Composting Made Easy

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Q. I'm planning on staining my home this summer. The house currently has unfinished cedar clapboards (about 10 years old) with exposed square head nails which show no signs of rust. I'm planning to carefully power wash the exterior, let it dry well, and use one coat of oil base primer and two coats of oil base B. Moore solid stain. What's the best way to handle the nails? Leave them exposed or stain over them. Should I use anything when I power wash such as TSP or one of those bleach-based cleaners?

A.Use a cleaner. My favorite mix is household bleach 25 percent in water with a dash of laundry detergent. The bleach will kill any incipient mildew and the soap will carry off any residue on the surface. The purpose of cleaning is to clean, so use soap. You want the primer to bond. If the nails aren't showing rust after you wash, no other preparation is needed. If they show rust, then touch them up with a sealer-primer such as Kilz alkyd. Oil or alkyd paint and stain are quite popular, but not as well suited for wood as latex products because they make a rigid film that won't allow moisture to transpire as latex will.

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