Masking tools for sealing wood

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Thought it would be fun to see what masking tools are most popular. Please chime in on how you mask, and post a pic if you have one.

Beth :cup: :groovy3:

p.s. please vote...

[Chris S 14]

I always mask the house with .5 mil or 1 mil plastic the length of the deck + 8' or so. I use the tape used for hard to stick surfaces. It works well on vinyl as opposed to the blue painters tape. For the rails, I drape a bed sheet on one side and attach with spring clamps. How does everyone go about taking down the plastic that you mask the house with? Are you walking across a not quite dry deck?

[seymore 90]

We use stapler to staple pcs. of cardboard to hold up the plastic when preping an arbor to enclose.See pic for example :cool:

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Very cool masking job!

Beth

[seymore 90]

Thanks Beth ;)

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I'll be it got hot under there. I'll also bet you needed a respirator with all that vapor in the air.

Beth

[tropical wave 22]

used lots of things on the list, and I used the Shane stapler system which works great when clamps wont work on weird rail shapes, use the small 1/4 inch staples and they pull right out with the tarp....... used duct tape on vinyl siding which worked well to hold light plastic, but duct tape on aluminum can be a no-no, (the sticky part remains on aluminum siding, but cleans up)......used a boatload of bungee cords to hold plastic around painted or aluminum posts under elevated decks........

great poll Beth, I'm sure there will be lots of new ideas coming in !!

[seymore 90]

I'll be it got hot under there. I'll also bet you needed a respirator with all that vapor in the air.

Beth

Ohh yes VERY HOT inside the arbor Beth! We also alway wear a 3M respirator when inside spraying :cool:

[mikew 14]

We use stapler to staple pcs. of cardboard to hold up the plastic when preping an arbor to enclose.See pic for example :cool:

Hi Shane,

Trying to learn something... is all of that done to prevent overspray away from the arbor? Do you then take that down to get the outside surfaces?

Thanks!

Mike

[seymore 90]

Hey Mike,

Yes I try to enclose the arbor to prevent the overspray from getting allover the house,stone,plants etc.

I'll staple the sides on the top edge of the arbor so i can spray the facia,lattice etc.by just pushing the walls outward.Then i remove the top and spray from the top down leaving the walls up to catch the overspray.

Pull everything down and cut in around the house :cool:

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Staples and plastic sure do have a place. We have used them before also.

Beth

[CLASSICPW 14]

It's funny how you just pick up things as you go along. I never knew anyone else used clamps.......I thought I was the first lol!! I always salvage big peices of cardboard, I even get them from customers garages from their patio sets(they're more than happy for me to take them) I wedge them between the railing and siding/brick if possible. Bedsheets work great because they are lightweight and can be clamped or duct taped anywhere, I get them from second hand shops like goodwill for dirt cheap. I honestly hate plastic and only use it in certain situations because the sealer will run off onto something else like the deck or grass or the patio etc.. For the ground level it's pre wet and heavy canvas, but no prewet around stairs because I've had wet footprints on the deck before. One thing i do like is the pre taped plastic for concrete and stucco below the deck, that works great.

[Mike Stahmer 14]

If it can get stain on it, it will! We mask similar. I usually run a strip of tape around house followed by painters plastic taped high about 7 feet. Where theres drips, theres painters oil paper. I use the card board also. Mask, mask mask and more mask. If you dont, you will start to hate your job. We aslo cover vehicles in immediate area with plastic just in case. Mask, mask mask and more!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I'm glad this thread has surfaced again. This is the time of year to be thinking about these things, especially if you are new to this line of work.

Beth

[Barry M 73]

Those of you using sheets, do you pretty much throw the sheets out after one use?

[seymore 90]

Those of you using sheets, do you pretty much throw the sheets out after one use?

I keep my sheets for a long time by not trying to drench them in stain too much.I still shield the covered plants with a piece of cardboard when i'm spraying the railing.

