The DIY thread

[Tricycle Rider]

yes

Vinyl should be fairly easy to paint with acrylic paints (or so they say), is acrylic what you're thinking of using?

 

[jmdirt]

Vinyl should be fairly easy to paint with acrylic paints (or so they say), is acrylic what you're thinking of using?

Yes, its acrylic, but it has bonding agents to help it adhere to the vinyl. Its $80 a gallon though!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Yes, its acrylic, but it has bonding agents to help it adhere to the vinyl. Its $80 a gallon though!

It's astonishing how expensive some of these chemicals can be...

Do you (or anyone else reading this thread) know anything about outdoor wood stain/sealant? Reason I'm asking is, because I'm such a good daughter I have decided I need to redo my elderly folks' wooden deck, it hasn't seen a coat of rain protectant in years. It looks it, but after pressure washing it it's clear the wood is still good, so it's still worth staining and protecting from the elements. So...

What I'm wrestling with is the price of the wood stain, my dad would usually get the Behr premium stuff which costs around $46/gal. I wouldn't mind as much if I didn't have to buy a whole frigging gallon of it... the feck am I going to do with a whole gallon? I'm not staining the whole house!

Anyhoo, do you know of a cheaper alternative? Also, are you also stuck having to buy a whole gallon even though you may not need that much?

 

[jmdirt]

It's astonishing how expensive some of these chemicals can be...

Do you (or anyone else reading this thread) know anything about outdoor wood stain/sealant? Reason I'm asking is, because I'm such a good daughter I have decided I need to redo my elderly folks' wooden deck, it hasn't seen a coat of rain protectant in years. It looks it, but after pressure washing it it's clear the wood is still good, so it's still worth staining and protecting from the elements. So...

What I'm wrestling with is the price of the wood stain, my dad would usually get the Behr premium stuff which costs around $46/gal. I wouldn't mind as much if I didn't have to buy a whole frigging gallon of it... the feck am I going to do with a whole gallon? I'm not staining the whole house!

Anyhoo, do you know of a cheaper alternative? Also, are you also stuck having to buy a whole gallon even though you may not need that much?

I've used Thompson Water Seal before and it works. If the surface gets a lot of sun it will only last two to three years. If its in a shadier area you can get five years. I've never done it, but have been told that two coats does a better job.

I'm not promoting Lowe's but they have it in a gallon for $16. They also have a slightly more expensive $20 product that includes a sun block so it might be worth the extra $4. They also have it n 12 oz spray cans...I am already visualizing you spray painting a deck!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I've used Thompson Water Seal before and it works. If the surface gets a lot of sun it will only last two to three years. If its in a shadier area you can get five years. I've never done it, but have been told that two coats does a better job.

I'm not promoting Lowe's but they have it in a gallon for $16. They also have a slightly more expensive $20 product that includes a sun block so it might be worth the extra $4. They also have it n 12 oz spray cans...I am already visualizing you spray painting a deck!

'Tis true I may have spray-painted my bike and my '67 Bug in the past, the bike turned out great, the car's result was mixed.

Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely look into Thompson Water Seal. I already know I won't be spray-painting the deck, for that job I got myself a $3 mop. (Staining the whole thing with a brush by hand is just too much work.)

Does the acrylic paint for your DIY also come in only the 1-gallon size?

 

[jmdirt]

'Tis true I may have spray-painted my bike and my '67 Bug in the past, the bike turned out great, the car's result was mixed.

Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely look into Thompson Water Seal. I already know I won't be spray-painting the deck, for that job I got myself a $3 mop. (Staining the whole thing with a brush by hand is just too much work.)

Does the acrylic paint for your DIY also come in only the 1-gallon size?

1 gallon or 5 gallon options. The guy at the paint store said that most people paint fences with it so they need gallons. I'm only painting 4, 5x5 x12' posts.

