Painting 101

How hard could it possibly be to paint treated pine? Not hard at all one would think right? Well that’s wrong, depending on the cut of the timber painting can prove to be a very challenging experience!!

We are in the process of having our deck and pergola constructed, fortunately an old family friend who has recently started up his own home improvement company has undertaken this long time coming project for us and he has been really wonderful going through the whole process with us and trying his best to cater to all of our wishes.

We have had to make quite a few compromises I must say. The pitch roof I once wanted is now flat. The decking is treated pine not merbau. The rails are not quite as I imagined and the screen that I want running down the one side of the house will have to wait until next year when we can save up a bit more money. As a whole the deck is coming along really nicely, and it’s big, and new and within our budget, and we have been assured that it will be ready for Christmas when the whole family is coming for lunch so really we couldn’t be happier.

The only problem is we have hit a glitch with the painting. According to some people the wood needs to be primed before it can be painted, but according to our friend and deck builder, it does not. So far we have painted on three coats and the results are shocking. The wood appears to be sucking in the paint. Tonight my husband who is not a handy man by any stretch of the word, is out there after work (before even having his dinner) painting away. Has it made any difference? I don’t think so, but he does.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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Six Simple Steps To Help Keep Pets Safe During Home Renovations

Construction work commenced today on our deck and pergola, and so our backyard now looks like a construction site. For the next two weeks we will need to be mindful whenever we are in our back yard. There is timber, bricks, nails, sand, and pavers everywhere.

Not only can this be a hazard for the children but for my pets also. Fortunately our front garden is also fenced in so we have an alternative for Dexter when he needs to go to go outside. Many people are not so lucky and don’t have an alternative space to use for pets during renovations which means they need to make the best of the situation.

This post is aimed to highlight some of things we can all do to help keep our pets safe during home renovations of any kind.

1). if you can securely fence off an area in the garden to use for pets than that’s great, if not and you need to leave your dog outside while worker are there make sure your pet is safely tied up.

2). Try and remove any electrical wires, most animals if given the chance will chew through electrical wires.

3). Do a sweep of the grounds, nails, staples, tacks and anything sharp can cut tender paws.

4). Secure any loose or wobbly items, animals like to brush up against things and may accidentally knock them over.

5). If you need to make changes to your pets sleeping or eating area during the time of renovations consider making the change prior to work commencing so that your pets have a chance to adjust. Most animals do not like change.

6). ID tags are especially important during renovation time, as your home may have doors and windows left open for long periods of time and this may lead to your pet wandering off and getting lost.

These are just six simple steps that anyone can implement to keep their pets safe during what can be a very trying time, but in the end it will all be worth it. We can’t wait for our new deck and pergola.