We had a very busy weekend - three parties, plus house guests! - and were not disturbed once by pressure washers or vibrating sanders. Peace. Quiet.
However this morning... Our Saga continued.
Today the rep from the paint company was here with the owner of the company we hired to seal the deck. They discussed the situation for quite a while and then talked over their decision with DT and myself: they decided to give the deck one more cleaning treatment and then sand.
The rep and our contractor watch as the cleaner is applied... for the third time
I felt if they had cleaned the deck TWICE already, no more of the stuff was going to come off and they should continue sanding. I was out-voted. As I type this, the cleaning/stripping solution has been applied, scrubbed and now it is being washed (NOT pressure washed) off.
Rinsing the cleaner off the deck
Third time is the charm?? We will see when it dries.
Several hours have passed since I posted the above photos. We had a very warm (80 degree) afternoon and the deck has dried.
Compare it to the photo below - which was taken Friday afternoon
It doesn't look much different... but I think the "chunks" of sealant are gone.(But, I am sight impaired, don't forget.)
There are other exciting things happening on our property. For instance, we are having a bumper-crop of poison oak! If I could sell this stuff at the Farmer's Market, we would be driving around in a 45-Prevost.
It is 'real purty' in the fall when it turns red
Plus, we never have to worry about trespassers
I am going to be cooking like crazy the next few days, so I gave myself a day off. While shopping this afternoon at our local New Seasons grocer, DT and I picked up the easiest dinner - a package of ready-made (organic, of course) Caesar Salad and chicken cutlets (already breaded with parmesan cheese). All I had to do was fry the chicken and toss the Caesar.
Throw in a tomato and a lemon wedge and dinner is served
I know you all desperately tired of our Deck Dilemma. We are too. Hopefully the crew will show up tomorrow to finish the sanding. But I suspect they won't. Why? Because we live in Oregon and, August or not, it is supposed to rain for the next three days.
Until my next update, I remain, your over-washed correspondent.