So! Now that my sanity-saving fence is up, it was time to stain it. I went to Home Depot last weekend, perused the options, and picked out a stain. I didn't want something too dark; just something natural-looking.
Here is the fence, unstained:
I decided to stain the back side, facing the neighbors, first, in case I didn't like the color:
That right there is the world's sloppiest application of Thompson's Waterseal Waterproofing Stain in Transparent Woodland Cedar. I'm not sure on the color: Too dark? Just right? I might go with a lighter, or even a clear, stain on my side, but I'm not sure.
Oh! And in other house news, I've been willow tree shopping for a while now, because while the giant willow in my backyard is gorgeous, it is nearing the end of its lifespan and I wanted to get a replacement started. I've been looking at garden centers and on line without finding anything in my extremely limited budget. I actually started some cuttings last weekend, more as a science experiment just to see if they would take than anything else. But then! At Tractor Supply for an adoption event last Saturday, I had a chance to browse the garden area, and holy crap you guys, they were selling six-foot willow trees for TWENTY BUCKS.
Welcome to my backyard, little willow tree. Ignore the cats; they're kind of jerks.
Oh, and I actually went BACK to Tractor Supply and picked up ANOTHER willow tree Monday night, because why not? TWENTY BUCKS. And then? Last night? I went back AGAIN and picked up a pink dogwood. hahahahaha ALL THE TREES I NOW OWN ALL THE TREES.
Time to dig some more holes.
Okay, okay, back to the main point: The fence stain. Too dark? Too light? Just right? Enquiring minds want to know.
6 comments:
I think it's perfect. It looks just like fresh-cut red cedar.
Please tell me you didn't plant the willows anywhere near either water or sewer pipes. Those suckers have notoriously water seeking roots. We just got rid of all of our willows because some idiot planted them too close to the well and septic lines! And I love the stain on the fence.
/what silk said.
I'm glad you all like the color! When I poured it out of the can it was really dark, and I was all, "uh-oh", but it does look pretty on the wood.
And Mama D, no worries. The pipes are all in the front yard. Actually, the back of the backyard (the wayback) can be quite boggy in the spring and has been known to flood, so I think the willows should be happy there. I got the second one planted tonight, with the dogwood to follow. Good thing I've got a big backyard! (not so handy when it comes time to mow, though.)
I was reading today that dogwoods don't start blooming until their third year. I have no idea how old the one I bought is (it's six feet tall, so I'm guessing it's at least a year old), so we'll just have to wait and see which spring it decides to bloom.
Love the color, too! Thompson's getting not-so-good ratings in Consumer's Reports and we've switched to Behr products, also available at Home Depot, when the Thompson's seemed to need doing every year.
Kris
Hmmmm, Kris, thanks for the heads up. Maybe I'll use Behr on the front part.
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