The finishing tag has no wiki summary.
1
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1answer
47 views
What should I do about streaks in my finish?
I just stripped, sanded, stained & then applied fast-drying oil-based polyurethane to my hardwood table. All went well until I sanded the second coat of polyurethane with 220 grit sandpaper. The ...
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3answers
185 views
How can I hide the gap at the base of the stairs and the door, when installing laminate flooring?
I am starting to plan a project to lay laminate flooring in my hallway. Already I can see two areas which are not as straightforward as the rest of the area.
The first area which I can see me having ...
0
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1answer
42 views
Which pH should I aim for when neutralizing restored/refinished antique surfaces?
I have recently used different chemicals to restore, refinish and treat various types of wall and millwork surfaces. E.g. I have stripped old paint using Peel Away 1 from plaster and antique ...
3
votes
1answer
201 views
What is the correct use for linseed oil on outdoor wood?
I have doors, patio furniture and windows which all need constant attention in terms of varnish and wood sealers.
I have recently found a good contact for raw linseed oil, and would like to use ...
4
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4answers
728 views
How can plywood edges be finished to conceal the plies?
My cabinet doors are tired and have many coats of ugly paint. Rather than strip all the paint off, I'm considering just chucking the old doors and making new ones. I like the plain style of just a ...
3
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5answers
200 views
What is a good finish for a plywood benchtop?
I just completed a simple workbench using dimensional lumber. The top is 3/4" plywood. What is a good—preferably clear—finish that would harden it and protect it from dings and scratches?
I found an ...
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2answers
442 views
What is the best way to seal my deck?
I Have an outside deck, it currently has a layer of varnish on it, I Think the wood type is Meranti.
The deck is exposed to lots of rain and also harsh sun, and the varnish has started to peel.
I ...
4
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1answer
217 views
How can I protect bathroom wood from mold?
I have bought bamboo fittings in the bathroom (towel holders, dishes etc). I see that as a result of hanging damp towels on the towel holders, a black mold is accumulating on the bottom of the holder ...
1
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2answers
698 views
How to fill gap between brick and drywall?
Where my ceiling drywall meets a brick wall there is a gap.
This is smaller at the brick itself (maybe 3/16") and then larger where the mortar is struck.
This seems too large to fill with ...
2
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2answers
192 views
How to remove yellow blotch from MINWAX Stainable Wood Filler on pine wood
Before staining the pine wood siding of my balcony, I used MINWAX stainable wood filler to cover nail holes and knot cracks.
The holes are filled alright, but there is a yellow blotch where the ...
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3answers
481 views
How can I install a pre-hung door when soundboard has been installed?
Normally a 2x4 wall has a finished thickness of 4.5" (2x4 + 2x 1/2" drywall)
I have 1/2" soundboard under one side of the drywall so my finished thickness is 5"
I know that I can custom-order ...
3
votes
1answer
406 views
What type of wood filler should I use?
I'm starting a project to build my own solid body guitar.
I received the body and its made from ash. It needs to be filled (the grain is very porous).
I hear that I need wood filler for this.
The ...
6
votes
3answers
634 views
What could cause polyurethane to dry with excess gloss?
I'm having trouble with polyurethane (Helmsman semi-gloss) drying much glossier than it should - like an extra-gloss instead of a semi-gloss. I'm using it on stained wood moulding, and when I did the ...
3
votes
2answers
533 views
What are the differences between wood and composite shoe molding?
I'm about to install shoe molding all over my house. I'm deciding between composite (I think it's PVC) and wood. They are quite similar in price. How do these 2 materials compare in terms of:
...
4
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4answers
3k views
Which nails should I use for shoe molding installation?
I'm about to install shoe molding all over my house. The baseboards are hung for carpet, but we're replacing the carpet with vinyl. So I have a pretty good sized gap to cover. I'll probably use 11/16 ...
5
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1answer
3k views
How do you finish a window installation?
After the window has been secured in the rough opening, how do you finish the inside part of the installation? For example adding a window sill and trimming out the inner portion of the rough opening, ...
