If you don’t have the time to do the job right, how are you going to have the time to do the job over?  Those are not original words from me, but I sure do use them often. I try to always remember this saying whenever I’m doing a home improvement project. However, I took the quick easy way out a few weeks ago, and I have paid for it.

 

I have a redwood 2X4 that I had to shape to fit in under an exterior door threshold. It’s a nice piece of redwood with lots of heartwood in it.  Just a 3’ piece, but I wanted it painted white to match the rest of the trim. So while I was painting my already primed trim I just continued on and painted the redwood board.

 

A day later it didn’t even look like I had painted it. The redwood tannins bled right through the paint. Damn, I knew I should have primed it. But, I was out of primer, didn’t want to buy a quart for such a small job, etc. So I painted a second coat of paint. Redwood still bled through. Finally got it on the fourth coat, but how long will it last?

 

So I had to fashion a similar board for the back door threshold. This time I grabbed a can of spray Kilz primer, a nice amount for a small job. Sprayed on the primer, one coat of paint and it looks just great.

 

Just goes to show that had I taken the time to do the job right, I wouldn’t have had to do the job over. Remember that in your home improvement projects!

 

-Clark