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DIY home constructionLarry Angell (2,562)    Larry Angell  http://www.make-my-own-house.com How To Clean And Stain Redwood DecksPosted Tuesday, March 11, 2008 (1 year 257 days ago.) Viewed 1,392 times. Redwood decks are beautiful and durable as long as they are properly cared for. A decade ago, we could buy Redwood for a song, but now it's rather expensive so if you have Redwood decks, you might want to take good care of them. The idea about any outside decking material is to protect it from the elements so the wood doesn't sustain damage. If water gets beneath the surface of decking material, it can cause cracks. These cracks are a part of the natural breakdown process of wood, but it's not a good thing. Cracks cause rot, and rot causes replacements and aching pocketbooks. There are many good quality stains that act as sealants to prevent moisture from breaking down wood fibers. Local climates determine how long your decks can go before the next sealant application. I live in severe cold and snow. The summers are quite gentle so the wood surfaces don't sustain much damage from heat or sun, but the rain and snow really wreak havoc on softwood materials. I try to clean and apply sealant to my decks every other year. I know of some sealants that claim to last up to five years, but I wouldn't let any decks go longer than three years without another application. The first part of the process is to clean the old stain off the decks. You will also want to spot treat anything like oil or paint spots. You can spot clean them with deck stain remover or deck cleaner in its concentrated form. Once the spot treatment is done you will want to get the deck wet with a garden hose to let the surface become porous and more receptive to the cleaner. You can use just about any deck cleaner mixed with dish soap or mild detergent. Pour a good amount of cleaner onto the deck and sweep it vigorously with a stiff brush to clean away the top layer of deteriorated wood. Be sure to wash away the cleaner frequently. It's better to apply the deck cleaner in small areas so you can scrub it, clean it, and then wash away the cleaner. Once the deck has been cleaned, try to keep the dirt and dust off it until you stain it. You should let the deck dry completely before applying the stain. This will usually take about three days. There are a lot of people that hear about deck stains and deck sealants and they get confused between the two. Most of the quality deck stains available are both stain and sealant in one, so you don't need to worry about which one to use. I prefer a deck stain from Sherwin Williams called "DeckScapes". It is about the best quality I have seen, but it costs a little more than some of the others. I also like Cabot, but I won't use Behr. You will want to apply the deck stain in the morning when the sun isn't hot. The deck needs to be cool and the temperature needs to stay above fifty degrees until the stain completely dries to make a good seal. Apply a generous amount of stain because it is two-fold in purpose. It is making the deck look nice and it is protecting it from the weather. I mention this because I have received letters from homeowners that apply only enough stain to their decks to look nice, but they have to apply it every year. You most likely won't be able to stain the underside of the deck, but it doesn't matter. If you can't see it, the sun probably can't get to it either. When the deck is wet from the stain, it will be very susceptible to dust and footprints so try to keep the kids off of it for at least two days if this is possible. I used to use power washers on my Redwood decks, but I was young and dumb back then. Now, I just use the cleaner and a stiff deck brush or broom. Some power washers can damage and splinter softwoods like Redwood, Cedar, Pine, and Fir. If you're in a super hurry then go ahead and use a power washer, but if you love your decks like I do, then be gentle and give them the TLC they need. If you want to experiment with different shades of stain, then you'll have many options to choose from. The most important part of the stain is to slow down the deterioration process of the wood, so regardless of color, be sure that is a good sealant stain. That's all there is to maintaining your Redwood decks. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of new decking materials. I hope you enjoy your decks as much as I do. 