3
votes
2answers
283 views
How would you add baseboard trim to an angled wall?
We have a set of stairs that lead to our basement. I've made the space underneath in to a small closet. It's been enclosed with drywall. The floor is a continuation of tile from the laundry room. ...
2
votes
1answer
243 views
What should I do about partially tacky urethane finish?
so I've been refinishing an interior bench. The bench had a very old polyurethane/resin finish which I sanded completely off, there was nothing other than bare wood when I stained it. I stained the ...
4
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2answers
5k views
Can I hang a bathroom shelf with command strips or something similar?
I'm currently living in an apartment that doesn't allow me to put anything larger than a finishing nail sized hole in the wall. I have a small bathroom shelf that I would like to put up that consists ...
3
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2answers
327 views
How to finish wood in the winter?
If you want to stain and varnish indoor wood furniture during the winter, how do you do it?
It's below freezing outdoors, but I don't want fumes to accumulate in the house.
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3answers
3k views
What is this soft, sticky wood finish and how do I remove it?
We have a second-hand table with a mysterious finish.
The wood underneath is pale, possibly pine. With the finish, it's a slightly darker and "warmer" colour. The table is not antique; I'd guess only ...
15
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2answers
4k views
What is the best way to incrementally finish an unfinished basement?
my wife and I are in the process of buying our first house. The house has a 750 square foot unfinished basement (cinderblock walls and concrete floor), and is brand new (rather, it will be brand new ...
1
vote
1answer
164 views
How do I repair a flaking finish on my wood windows?
I have a few windows around the house which all have a funny flaky appearance. It looks pretty superficial; the wood under the flaking looks okay. It's on windows that were here when I bought the ...
6
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3answers
2k views
How to finish room with protruding concrete ledge/foundation?
I am finishing a basement room and have a concrete ledge which is part of the foundation. It protrudes into the room about 2.5 inches and is about 6 inches high. This ledge is the result of a ...
7
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4answers
7k views
How do I install transition molding between my new hardwood and existing tile floors?
I have ripped out some old carpet and am preparing to install a new solid hardwood floor myself. In several places, the floor transitions to an existing tile floor. The hardwood floor guys told me ...
4
votes
1answer
294 views
Will my warped(cupped) oak flooring flatten out after it dries?
I have a refrigerator sitting on a solid oak floor with a plywood underlay/subfloor that had the ice maker line break and the water got under the flooring and it is cupped now about 4 feet square on ...
6
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2answers
370 views
What is a durable, child-safe finish for a child's cot?
I recently purchased a flat packed cot for my soon to arrive baby. The wood is plain without any paint or varnish. How best should I finish off the wood on the cot in a way that is both durable and ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
What thickness drywall do I need for 24" OC wall studs in a detached garage?
I am currently finishing an older 3-car detached garage. Both the wall studs and the ceiling trusses have 24" OC spacing.
I know that for the ceiling, I'll need to use 5/8" thick drywall, due to the ...
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4answers
168 views
Is there a easy way to procure muriatic acid to “faux antique” a mirror?
I've read that the best way to "antique" a mirror is to use hydrochloric/muriatic acid to burn away some of the metallic backing. According to different sources it can be found easily at hardware ...
1
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2answers
9k views
How to prepare previously stained trim / baseboard for painting?
We have a few rooms of dark stained trim, casing, and baseboards that we would like to paint white. I am pretty sure it is oak, I have not seen it to be sure at this time. It has already been taken ...
5
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2answers
986 views
Drywall - final joint compound coat
While remodeling an older house (where nothing is quite straight) we used fiber glass mesh joint tape and 3 coats of joint compound. The first coat was applied with a 4 inch knife, the second with an ...
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2answers
2k views
What are my refinishing options for a concrete patio?
I have an external concrete patio, about 3 years old. I'm wondering if there are any finishing or refinishing options to make it look a little better than just boring 'ole concrete.
