FINISH APPLICATION
Although sealing or staining or painting your gate does not prolong
the life of the cedar, it is often a preferred aesthetic while also
helping to maintain the gate's dimensional stability. In most
climates, the calculated spacing between the gate and lock-side post
is enough, at 3/8", to allow for normal expansion and contraction.
This is compounded in certain areas such as southern Florida or Hawaii
where there is often rain and intense heat within the same afternoon.
These considerations are minimized by a wax emulsion coating on all
gates applied in the shop to the top and bottom end-grains of both stiles.
When applying your finish, start with one side, brushing the bottom
rail with the grain and then the vertical stiles with the grain to avoid
the brush strokes over-lapping. This is for all horizontal rails, not
allowing the brush stroke to dry before brushing the vertical stile.
Do not apply stain to the edges of the pickets or upper pattern on this
side or the stain will run down the opposite side and leave run marks
penetrating the bare wood before you are able to finish the opposite
side. For those with solid lower panels, do not stain the edges of your
open slots until the back side is addressed. Once you turn to the other
side, you can then apply stain to the picket faces and edges, knowing
the run-off will not absorb against the already stained surface. Check,
when finished, the direction of your brush stroke to smooth out any
over-laps. Do not, with semi-transparent stains, natural oils, or clear
seals, apply a second coat once this first coat is dry. The gate has
been sealed, and further applications will not absorb evenly, resulting
in a splotchy build-up.
Spray finishes: You can finish your panels with clear seal, natural
oil, or semi-transpenrant stains using a common, rented, garden pump
sprayer. This quickens the process considerably and although it may
require some back-brushing, it is nevertheless much simpler than brushing
a thousand pickets. This method is not adviseable for semi-solid stains
and paints. Spraying these requires an industrial set-up and requires
back-brushing. |