One time that I used Thompson was to reseal the bed of my utility trailer. It was a solid piece of plywood so I just dumped the stuff out of the can and used the squeegee on the back of a broom to spread it out. It worked for well for a few years, but then I hauled 1/4 yard of small 'landscape rock' (little shards of volcanic rock) that not only rubbed the Thompson off, it shredded the top of the wood from vibrating around while I drove.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

1 gallon or 5 gallon options. The guy at the paint store said that most people paint fences with it so they need gallons. I'm only painting 4, 5x5 x12' posts.

One time that I used Thompson was to reseal the bed of my utility trailer. It was a solid piece of plywood so I just dumped the stuff out of the can and used the squeegee on the back of a broom to spread it out. It worked for well for a few years, but then I hauled 1/4 yard of small 'landscape rock' (little shards of volcanic rock) that not only rubbed the Thompson off, it shredded the top of the wood from vibrating around while I drove.

Volcanic rock, while very light and pretty, is just pure eeeeeevil... my mom has a small volcanic rock fountain, I help her move it around when it needs cleaning. I had to learn the hard way to wear heavy duty leather gloves when dealing with the fountain, that volcanic rock crap will cut your hands up in no time!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Blasted summer DIY, the weather for it has to be just perfect! (Overcast, not too hot, slight breeze.) Freaking deck... what did I get myself into?

I mentioned upthread I'm redoing my elderly folks' wooden deck, I'm not happy with just pressure washing it. Even after pressure washing the wood still looks old and decrepit, so I thought I'd try to sand it. It works and I do like the results, but it takes too long and I frankly don't have the muscle, plus I don't want to strip all the grain because that would just ruin the natural beauty of wood. So I tried a steel brush and that works equally well, plus I feel like I have more control over the direction and how much pressure I'm using. (Again, I don't want to strip all the grain.) It'll be a monumental pain in the arse but I have a vision, I'd like for the wood to look like cedar because it sure can't look worse than it does right now.



Stay tuned, we're gonna be here all summer!

 

[Unchained]

Used Salon 40 hair care product on yellowed plastic as per a couple of YouTube videos..brushed it on..put it in a garbage bag..took it out next day..re applied areas that were not white..washed it off. Hit w w squirt of Armor All..pleased with @$6 dollar solutio n

 

[Unchained]

Bought a ketchup \ mustard squirt bottle and filled it with watered down tile grout and made two holes..shot the liquid in and tried to suck it through the other hole w shop vac assistance to get rid of a hollow sounding spot in a couple of 14x14 floor tiles..success!!
Thread lock is for real..I overuse it and had to drill out a small screw because it was seized in place by me..

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Bought a ketchup \ mustard squirt bottle and filled it with watered down tile grout and made two holes..shot the liquid in and tried to suck it through the other hole w shop vac assistance to get rid of a hollow sounding spot in a couple of 14x14 floor tiles..success!!
Thread lock is for real..I overuse it and had to drill out a small screw because it was seized in place by me..

I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but suffice to say any kind of a DIY will come with its own successes and failures.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Summer DIY cont...

I'm completely wussing out on the sanding or scraping of the deck... I've got carpal tunnel in one hand, tennis elbow on the other, screw the sanding and scraping I'm turning toward more chemical solutions. Behr has some kind of a biodegradable wood finish and stain stripper for $20/gal, has anyone here tried it? Being the deck is all blotchy from prior stain treatments that look more mocha than cedar I'll give it a shot anyway, I just can't with the unevenness and the mocha. I have a vision dammit, and my vision looks like cedar!

Right now the deck looks like this... I did use Behr's wood soap on the right side (which is still wet), plus did some additional pressure washing. But it's just not taking all the old stain off, so unfortunately to chemicals turn I must.



Stay tuned, we're gonna be here all freaking summer!

 

[jmdirt]

Summer DIY cont...

