STRIPPING BACK THE LAYERS
How to change unsightly stain colour
TIPS FOR BUILDING ON BEDROCK
Q Should I spray foam directly on the bedrock in the crawl space under the house I’m building or put crushed stone on the rock before spraying ?
A If you want to avoid grievous moisture problems, you need to back up with your planning. Building on bedrock is trickier than it looks. There are two difficulties — the cooling action of the rock that’ll cause condensation and sky-high crawl space humidity in the summer, and the tendency for liquid water to follow the bedrock and enter your crawl space during wet times of the year.
You mentioned your plan to spray the rock with foam after the house is up. This will solve the problem of the cool rock and condensation, but it won’t solve the problem of leaking liquid water seeping in between the bedrock and your foundation. Also, if you have spray foam on the rock, you won’ t be able to walk on your crawl space floor because you’ll crush the foam. There’s also still the grim prospect of the foam on the rock getting saturated and mouldy during wet seasons. I’ve seen fundamental problems like this happen with people building on bedrock and there’s no good solution after the fact.
All of this is leading me to a suggestion. Have you considered having no crawl space? This is what I did when I built on bedrock with 12 to 24 inches of soil in the area. I built concrete walls, then filled the space within these walls with compacted fill. I left room enough on top to add R12 of extruded poly foam and a radiant barrier, then poured a 6-inch-thick concrete floor on top. All the mechanicals and plumbing are at ground level, and I have none of the problems I’ m warning you about.
HOW SHOULD I RE-STRIP A DECK?
Q What’s the best way to strip back to bare wood on a deck that I started to finish with a stain that I don’t like. I’ve covered two-thirds of the deck, but the opaque results are not what I want.
A It’s best to go all the way back to square-one. Use a roller and brush to spread a water soluble deck stripper, let it sit for a while until the finish is soft, then pressure wash the goo off.
Let the deck dry for a couple of good days, then sand the surface with an 80-grit abrasive in a random orbit sander. This will get you back to a good, solid start.
As for what to apply afterwards, it’s easy to go wrong. There are many deck products on the market that don’t work well no matter how well you prep the surface.
I have several favourites based on my long-term tests and depending on the kind of look you want and the level of maintenance you’ re willing to take on. See my recommended options at baileylineroad.com/ how-to-stain-deck-properly/
REMOVING LICHEN FROM STONE
Q What’s the best way to remove moss and lichen from stone?
A One thing I know for sure is that you should stay away from acid washes and vinegar. They can dissolve the stone and ruin the surface, depending on the type of stone you’re using.
If you’re dealing with moss, then scrub with nothing more than water and a plastic bristle brush to clean the stone. If you can get a hose to the spot, that’s best. If not, bring water in containers and a watering can. Lichen is tougher to remove than moss, but scrubbing will get most of the lichen off, too.
I’ve also had good results removing lichen from stone using oxygen-based cleaners. Wet the stone, apply the cleaner, let it sit, then do some scrubbing and rinse.