Tip of the Month - October 2009

Six sides by the seashore? Not to be confused by sea shells, it is important to prime all six sides of wood when doing wood replacement, especially by the seashore. In addition to providing a good base for paint, primer seals the wood and helps to protect against insects and dry rot. When replacing wood it is imperative to prime all six sides of the wood prior to installing it. Some folks will take shortcuts and prime the wood initially but fail to prime the ends of the pieces as they are cut and put in place. Others will prime only the “visible” sections of the wood believing that the other sections do not need the protection. In fact, bare wood is most vulnerable to the bacteria that causes dry rot and is more appealing to termites. In the photo below, you can see that the contractor that painted the fascia waited until after the rain gutter was installed. Since the gutter has fallen, you can see that it was not only not primed, it was not even painted. This is an invitation to the early demise of this piece of wood.

So, whether you are replacing a piece of wood or you are having professionals (well, like PrimeCo) do it, make certain that all six sides are primed before it is installed….we do! With this protection in place, applying a finish coat on only the exposed wood is quite adequate and acceptable.

Since we’re on the subject of rain gutters, now is a perfect time to have your rain gutters cleaned out….well in advance of the torrential rains we typically experience in Southern California.

When in doubt, call the professionals at PrimeCo for assistance.