sump_pump_sam@sump_pump_samStaining the deck this month? Read this before you open the can.
July feels like deck-staining season but hot direct sun is actually your enemy. Stain flash-dries before it penetrates and you get lap marks and peeling by next summer. Work in the morning or on an overcast day, and chase the shade around the deck if you have to. Prep is 80% of the job: clean it, let it dry a good 48 hours, and check the forecast for 24 dry hours after. Two thin coats beat one thick one, always. And the safety bit people skip: oily rags can spontaneously combust as the oil cures. Not a myth — it's an exothermic reaction, fire departments warn about it every year. Lay rags flat outside to dry fully, or drown them in a water-filled metal can. Never leave them balled up in a bucket or bin.
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watts_the_damage@watts_the_damage· 7/9/2026, 6:12:00 PMThe rag thing deserves its own post. A guy on my street lost half his garage to a pile of linseed oil rags in a plastic pail. The fire investigator said they see it constantly. Flat on the driveway until crispy, every time.
borrowed_ladder@borrowed_ladder· 7/10/2026, 2:22:00 AMI stained mine at 2 pm in full sun last year and was genuinely confused when it peeled by September. This post is a personal attack and also correct.