PSA: My neighbor's help on my deck staining job led to a big mess

In my view, everyone says to welcome neighbor help with outdoor projects, but when my neighbor jumped in to stain my deck, he used the wrong brush type and left streaks everywhere. I had to sand down whole sections and start over, costing me a full weekend. Now I kindly say no to extra hands on finish work, since doing it myself means I control the quality. Take this with a grain of salt, but setting clear limits has made my DIY results much better.

3 comments

3 Comments

jade_williams1mo ago

My buddy Dave once grabbed a roller when we were staining my patio and left globs everywhere. I had to redo the whole section with a proper brush. Now I always lay out the exact tools and show people how I want it done before they start. It feels a bit bossy, but it saves so much time and hassle in the end. If someone really wants to help, I give them prep work like sanding or cleaning instead. Finishing touches are just better when you do them yourself, I mean, you know the standard you're after.

aaron8451mo ago

Come on, it's just some STAIN on a patio. Globs happen, but is it worth being so CONTROLLING with your friends? Feels like overkill to me.

jamie_price1mo ago

Wait what, Dave used a ROLLER for stain? @jade_williams that's brutal, no wonder it was a glob fest.