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“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
William A. Foster



“Quality, quality, quality: never waver from it, even when you don't see how you can afford to keep it up. When you compromise, you become a commodity and then you die.”

Gary Hirshberg



“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
Steve Jobs






“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”
Henry Ford



“Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for. A product is not quality because it is hard to make and costs a lot of money, as manufacturers typically believe. This is incompetence. Customers pay only for what is of use to them and gives them value. Nothing else constitutes quality.”

Peter F. Drucker

A consumer grade stain containing silicone after the first of two required strippings. DO NOT use any exterior wood stains containing silicone.

Windsor WoodCare only uses specialty products carefully formulated specifically for exterior wood. These are produced by a few small manufacturers that only sell to qualified contractors.

Wood cleaners and strippers

Our wood cleaner is primarily sodium percabonate (oxygenated bleach or Oxiclean®) with proprietary surfactants, fillers, and additives. The fine granular powder is mixed in proportion in warm water and applied to the wood. This cleaner is environmentally and plant friendly, breaking down into water, oxygen, and soda ash.

No matter claims to the contrary, wood strippers are dangerous products that must be handled and used with great care. For oil based stains, sodium hydroxide based strippers are the norm as they are very effective and inexpensive. But they are not for DIY homeowners, and are not available in adequate concentrations to the retail trade. Windsor WoodCare will use these strippers once to prepare wood correctly, but never again as our wood stains will never require future harsh stripping.

Wood neutralizers / brighteners

Both wood cleaners and strippers are very caustic, high on the pH scale, and darken most woods. Not bad in and of itself, but the wood must be "neutralized" or brought down to a neutral or preferably slightly acidic pH to enhance stain penetration and brighten the coloring. For the few contractors that neutralize wood, oxalic acid use is common. Not the best choice. Oxalic acid may be cheap and easy to purchase, but has been shown to be harmful to both human and plant life. Windsor WoodCare uses only citric acid. Since our first day in business. Food grade, pure citric acid. In overall costs, not a factor but more important, citric acid is benign to humans and the environment.

Peeling layers of an acrylic wood stain applied by a "professional" painting company. The wood is expensive, clear Western red cedar and is literally rotting from within due to moisture retention. Most of this once beautiful wood deck will have to be replaced due to poor service and stain selection.

Wood stains

Windsor WoodCare only uses oil based exterior wood stains. For the semi-transparent look (enhanced wood grain clearly visible), Ready Seal is the stain of choice. Ready Seal is a paraffinic oil, with finely ground iron oxide pigments and proprietary resins to bind the ingredients. It is the highest quality, finest stain for exterior wood on the market today.

Paraffinic oil is non-drying and penetrates deep into wood. Similar to a skin moisturizer, Ready Seal restores the lost natural wood oils and resins that weather has robbed from the wood over time. These properties also help prevent drying, cracking, warpage, and further wood deterioration. Ready Seal is the one stain available that is actually good for exterior wood.

For the homeowner, cost and ease of maintenance is important. Ready Seal will never need to be stripped, applies easily without runs or streaks, and a quick cleaning, followed by stain replenishment, is all that is required. Perfect for the DIY homeowner and easily the most cost effective maintenance wood stain available.

Ready Seal paraffinic oil stain, custom color mix of dark red and dark brown. Wood is what is generically known as "Philippine Mahogany". Not a true mahogany, in this case shorea of the yellow meranti group from S.E. Asia.

For further information, please contact us.

©2006 Windsor WoodCare LLC