I'm completely wussing out on the sanding or scraping of the deck... I've got carpal tunnel in one hand, tennis elbow on the other, screw the sanding and scraping I'm turning toward more chemical solutions. Behr has some kind of a biodegradable wood finish and stain stripper for $20/gal, has anyone here tried it? Being the deck is all blotchy from prior stain treatments that look more mocha than cedar I'll give it a shot anyway, I just can't with the unevenness and the mocha. I have a vision dammit, and my vision looks like cedar!

Right now the deck looks like this... I did use Behr's wood soap on the right side (which is still wet), plus did some additional pressure washing. But it's just not taking all the old stain off, so unfortunately to chemicals turn I must.



Stay tuned, we're gonna be here all freaking summer!

I'm not laughing at you, I'm...no I'm laughing at you, but only because this is how projects go for me too!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Ta-daa, at last the deck is finished!

So, being my elderly folks really wanted the use of their deck back (and being I was losing all will to live while doing all the prep work) I finally buckled up and finished the wooden deck. It's a bit darker than I was envisioning, but I actually quite like it now even though I grabbed the wrong can. (I wanted something lighter and water-based, not oil-based.)

I tried every trick in the book I could find on the webs (including using bleach and then a 50/50 vinegar&water solution on some real trouble spots), and I did end up ever so lovingly sanding and then hand-painting each and every board. I wanted it to look at least halfway nice, in these pics you can see what the wood looked like beforehand and then after it had been prepped. (Well, the light part in the pic anyway.)





The biggest tip I can offer when working with wood (staining wood can be tricky because the color may not take as intended) is familiarize yourself with your store's paint/stain return policy. I had an embarrassing Karen moment when I was trying to argue with Home Depot about theirs, to no avail. (Some opened paint/stain products they will take back, some they won't.) I did consult with a salesperson beforehand but then grabbed the wrong product anyway, and being I had opened the stain/sealant already and had tested it on the deck I wasn't able to return it. $40 for a gallon down the drain I thought, but then I said *** it, I'll use it anyway. Mercifully it turned out all right.



PS - Lowe's has bought out Thompson's WaterSeal, so they officially consider it their brand now. I got the very last can available at Walmart a while back but didn't end up using it because of the color, so this is just an FYI.

 

[jmdirt]

Ta-daa, at last the deck is finished!

So, being my elderly folks really wanted the use of their deck back (and being I was losing all will to live while doing all the prep work) I finally buckled up and finished the wooden deck. It's a bit darker than I was envisioning, but I actually quite like it now even though I grabbed the wrong can. (I wanted something lighter and water-based, not oil-based.)

I tried every trick in the book I could find on the webs (including using bleach and then a 50/50 vinegar&water solution on some real trouble spots), and I did end up ever so lovingly sanding and then hand-painting each and every board. I wanted it to look at least halfway nice, in these pics you can see what the wood looked like beforehand and then after it had been prepped. (Well, the light part in the pic anyway.)





The biggest tip I can offer when working with wood (staining wood can be tricky because the color may not take as intended) is familiarize yourself with your store's paint/stain return policy. I had an embarrassing Karen moment when I was trying to argue with Home Depot about theirs, to no avail. (Some opened paint/stain products they will take back, some they won't.) I did consult with a salesperson beforehand but then grabbed the wrong product anyway, and being I had opened the stain/sealant already and had tested it on the deck I wasn't able to return it. $40 for a gallon down the drain I thought, but then I said *** it, I'll use it anyway. Mercifully it turned out all right.



PS - Lowe's has bought out Thompson's WaterSeal, so they officially consider it their brand now. I got the very last can available at Walmart a while back but didn't end up using it because of the color, so this is just an FYI.

It looks GREAT!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

It looks GREAT!

Thanks, jmd!

I still have a bit of a rough spot to deal with... mom left a (very heavy) potted mini-palm tree in the same space for years and years on the deck, consequently due to watering and the plant growing its roots into the deck the wood is fairly rotted. I sanded out all the rot and patched it up with some exterior wood putty (had to learn the difference between wood putty and wood filler), right now it looks like this.