0
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1answer
750 views
Protecting a finished wood exterior door
I have a solid wood exterior door, that I had stained and finished by the maker. I was looking for a way to prolong and protect the finish. I thought about waxing the door (especially the exterior ...
4
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1answer
443 views
How to quickly fix botched latex paint area on exterior door?
I need some help here. We recently primed and painted an exterior wood door. The second coat of latex paint was still semi-wet and I accidentally touched an area of the door with my fingertips which ...
3
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3answers
2k views
What is the most durable way to paint a wood floor in a high traffic area?
I have to replace the floor on the landings of our stairs and love the look of painted wooden floors. However, it is a high traffic area, and I've seen many painted wood floors floors lose their ...
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5answers
24k views
What grit sandpaper should I use between coats of polyurethane?
I'm planning on applying polyurethane to a pine bench I've finished staining. I decided on foam brushes for application, but I wasn't sure what grit sandpaper I should use between coats. Is 400 good ...
9
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1answer
743 views
How can I install crown cornice molding and trim on rounded outside corners?
We have rounded outside corners throughout our house what is the best approach to installing crown cornice molding?
The baseboards that are currently installed just come to a 90˚ point and the gap ...
5
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2answers
2k views
How should I insulate my basement?
My basement is CMU blocks and concrete floor.
I had water issues, so I waterproofed it with an interior french drain, drainboard at the edge and a sump pump. This wouldn't take care of dampness so I ...
1
vote
5answers
772 views
How do I weatherize an MDF shed?
I had some spare MDF lying around, and didn't have much to do with it. We needed somewhere to shove our grill and gardening tools, so a couple of screws later I now have a reasonably unattractive MDF ...
1
vote
1answer
327 views
Consistent way to sand and repaint doors?
I have several closet and bedroom doors that are currently varnished/stained, which I want to sand down and paint a semi-gloss white.
Should I do something other than sanding to remove the varnish, ...
3
votes
1answer
808 views
How do I fill nail holes in baseboards?
While installing a new floor in my living room I had to remove the baseboards (finished wood, not painted), now that the job is done and the baseboards have been replaced what is the best way to fill ...
3
votes
4answers
8k views
How do I finish the open end of a chair rail?
I helped a friend put up a chair rail in his house yesterday. It turned out great, except that neither of us knew what to do about where it met the window. Since the window didn't have trim around the ...
12
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2answers
440 views
What are some tips for finishing wood?
I'm kind of embarrassed to ask, but I'm looking for a good how-to guide for finishing pine furniture. (Could also apply to baseboards and trim, so I'm hoping for an on-topic pass here.) I watched my ...
2
votes
2answers
245 views
Tips for texturing ceilings?
I'm getting ready to texture ceilings for the first time using an air-compressor / hopper. I plan to practice first on some old sample sheets of drywall I have laying around but was also hoping to ...
5
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3answers
1k views
Can quick-drying mud be used on the same drywall joints where slow-drying mud was used?
I think I phrased the summary/title poorly but essentially, I'd like to know if all drywall mud coats need to use the same type of joint compound for all coats or if I can transition to quick drying ...
5
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3answers
1k views
How can I keep leftover drywall mud from drying out in the box?
I'm not quite sure how much drywall mud I'll be using for my upcoming project so I'm planning to buy a box of it. Assuming that I have some left over, is there a technique for not wasting it? Will it ...
10
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3answers
292 views
Why are progressively larger drywall knives used after each mudding pass?
I've been researching drywall finishing techniques and have noticed that when a first coat of mud compound is used, a smaller 6 inch taping knife is used... then on the second mud application, a ...
3
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2answers
149 views
What is a good finish for a table made from a solid door?
I'm using it for a dining table. I really like the size, it's perfect as a large dining table. What finish should I choose? What is a food safe finish? If I drop food on the table I want to be able ...
4
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1answer
2k views
In a brick layout for tile, how do I handle exposed cut edges?
My second in the line of "redoing a bathroom" questions. For our tub surround, my wife and I have picked out some very nice 16"x4" subway tiles, that we would like to arrange in a brick pattern. To ...
