We all live our lives day to day thinking that nothing bad will happen. We never think that we will be the ones dealing with the cleanup of a house fire. Unfortunately, there are many, many families that suffer the impact of house fires each year. Last year, a close friend of mine was a victim of a house fire and since then, my life has been different. I have spent many hours researching fire prevention, causes, and teaching children about fire prevention and what to do in the case of a fire. It is my hope that my research can help those of you concerned about house fires make the necessary changes in your home and teach your kids what they need to know about fire.
If you have a yard that's near a wooded area, chances are good that you want to protect it from kids playing in the woods or from deer. However, you might not want to purchase a traditional fence because then your house will not be unique. One way to get a fence but still have your house stand out is to use reclaimed wood as the building material for the fence. There are many different places where you can find reclaimed wood, such as at garage sales, on yards, or online, but you might not know how to finish it in order to make the wood look great. Here are some tips for finishing your reclaimed wood.
1. Pressure Wash Both Sides of the Wood
When you reclaim wood, it's not going to be in the most pristine of conditions. You might have to deal with embedded dirt and other unwanted particles. Luckily, it's relatively easy to loosen the embedded dirt so that you can remove it. Take a pressure washer and, on a medium setting, wash the wood that you have reclaimed in vertical strokes. If that doesn't loosen all of the dirt, turn up the settings on the pressure washer and start using shorter, persistent horizontal strokes. This should get rid of all of the dirt. Make sure that you wash both sides of the wood.
2. Scrub Away Grease and Other Stains
Next, be sure that you get rid of any grease stains by applying tetrachloride dry-cleaning solvent to a wire brush. Start scrubbing the wood. This might scratch up the wood slightly, but don't worry. At this point in the finishing process, getting rid of grease and stains is much more important than keeping the surface smooth.
3. Sand the Boards
Once all of the stains have been removed, you will need to allow the boards to dry. Once they are dry, start sanding the wood using 80 grit sandpaper and work up to a finer grit. This will mend any scratches that might be on the wood.
4. Add an Oil Stain
Your last step is to add a coat of oil stain to the wood. Because your fence is going to be outside in the wind and the rain, you want to be sure that you get a stain that looks great even when it has been weathered and one that is capable of providing the protection that you need so that your fence can stand strong for years. Oil stains are the way to go. Pick up a wood stain that is oil based from your local hardware store and apply it in thin layers using a paintbrush. Add two or three layers for maximum protection.
For more information, talk to a company that specializes in fencing—like Harco Exteriors LLC and other locations—if you want to purchase a pre-built, reclaimed wooden fence.
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