Household Maintenance

Just when I think I can't handle the day to day maintenance of a home because of the energy and time it takes.....I attempt this on my own. Where's the independently wealthy me, having hired help?  In 2013, I primed and painted an oak kitchen table by myself.  As mentioned before I like colors, therefore I like coloring and painting. Really?? How hard can this be?  It will be fun - I said.

Sure, I knew I was going to have to be on my hands and knees.  I also knew the lattice would take longer than the rest of the deck.  I thought this all out, wear your oldest t-shirt and capri's (they will get stained) and weather will be an important factor (no rain and you don't want to do this when it's 90 plus degrees and humid).  My deck is one of the smaller ones in the neighborhood so I went to Lowes and picked out 1 gallon of the stain I wanted, a roller brush along with a pan and paint brush.  My dad consulted me (watch for dripping, cover your brush when not using it, take a rag with you as you stain along the house and wipe it up as quick as possible).  It will be fun - I said.

Day 1: It rained the night before.  I was raring to go...I pick a quest and there's absolutely no stopping me.  So my temper arose about the sudden break in the drought. My dad suggested I just start on one of the sides where it was dry.  He was great with pouring the stain in smaller containers so I could move and carry it around without spilling it.  Four and a half hours later I had finished one side minus the railings.  My wrist, forearm and shoulder required an ice pack that evening to reduce inflammation.

Day 2: No rain in the forecast.  I decided to stain the half of the deck that did not have the large concrete table on it.  I used the roller and moved a pillow around the deck to place my knees on.  I looked at my work and thought it looked weird (I could see where the stain did not soak into the edges of the floor boards).  I also locked myself up on the deck with wet stain near the stairs and the entry to the house.  So, I figured I should start the railings on the second half of the dry deck as my exits dried.  I stained random boards on the railings until I ran out of stain.  That night my knees were bright red.  Gallon 1 complete.  I am half way done - I said.

Day 3: I went to Lowes to buy another gallon of stain and knee pads.  I'd only need one more gallon -
I said.  My dad comes over and we move the concrete table to the other side of the deck and to cover the butterfly bush I planted the year before.  He points out all of the spots I had missed.  These included areas included underneath the entire railing on one side and the sides/edges of the floor board.  If I left the floor board incomplete the chance of weathering of the wood would increase, the rest was cosmetic.  I decided this day to stay in one spot and work from the top down regardless of the length of the boards I was staining on.  I worked on the railing and stairs closest to the butterfly bush.

Day 4: Forecast: 93 and humid.  I have forgotten to mention - why wash the clothes I've been wearing?  Makes sense.  But I hate being dirty for too long.  Every day I put on the same outfit that smells of stain and old sweat. Every day it made me want to whine.  I looked at my butterfly bush and it had condensation at the top of the plastic tarp.  It was advised to me to move fast to get this plastic off from the 6ft plant.  But the stain would kill the plant.  I had my helper (cleaning lady) skip cleaning and spend her 2 hours helping me on the deck.  I was out there 6 hours that day with her help and managed to take the tarp off from the struggling bush by 6pm.

Day 5: Out of gallon 2 of stain.  I wear one semi clean outfit to go to Lowes and attempt to get home and change into my smelly outfit before full sun hits my deck.  93 and humid again, and I mainly worked in the full sun.  4 hours this day.  One more day I said.

Day 6: I finished the 2nd half of the floor board. This time I used knee pads and a paint brush to get the sides of the boards.  And ran out of stain.  One more quart and 1 more day - I said.

Day 7:  I finish the railings and touch ups around the railings.  There are clumps of stain dripping all over hell...on the parts of the deck already completed and on the house.  I start the last side of the lattice.  And after 4 hours I run out of stain with one corner of lattice and touch ups on the last floor boards.

Day 8: In a semi clean outfit I go back to Lowes and buy another gallon.  Yes, I know, a gallon? But there's the front porch.  Three to four hours of finishing up the back deck, I feel relief and I am proud of myself.  Let's slap this stain on the front porch and throw away these clothes and rags!!!  I clean off the front porch with a broom and say hello to a bee.  Two - three minutes later I see 4 or 5 bees going in and out of a hole under my front porch.  I was so, so, so ready to just slap that stain on the porch and get stung.  I stood there with the paint brush and watched the bees and advised against it. So, I am not done, but I am so very close.  

As I put blogging, bike rides, and being clean on hold for 1 week this summer I can say I have true home ownership and the maintenance involved in my life's tapestry.  Planting a lawn was the most fun but I have to say staining the deck was more exciting and fun than deciding about purchasing a water softener. A friend asked me if anyone was helping me and felt bad when I said no.  Apparently she missed the memo that stated I don't rely on many people and I'm not a dependent person.  However, there were no arguments on color choices, etc.  It's one of my projects that entailed my own decisions, mistakes and lessons learned.  This experience and other things about my household maintenance are on my list of accomplishments.  Now I that I have proved that I can do it - it's safe to say either a pool boy or "handyman" will be hired next time.