I have no idea if I'll be able to stain the patch so it matches the deck, I'm guessing it won't be possible. But as long as I get close enough and there is no hole in the deck I'll be happy.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Summertime DIY: Part Deux!

So, being I'm still waiting on the deck patch to dry and cure properly before I mess with it any further I've decided my elderly folks need some help with their fence also. Upon close inspection the wood is still good, it just needs a bit of cleaning/sanding and re-staining. (On the right the wood has been prepped and stained, on the left it's how it currently is in its natural state.)



What gets me is no matter how much you clean and prep this particular wood most of the "cedar-colored" stains come out the same (much too dark because the old substrate does what it will do)... based on the following picture can you tell the difference between Behr (oil-based), Olympic (water-based), and Thompson's WaterSeal (water-based?) The Thompson's went on looking like milk chocolate, but now it looks more merlot. The Olympic looks rather very orange (which is very cool if you're Dutch or went to Syracuse), and the Behr oil-based one on the very right actually looks the most natural to me. The little you can see of it, anyway, the sun has not been working in my favor lately.



I would definitely prefer to go on with the oil-based Behr because I like the look of it, plus I think you might get more bang for your buck with oil when the wood is especially aged. But, as a former and ardent paint-by-number artiste, I absolutely loathe working with oil... while the colors are so much more brilliant and true the clean-up and drying time are a mess.

Anyhoo, to be continued - hope all of you people's summer projects are coming to fruition, summer is still very young you know!

 

[Unchained]

Summertime DIY: Part Deux!

So, being I'm still waiting on the deck patch to dry and cure properly before I mess with it any further I've decided my elderly folks need some help with their fence also. Upon close inspection the wood is still good, it just needs a bit of cleaning/sanding and re-staining. (On the right the wood has been prepped and stained, on the left it's how it currently is in its natural state.)



What gets me is no matter how much you clean and prep this particular wood most of the "cedar-colored" stains come out the same (much too dark because the old substrate does what it will do)... based on the following picture can you tell the difference between Behr (oil-based), Olympic (water-based), and Thompson's WaterSeal (water-based?) The Thompson's went on looking like milk chocolate, but now it looks more merlot. The Olympic looks rather very orange (which is very cool if you're Dutch or went to Syracuse), and the Behr oil-based one on the very right actually looks the most natural to me. The little you can see of it, anyway, the sun has not been working in my favor lately.



I would definitely prefer to go on with the oil-based Behr because I like the look of it, plus I think you might get more bang for your buck with oil when the wood is especially aged. But, as a former and ardent paint-by-number artiste, I absolutely loathe working with oil... while the colors are so much more brilliant and true the clean-up and drying time are a mess.

Anyhoo, to be continued - hope all of you people's summer projects are coming to fruition, summer is still very young you know!

The gaps that you left between boards will be worth their weight in gold.. Not only for expansion, twisting, warping.. But you also get water off the wood faster.. ie longer life.. and when treating the wood more of the surface will be exposed to the sealant.. I only know all this because I have screwed up fences and decks for decades!!!

 

[Unchained]

After a refrigerator failure in my RV I replaced the existing unit.. Which worked on propane and electric, w a Vissani 7.2cu from Home Depot.. Vissani is one of their house brands.. The replacement for the original unit was near $2000 instead of $329..for those who have experience.. RV and trailer parts are incredibly expensive and 99% of the time are cheap and poorly made. The entire industry is that way because like bicycles, weight matters and everything is built to be pulled by cars and trucks.. More weight means you often need additional axels to carry the weight

 

[jmdirt]

Summertime DIY: Part Deux!

So, being I'm still waiting on the deck patch to dry and cure properly before I mess with it any further I've decided my elderly folks need some help with their fence also. Upon close inspection the wood is still good, it just needs a bit of cleaning/sanding and re-staining. (On the right the wood has been prepped and stained, on the left it's how it currently is in its natural state.)



