We have pretty hard City water. I occasionally Lemi-shine. It worked good! Available @ ACE's & other places. There's a dedicated dishwasher-cleaner, & a combo DW detergent/cleaner. I used the combo product. Softens water while washing....as does... 20 Mule-Team Borax! Obviously, this stuff has been around forever!! Link below has tons of info. on it. I've used it in the laundry. It's also effective for some insect-control!!! (Don't worry!!! It doesn't work CHEMICALLY.) Faron Here is a link that might be useful: Borax info...

You used a wire-brush on wood?!?!?! How torn-up is that wood now?? Those different strippers/cleaners are necessary, since they do different things. The last step is the product that neutralizes the chemicals in the first 2. * Let everything DRY A WEEK NOW! * Because it's low to the ground, drying is slow. * To check for wood-moisture, tape down a piece of tin-foil on a couple floor-boards. Check the next day for condensation on bottom side. Power-washers often do more harm than good!!! Dial pressure down to 500psi, and keep your tip ONE FOOT AWAY from the wood. Any closer, & you're shredding wood-cells. What EXACT Behr stain are ya using? Faron

I'd recommend using a mineral paint/lime paint product. It breathes, will not flake off (bonds to masonry because itself is mineral) and of course is zero-VOC and a 100% natural product. Since the brick is unpainted, you can escape the never-ending maintenance ordeals of any oil or acrylic paint application. Casey

alawrence, I have all of your answers on my website (including products that will accomplish what you are trying to achieve) The TWP has failed at the surface so should be removed. Here is a link that might be useful: My website