Resin in softwood knots can stay active for years, and bleed slowly through most paints, even if the wood has been kiln dried. The only way to really stop the bleeding is to use a shellac to seal in the resins.Shellac is not a very strong finish but has the unique characteristic that it allows n...
When part of the porcelain paint pops off of metal sinks, your only DIY recourse is to use the little bottles of touch-up.First you have to find one that is the right colour, not always an easy task.Then you have to get it to stick. The manufacturers all say to just clean the surface and then ap...
Epoxy paints are available that you can use if you want to do this job yourself, and they are quite durable. However it is very difficult to apply them without seeing the brush marks.The real professional method, short of taking the tub out and sending it out for re-finishing, is to have a speci...
We have all seen painting pads, some even with wheels that allow us to paint easily right up to an edge.EZ Paintr is a company that has developed the first real advance in pad painters, now distributed by Rubbermaid.They have finally made a pad painter that is a true cross between a brush and a r...
James Connelly works at Masterpieces Studio in Toronto where they do some impressive things with paint, putty and special plasters and cement coatings. But since they opened their finishing school, they've also been teaching some of the secrets to the public.We followed James through the convers...
Phillip in Halifax, Nova Scotia has painted all his wooden double hung windows shut tight. So how do you open them without damaging them?Start by cutting the paint at the joint between the window and the frame with a knife.Then put a block of wood on the window sash, the frame that holds the gla...
Donna lives in Georgian Bay, Ontario but has to share her deck with hornets that are attracted to the pine sap oozing out of her deck. What to do?Pine sap will not stop oozing until it has all crystallized inside the wood. This process can be accelerated with heat, but even kiln dried and aged b...
Wayne from Halifax, NS writes: Is there any problem painting or staining new projects that are built with pressure treated wood?My reason for this question is....I was always told to wait at least one year before painting. You had a Canadian Wood Council representative on your show approximatel...
Bill in Stratford, Ontario sent in this great tip.When you just need a touch up of paint or stain, rather than opening the lid and increasing the clean up problem, simply punch a hole in the top of the can.You can cover the hole with a finger to shake the can if you like, even use your finger to ...
Kelly wants to know if it is possible to paint over something that already has stain on it.The answer is YES, but only if the stain is ready! What do I mean by that?Most stain has water repellents built into it. Look at the first photo and you can see how the water is beading up, rather than so...