What gets me is no matter how much you clean and prep this particular wood most of the "cedar-colored" stains come out the same (much too dark because the old substrate does what it will do)... based on the following picture can you tell the difference between Behr (oil-based), Olympic (water-based), and Thompson's WaterSeal (water-based?) The Thompson's went on looking like milk chocolate, but now it looks more merlot. The Olympic looks rather very orange (which is very cool if you're Dutch or went to Syracuse), and the Behr oil-based one on the very right actually looks the most natural to me. The little you can see of it, anyway, the sun has not been working in my favor lately.



I would definitely prefer to go on with the oil-based Behr because I like the look of it, plus I think you might get more bang for your buck with oil when the wood is especially aged. But, as a former and ardent paint-by-number artiste, I absolutely loathe working with oil... while the colors are so much more brilliant and true the clean-up and drying time are a mess.

Anyhoo, to be continued - hope all of you people's summer projects are coming to fruition, summer is still very young you know!

I'm heading out in a few minutes to put a metal post next to a wooden post that rotted off. The 'correct' way to fix it would be to remove the 20' drive gate, remove the 8' panel of fence, dig out the old post/cement, put in a new post, and then reverse the rest of the process. I just can't motivate myself to do that so I'm going to do it the faster, easier way for now. Plus, I'm afraid that removing the gate and panel will result in more issues (20+ year old fence/gate).

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I'm heading out in a few minutes to put a metal post next to a wooden post that rotted off. The 'correct' way to fix it would be to remove the 20' drive gate, remove the 8' panel of fence, dig out the old post/cement, put in a new post, and then reverse the rest of the process. I just can't motivate myself to do that so I'm going to do it the faster, easier way for now. Plus, I'm afraid that removing the gate and panel will result in more issues (20+ year old fence/gate).

I was just talking to my neighbor about the stability of our shared fence, one of the posts (the posts are on her side of the fence) is looking a bit shaky. I haven't done that section yet but I think it should withstand the punishment of my sanding and staining, we'll see. If the post needs replacing I'll just go your route - no way am I rebuidling the whole fence! (I still have about another third to go with the sanding and staining, that's about all the outdoor DIY I'm planning for this summer.)

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I trust everyone's outdoor summer projects have been successfully completed, my love affair with lumber hasn't ended just because summer did. This time it's my old dad's woodshed, over the years the wood has taken quite a beating from the weather. As you can see in the first picture the wood looks all bleached out, I wanted to restore it to what it originally looked like after it had been freshly stained, which was a rather dark color but you could still see the grain. (The grain is what makes wood look beautiful, after all.)




Besides the sanding while standing on a ladder by far the worst part was stripping what was left of the old stain, Behr's wood stain stripper works just fine, but it's so caustic it's something you don't want to get on your skin let alone in your eyes!

Anyhoo, it's not exactly what I had envisioned but it'll do, I'm just glad I didn't do a Clark Griswold by falling off the ladder (I'm saving that for when I'm putting up the xmas lights later this year), nor did I manage to blind myself with the wood stripper.

 

[Neely]

Besides the sanding while standing on a ladder by far the worst part was stripping what was left of the old stain, Behr's wood stain stripper works just fine, but it's so caustic it's something you don't want to get on your skin let alone in your eyes!

I've almost got Behr in my eyes once, not touching it without safety glasses anymore

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I've almost got Behr in my eyes once, not touching it without safety glasses anymore

I'd go so far as to recommend wearing a whole hazmat suit (+ obviously safety goggles) when working with the stain stripper... I got a bit on my skin and had to wash it off right away because the burning was immediate. Behr's wood stain stripper is a good product for what it's intended, but you also have to be very, very careful with it.

 

[Neely]

I'd go so far as to recommend wearing a whole hazmat suit

If I were working with it more often - for sure. Might actually invest since I'll be fixing my folk's house next year, might be useful here n there