All right now, let's see, we've got the paint protecting the porch, and the
tarps protecting the paint. Now, what's going to protect the tarps? Hey,
I've got it !   Let's paint the tarps. Well, then there's the tarp paint to
protect. Now What?

Do you know how some tradespeople get nervous when you stand there watching
them do their work? I suggest we are going to have some mighty nervous porch
paint on our hands. Why don't we just let the porch paint do it's job?

Routine paint maintenance in my book includes:

- Keep it clean: wash it once or twice a year to remove grit and grime that
can catch and hold desctructive chemicals next to the surface of the paint

- Spot paint maintenance: once a year, a lick of paint here and there as the
new paint film begins to crack and peel

- Spot sealent maintenance: once a years, check and seal any opening joints,
leave the lower joints open for drainage if water does get in

I guarantee this yearly routine would cost much less than tarps and the
result after 10 or 15 years would be much better for the "new" paint and the
porch.

John

John Leeke, Preservation Consultant

publisher:               Practical Restoration Reports
postal:                    26 Higgins St., Portland, Maine  04103, USA
phone & fax:           01 207 773-2306
email:                      [log in to unmask]
website:                  www.HistoricHomeWorks.com







John