Permalink Comments (2) How To Sand and Refinish Your Hardwood FloorsPosted Monday, February 25, 2008 (1 year 272 days ago.) Viewed 947 times. You might think your old hardwood floor looks really ugly and dingy. Back in the 60's and 70's, many homeowners thought their hardwood floors were so ugly, that they would cover them up with carpet. In the modern day, that would be a sin, but it happened a lot back when wall-to-wall carpet was the craze. We often find older homes with old worn out carpet that covers seemingly faded and weathered hardwood flooring. Don't be deceived, the resurfacing process of hardwood floors and its potential beauty will have you patting yourself on the back for years. Restoring hardwood isn't easy, but it is definitely worth the trouble. If your floor has been covered with carpet, then be sure to remove all the carpet and tack strips. Then you will need to see if there are any nail holes that need to be filled. If you are resurfacing your hardwood floors because they are old looking, then you will start out with a heavy duty sander called a drum sander. You will be able to rent this sander at any rental stores or building centers because they are very popular and frequently used. To strip off the finish you will need 24 grit sand paper on the drum sander. A drum sander goes in a straight line so you will need to head toward a wall and go in a straight direction until you come to the wall, then you will need to turn around and head for the opposite wall. Do this until the entire floor is done. You don't need to be worried about sanding completely through your floor because most hardwood floors, especially the older floors are about 3/4 "thick. You should be able to sand your hardwood floor over a dozen times before it wears through. You will need to do a second sanding to smooth the rough gouges made by the finish-stripping sand paper. This will also remove any of the remaining patches of finish left behind. You can accomplish this with 36 grit sand paper. Go over the floor the same way you did with the heavier sand paper. You won't be able to get very close to the walls with the drum sander so you will need a smaller sander to sand next to the walls and corners. An orbital hand sander will work really well for this. You will use the same grit of sand paper for the hand sander as you will use for the drum sander at each phase of the sanding process. The third step of the sanding process will be the smoothing phase where the sand paper will sand out all the rough cuts from the heavier sand paper. You will use 60 grit sand paper for this. This grit of paper won't strip off any remaining finish materials so you will have to make sure that you get it all with the second sanding. The fourth sanding phase will be where the light grit sand paper brings out the wood grains even without the final finishes. You will use 80 grit sand paper for this step. You will notice how the old hardwood sheds its old appearance for a new vibrant, modern display. The final sanding phase is very important, yet it is a step often omitted by flooring contractors. You will use 150 grit sand paper with a small hand sander. Be sure to sand with the grain. This will make a huge difference in the deep luster shine and the appearance of the wood grains. After you have completed the sanding phases, you will then need to sweep the floor clean of all dust and wood particles. This won't be quite enough though, because you want the wood grains to be completely exposed and free of dust so they soak up the finish better and deeper. If you have an air compressor you can spray the floor with air to get the dust free. If however you don't have an air compressor, then you can use a vacuum on the lowest surface setting to suck the dust out. Be sure to make slow thorough passes with the vacuum. Next, you will start the first application of the floor finish. There are many finishes to choose from, but most flooring specialists' choose a water-based Urethane because of its characteristics. It dries quickly and the odors won't kill you. The first coat will go on in a copious fashion. You can use a brush or a floor brush on a pole. This will help you get an even coat. Let the first coat dry for at least 12 hours and then apply the second coat. The third coat should make the final finish appear as a deep finish that makes the wood grains stand out almost as if in 3-D. Once the floor has dried, you will notice that it is very hard and durable. The shine and the wood grains are new looking. The floor doesn't even look anything like the old floor. That is part of the restoration process. Enjoy it. Spread out on the floor and give it a hug. That's how I feel after so much work, yet so much reward.
Permalink Comments (1) Vinyl Siding, Good or Bad?Posted Monday, October 16, 2006 (3 years 39 days ago.) Viewed 360 times. There are many wonderful choices for making our homes look like they belong in the mainstream of popular home styles. Many of the new siding products have gone through a process of evolution that has made them superior choices.
What I mean by this is that the housing market has been inundated with new products over the years. However, not all products have been all-star performers and they have gone away. I recall working for Louisiana Pacific during the 80's when they produced several new building products. They were the creators of wafer board or more correctly named Oriented-Strand-Board.
Wafer board was and still is an all-star seller. We also created several kinds of wood siding products, but many of them had to be recalled and the company took some huge losses that they still haven't been able to recover from.
In the course of learning about exterior products, the housing market made a big shift from the uncertain future of wood siding products to vinyl and aluminum siding. There needed to be a siding product that would work in all kinds of weather and climates.
The initial problem with vinyl siding is that it would crack and distort from extreme temperature fluctuations. The problem with aluminum siding is that it would dent and sometimes crease during installation.
It seems that we as homeowners had to make a choice, between aesthetically pleasing siding products with an uncertain future or reliable building components with mediocre luster. In the end, most homeowners finally decided that the benefits of vinyl siding definitely out-performed wood siding. The choice we face now is whether we should buy vinyl or aluminum siding.
Both products have become very reliable and strong. As a homebuilder, I prefer the ease of use that comes with vinyl siding. I have used aluminum siding and it is fairly easy to use and quite economical, but it's fails in most cases compared to vinyl. For me, vinyl siding wins hands-down in almost every situation.
The J-channel that wraps around windows and doors to hold the vinyl siding strips is a breeze to install. The starter strip at the bottom and the under sill strips at the top make hanging the vinyl strips the easiest part of the entire construction process.
I love working with vinyl siding. The best part is that you can turn your ugly duckling house into a beautiful swan in just a day or two.
Exterior coverings have come a long way. Most vinyl sidings will last up to two decades without fading. The plastic resin has been strengthened to remain fairly strong even in the dead of winter. It will still crack if you hit it hard enough, but hey, just don't do that and it will be fine.
Most contractors prefer the versatility and the economical price of vinyl siding. That's really where the majority of consumers have made the choice to use vinyl instead of anything else.
It is still a matter of choice. Any homeowner can have whatever he or she wants as long as it stays within code guidelines. But when the majority of homeowners make a statement like they've done with vinyl siding, it's a good idea to pay attention.
Larry Angell
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