I finally told my neighbor his advice from last month saved my whole weekend project.

He saw me struggling with my fence post concrete in the rain back in April and just said, 'Mix it drier, it'll set faster in this weather.' I did that today and it worked perfectly, saving me hours of waiting around. Anyone else get a random tip that just clicked at the right time?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah_hart1mo ago

Oh man that's awesome! My uncle gave me the same kind of lifesaver tip when I was trying to stain my deck and it kept looking blotchy. He just told me to wipe it down with mineral spirits first to even out the wood's absorption. Total game changer, finished the whole thing in one afternoon. Those little bits of random knowledge are the best.

fisher.felix1mo ago

Wait, does the mineral spirits trick work on old wood too or just new decks? @sarah_hart I had the same blotchy mess on my fence last year and ended up sanding the whole thing... took forever. That tip would have saved me a weekend. It's crazy how the simple fixes are never in the instruction manuals.

wood.zara1mo ago

My dad taught me to use a little vinegar in the paint can to stop brush marks... it sounds weird but it actually works.