almond, a quart of A900 and a gallon of thinner and you noticed that the shipping charges were more. Why the difference? Simply, the Almond weighs between 2 to 3 pounds more than the Clear. Each product is different and weighs differently.

As an example, a gallon of 9000 Clear should weigh in at 9 lbs, though sometimes it will weigh in at 9.3 or 9.5 lbs. After it's all packed the total weight of the box might be different than it was on a prior shipment. A five gallon bucket of 9000 White, as another example can weigh between 54 and 58 pounds. The normal weight is 54 lbs. When it weighs more, you have received extra coating with that bucket, sometimes as much as 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 quarts. Thus, when it's weighed for shipping, the amount charged for shipping will be higher. If it's going by air, depending on where it's going, it could be $5 or $6 more than the last five gallon bucket you ordered.

So please rest assured, we are not padding the shipping charges. The package is weighed and charged per UPS and AirBorne rates.

CONSISTENCY OF COATING, COLOR TO COLOR
I have been asked why the Superglass 9000 Clear is like water compared to Superglass 9000 White or Black or a custom color. That has to do with the addition of colored pigments. As an example, a gallon of 9000 Clear might weigh in at 9 lbs. When the Titanium White pigment is added, it can add up to 3 lbs to that gallon of coating. Thus the coating will be thicker. A quart of pure pigment Titanium weighs in at 4 3/4 lbs. A quart of PhthaloBlue pigment only weighs 2 1/4 lbs. Burnt Umber weighs 3 1/2 lbs.

So the color and the pigments in a particular color, determines the thickness of any coating. When you thin 9000 Clear, you may not use as much thinner or any thinner, compared to thinning white or a custom color, where you might thin 10, 20, 30% or more. This also applies to Superglass 7000 and Superglass 2000 coatings as well.

OVER THINNING? DON 'T DO IT. The labels on our coatings tell you how much to thin each product. Are you aware that greatly OVER Thinning, actually damages the catalyst, thereby resulting in a WEAKER overall coating. If the label says 10 to 30%, please don't thin it 50 or 60% to try to save a couple of ounces of coating per job. In the long run the coating will fail or will not last as long.

FAUX GRANITE LOOK : In the past couple of years, I have introduced you to the technique of Faux Granite, where, after you apply the base coats of color, you speckle the countertop with contrasting colors. Those of you who have tried this, report that now you do very few solid color Almond or White countertops any more.

You have converted your customers to the NEWER and BETTER LOOK , and INCREASED your profits as well, by charging more for this look. ADD A CLEAR COAT, using about the same amount of clear as you did with the base coat. This will give your counter more protection, but more important, it will add a depth that will just enhance the overall appearance. (Some refinishers are charging $45 to $85 extra for this dear coat)

HAMMER EFFECT: This Hammer Coating is only available in four colors, Blue, Green, Silver and Charcoal (Black), at this time. You can intermix these four colors and create many variations. Those that have tried this have said the effect is tremendous, that home owners rave about the look. One example would be to do the inside of a claw foot tub in the silver or the black Hammer, as well as the inside of the pedestal sink. Do the outside of the tub and the pedestal in a contrasting color or white. It's such a different and exciting effect.

One customer said he was having trouble selling the Silver Hammer, "I mean who wants a silver bathtub?" Good thought, so he changed the color to "Antique Pewter" and has sold a ton of jobs. Another customer, uses the Black (or Charcoal) Hammer on countertops and his customers just love the effect.

GROUT COLORANT AND SEALER: This is a water based product that is used to renew the existing color of grout or totally change the color of tile grout. It's a one part product, you apply with a small brush along the grout lines. This is an excellent ADD-ON to your refinishing business.

FIBERGLASS TUB REPAIR PANELS: This is a one piece, vinyl repair panel, used to repair the bottoms of fiberglass tubs and showers, when they are structurally damaged. It comes complete with the two part epoxy glue, mixing bucket, gloves and the repair panel. You can repair the bottom of a tub in about an hour, and when done correctly, the tub looks like it came from the factory.

FAUX FINISHING: A technique normally used on walls in homes but can be adapted to use with our products on countertops for a totally new and different effect. It's time consuming, but for a custom job in a private residence it can pay very nicely.

We will continue to look for, develop, and pass along new products and / or ideas. If you would like to see something or have heard of something, pass it along so we can share it with all.