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April 28, 2008

It’s a good thing you asked because there’s something a whole bunch of experienced deck owners want to warn you about: It’s not easy to create a long-lasting deck finish.

Many people tell me stories about peeling, fading, mildew and deterioration of their decks—all within a year or two of brushing on hundreds of dollars worth of finish. This is actually a common experience for deck owners across America, though it doesn’t have to be. Successful deck finishing depends on understanding crucial factors that aren’t obvious (and rarely explained fully) on product labels. But after you address the key issues, your wooden deck can have long-lasting beauty.   

Regardless of the product you choose, the pores of new wood have to be opened to allow full penetration of any finish. New lumber has poor surface absorbency because of a condition called mill glaze — a side effect of the planing process. If mill glaze is not removed it’ll inhibit finish penetration and increase the risk of peeling.

The finish you choose is more important than you might guess. According to independent consumer testing, most deck finishes fail quickly, even if applied as directed. That’s because sunlight, moisture, mildew and abrasion all make a wooden deck the world’s most challenging surface to finish. Two products I’ve had personal experience with are Sikkens DEK and Cabot decking stain.

Reapplication of a deck finish is necessary over time, but simply applying more of what you put on initially isn’t enough. This is especially true with film-forming products that get thicker and more prone to peeling as multiple coats build.

The way around this problem is to sand the old finish lightly with a 220-grit abrasive in a random orbit sander, at slow speeds, before applying a maintenance coat every 18 to 36 months. You don’t want to go right through the old finish, just remove the blistered areas (usually around knots) and roughen up the entire surface before wiping off the dust and applying a new coat of finish. A variable speed sander works really well for this situation. By turning the speed to a crawl, you’ll gain excellent control of the abrasive action. In fact, I’ve found decks actually look nicer than new after a light sanding, a careful cleaning and a touch-up coat.  

For more complete information on surface preparation and deck finish choice, send me an email to Steve Maxwell.

April 8, 2008

There are a couple of ways to go, including simply leaving the wood bare. I’ve worked in buildings with unfinished wooden floors, and they perform quite well. That said, there are two reasons a finish makes sense: It helps the wood resist staining, and it makes it easier to remove the inevitable hardened glue blobs that build up on the floor of any wood shop. Oil-based urethane works well as a basic sealer. Exterior grade latex paint lasts even longer under gritty foot traffic.

March 25, 2008

I understand the problem of a cold basement. When the ground freezes, a great deal of heat is lost through the basement walls. If possible, I would first dig a trench a few feet down around the basement wall and add solid insulation to the outside wall. Next wrap the insulation with chicken wire and plaster with cement. Then berm the insulation to within 6 inches of your foundation sill plate. These measures will help retain ground heat in the basement.

If you want to add solar heat, a few vertical homemade solar collectors on the south side of your house would help. Solar heated water from the collectors could simply be circulated through a series of plastic drums in the basement. This could at least keep your basement above the freezing mark. You'll need more than a storm window over your window well to add any significant heat to the basement.

March 11, 2008

In new engines I wouldn’t worry too much unless the manufacturer says something specific about it. Most manufacturers say up to 10 percent ethanol is OK. Some recommend draining the fuel if the engine is going to sit for long periods. In older engines, keep an eye on rubber components such as fuel lines. If they aren’t ethanol compatible they might change shape or consistency after contact with the fuel. I have experienced some leaking/hardened lines in older Briggs and Kohler engines, but my newer engines handle the gasohol just fine. I just replaced the leaky lines on those older engines and have had no other trouble. Theoretically you could have fuel pump trouble (if the engine has a diaphragm pump) and carburetor gasket issues, but I am not aware of any significant problems. Plenty of controversy surrounds gasohol, but it has been around for a long time. I have used it in every gas engine I have had since the mid 1980s or so. Methanol-laced fuel is a slightly different story though, because wood alcohol is an incredibly powerful solvent and highly poisonous to boot.

There are several ways to approach this common problem.

The number one reason small engines don’t start is that they are out of fuel. Be sure the tank isn’t empty and the fuel shutoff (if equipped) isn’t closed. Once you are certain (or pretty certain) fuel is getting to the carburetor or injection system (turn the engine over and check for gasoline fumes in the exhaust) you should check the ignition system.

Is the engine “turned on”? Look for a switch (and be sure it is in the on position) or a metal lever in contact with the tip of the spark plug (and flip it away from the plug).

KISS is an acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid. Motorheads use it to remind each other to check the easy stuff first, before tearing into what seems like something obvious. Here’s an example. A few years ago, I was mowing at the farm with a 1967 IH Cub Cadet and every time I mowed down a steep hill, the engine cut out and sputtered to a stop. I decided then and there that there was a problem with the carb, so I removed it and rebuilt it. Half an hour later I was back mowing. Ten minutes after that I had the same problem. I removed and rebuilt the carb twice and was pondering it a third time, when I noticed that the carburetor float I was toying with made noise as I flipped it around in my hand. Then I squeezed that lovely piece of soldered brass and noticed moisture (and smelled gas) develop along what turned out to be a crack. The reason the tractor quit was because the float was full of fuel and didn’t float. The float’s job is to raise and lower the fuel inlet’s needle valve, which in turn controls flow into the carburetor. My tractor’s engine choked out because it was getting too much gas. My first thought was to reach for the torch and some tin to solder up the crack … just kidding. If I had done that I wouldn’t be here today. Instead, I replaced the float with a new one and went on my merry way chanting KISS to myself for the rest of the day. In my haste to solve the tractor’s fueling problems, I overlooked an obvious cause … twice. So, before you replace your tractor’s starter check the battery, ignition switch, solenoid and all other relevant electrical connections first.

I recommend running a small engine until it is completely out of fuel at the end of the season. If you have too much gas in the tank, at the very least turn off the fuel petcock and let the engine run until it stops — if it is gravity fed and carbureted. This exercise will drain the carburetor and keep it from getting gummed up by varnishes and other crud that mysteriously appear and clog the system during idle months. If the engine uses a fuel pump or is fuel injected, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for storage. If you leave fuel in the tank, stabilizers can help keep it in top condition until the next time you try to start it. I have never personally had gasoline go bad in any machine. I have never used a stabilizer either, but some of my buddies swear by them.