For the Archives

This one is sort of a footnote to the last post by Leslie, and also for the archives. I took a picture of the two products used in prepping the lattices and pergola. It's a very labor-intensive project, requiring first cleaning the cedar with the Olympic Deck Brightener on the left. You have to use a hand-pump sprayer specially designed for detergents, mix the product with water, spray it on, brush it in with a hand brush, then after 30 minutes rinse it off with the jet spray on your garden hose. Do this on all four sides. Let it dry completely for a day or two (in 100-degree weather it should be much shorter), then move on to the product on the right.

Borrada LP is a wood-boring insect repellant. It's clear and about the consistency of wallpaper paste. It has to be mixed with warm or hot water to a 2:1 or 1:1 solution, then rolled on or painted on. I used the small paint roller on the table, on all four sides also. It has to dry 1-3 days (hopefully only one day) before you can put on stain or paint. Now, I used it only on the 7 thick posts and not on the lattice. Then, after these two products are used, you can prime with one coat and stain with two. We are not priming the lattice but putting two coats of gray stain on it. The posts get the primer plus two coats.

We will probably spend most of the week of August 4-8 doing the patio side (west) of the garage, which has a whole lot more lattice on it. It will be up at 5:30 on Monday for a quick breakfast, then out to work about 6:10 or earlier, before the sun comes over on that side of the garage.

I almost forgot--we haven't done the lattice on the garage door. You know how wide that is. That has to be prepped starting Monday the 4th.

Stay tuned for more reports, hopefully the last ones regarding the back yard, which we plan to finish by the end of this week.