Prep School: A Guide For Do-It-Yourselfers (NAPSA)—Most home builders will tell you that the foundation of a house helps determinethe quality of a home. But did you know the samecan be said for a homeor deck’s outside paintor finish? The fact is, proper prepping is a vital first step in painting or staining the exterior of your home or in refinishing a deck. And if you’re wondering if prep work pays off, consider this: Many homeowners skip the prep work when refinishing their wood surfaces, assuming it is too tedious, difficult and time-consuming, but don’t realize this compromises the quality of the finish and creates more work down the road. A number of new premium wood prep products allow homeowners to prep with ease and efficiency, helping them achieve a beautiful, long-lastingfinish. Here’s a closer look at proper wood-surface preparation: Strip It If you need to clean and strip an exterior wood surface, try a product like Behr Premium Stain & Finish Stripper. Ideal for decks, siding, fences, shakes and shin- gles, it has been upgraded to removeall coatings, including 100 percent acrylic stains and finishes on both horizontal and vertical surfaces. Don’t forget to wear protective clothing, goggles and acidresistant gloves while working with a stain andfinish stripper. Clean Up Next, you need to clean the surface you plan to paint or stain. N| tips for getting the typeof finish you're lookingfor: * You’ll need rubber gloves, plastic drop cloths (to protect flowers and vegetation), goggles, a broom and garden hose with a spray nozzle for cleanup. Also, use a %-inch-nap paintroller or stain pad with an arm extension and nylon/polyester paint brush. Pour stain or finish into a lined paint tray and apply toa small area at a time with a lamb’s wool pad, roller or brush, being certain to maintain a wet edge on The right products can makeit simple to prep a surface before you put on the perfectfinish. Behr Premium Mildew Stain Remover is an enzyme-based, bleach-free interior/exterior cleaner that’s designed for wood and composite decking as well as brick, stucco and vinyl/aluminum siding. It removes severe stains caused by mold, mildew, algae and fungus without whitening or damaging wood. If yow’re looking to brighten and clean wood, you might try Behr Premium 2-IN-1 Wood Prep. It’s an exterior cleaner formulated to clean, brighten and condition exterior wood surfaces prior to applying woodtoned finishes, paints or stains. It also removes light-to-medium mildew stains, rust and red clay stains. Finishing Tips Of course, after the prep work comes thefinish. Try these the surface. Always remove excess product and evenly distribute the finish by back-brushing on the surface during all application methods. Apply the product end-to-end or to entire board lengths to prevent lap marks from being left on the finished surface. This happens when thefirst coat’s edge dries before the edge of the subsequent one and could result in an uneven film thickness. If possible, coat wood on all sides for optimum performance and always follow manufacturers’ label instructions. As a final tip, remember that it’s important to maintain exterior surfaces throughout the year. Clean them as needed and keep them free of debris—that way you can maximize the durability and beauty of your wood. For more information, visit www.behr.com. Behr products are available exclusively at The Home Depot.
