Lattice Creates a Finished Look

While not an urgent thing the empty space under the deck surrounding the cottage always looked out of place (for me anyway).
I installed lattice on the deck superstructure everywhere the deck was not at least 6 foot high.  It just completes the aesthetics of the cottage and hides away the bottom part of the concrete walls under the deck.
I choose cedar lattcice for the following reasons:

• Cedar so it would weather the same way as the rest of the deck
• Lattice so the air would move freely under the deck, and thus not be a temptation for animals to use it as a home
• it was inexpensive

Do you agree with me that it finishes the Cottage?

;-)

Tips for a Beautiful (Trim) Paint Job

Lucy, my wife is clearly the best painted of the two of us. She has patience and a flare for detail.

The result is an absolutely beautiful trim painting job.

A few tips to ensure a great paint job:

1) Use the right Brush for the Job

• Use a narrow brush - say no wider than 1.5 inches for the door edges and trim.
  
• Use a small roller to put the pain on the door - but use a brush to smooth it out and maintain the grain
  

2) Use the right Amount of paint on the Brush
Too much paint and it will be dripping all over - too little and it will finish streaky...

3) Be Patient - Let it dry!
Leave the doors open for at least 24 hours, and at least 24 hours between coats.

4) Prime
Always prime bare wood - otherwise you will be painting another coat anyway.

5) Caulk, fill and Sand
Be sure to caulk, fill holes and sand smooth. It is a painful and timeconsuming step but ensures a professional look.

Related Posts:

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Professional Looking Window Trim....

In the previous post we discussed the installing of trim for doors and windows. Here is the result for the main picture window in the living room.

Notice:
1) Finishing nails are all filled and primed
2) the laps of the two pieces of trim on the top and bottom are at the top left and bottom right.
3) all the cracks are caulked

It is ready for painting.

Related Posts:

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Tips for Installing Door and Window Trim

Once the trim around the doors and windows is installed the room really starts to feel finished.

With the trim installs and the holes for the finishing nails filled and primed, I have to admit that the cottage really felt finished.

For a really great instruction on installing casing around doors and windows go to the






For a professional looking job here are a few tips...

1) Use pre-primed Trim
Painting trim is a pain in the a#$. So by using pre-primed trim at least one pass of paining is handled.

2) Use the

Image via Wikipedia

right tools
A mitre box saw is critical - a chop saw will make the job go much faster! An air nailer will make the nailing go wondrously!

3) Use a Paintable Latex Caulk
Nothing will align perfectly! Your trim will have gaps in some of the corners and along the edge with the wall. A little caulk in these areas will go a long way to creating a profession look.

4) Use 45 Degree lap cuts
For Doors there won't be a problem but windows that are wider or higher that 6.5 feet will require a splice if you are using the standard 7-foot casing material. The best way to make this splice is to mitre the joint at 45 degrees.

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