I've had some of the same sheets for a couple of years now..:cool:

[Deck Guy 14]

I use the 4x10 dosposable tarps that are plastic on one side and like paper towels on the other. Using one or two at a time, I (or my helper) clamp them on the outside of the rail while I'm spraying the inside and vice versa. I rarely need to tarp off a house. I do a few boards and the rails nearest the house by hand, then I either lean cardboard against the house, or more often, I use a big piece of cardboard as a shield. I spray with my left hand, and hold the cardboard between the tip and the house with my right, keeping it as close to the floor as possible. It may sound awkward, but it really isn't.

I always keep large pieces of cardboard (take them from the dumpster of a rent-to-own place) with me and drop them on the concrete under any areas I'm concerned about. They are good for several jobs unless you kick a bucket over on them or something like that. They're heavy enough not to blow away, and easy to store. I also have invented the "Davis Mask" which I have yet to disclose publicly. I worked on it last year, and now that it's pretty much perfected, I will post photos this year of this time saving invention taken when I use it for the first time this spring.

Aren't you all just waiting to see what it is??

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Bump...this is good for newbies...and those who are refining methods....

Beth

[Scott Paul 164]

Curious to what people pay for their canvas tarps in the 9x12 and 4x15 (8-10oz weight)

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Being the tarps can go to such big sizes, fold up easy, have more body to them against the wind, etc. I likely to use them more than sheets or thin plastic sheeting. Sheets will be resereved for plants mainly.. I use a craftsman hand stapler to put up the tarps for arbour/pergola work and cardboard shields for almost all low work. Sometimes I use a size of cardboard that fits perfectly snug inside the 55 gal trash can liners so that they can be reused longer. They will leak product off though if you overspray onto them too much so got to be careful...Small fine areas though like around where fences or deck wood meet the house do well with tape and paper though.

On SAFETY:

...everyone make sure to have a suitable metal firecan on board for disposal or storage of these materials as things will heat up and combust in confined space. Some water in bottom will add some humidity/safety to the situation too..

..also make sure to sweep up any sawdust around yer work areas as they can combust shortly after getting sprayed with some stains..

[fireandrain 39]

i agree with Kevin on that safety info! I tend towards tarps myself, spray them down after a staining and stuff in my firecan. Anyone ever burnt a deck down? Never seen pics of that....worst nightmare....BE SAFE

[KC Deck 14]

I use bed sheets clamped and taped for the railings. When doing the floor, if the deck is over a patio, I use a tarp covered up by the sheets. I've used the same sheets for about 3 years now. I also use cardboard and tape for the house. I usually brush all my decks and spray my fences.

On fences I hang the same bed sheets on the opposite side of the fence with clamps. It may take a while, but overspray can cost a bunch in clean up.

[RPetry 564]

i agree with Kevin on that safety info! I tend towards tarps myself, spray them down after a staining and stuff in my firecan. Anyone ever burnt a deck down? Never seen pics of that....worst nightmare....BE SAFE

Matt,

This cannot be stressed enough. There are contractors every year that lose trucks and property to fire. Some on this site have scary stories to tell.

Oil stains can be very susceptible to spontaneous combustion. Linseed oil based stains seem to be particularly vulnerable, due to a low flash point. Best advice is to check the manu's label and store/dispose of tarps and rags carefully.

[RPetry 564]

You learn something new every once in a while.

Finished a PT restore this AM. Real nice customers. She has 3 prized flowering plants tight against the perimeter of the deck.

Get to the job and wadda ya' know, 3 old wooden bushel baskets are covering these plants. For those near my age, you remember.

Very thin, wide wood slats, with solid wood bottom, wired together with 1/2" spaces between the slats. Wire loop handles. Should have taken a picture, you would recognize 'em in a second.

Forget the tarps, or watering every 10 minutes. These things are great. Airflow through the sides, and solid protection on top.

Gotta' go to a Farmer's Market and see if these baskets are still available.

[MudDuck 20]

Great thread, thanks for the "bump". Could use some more pic's if anyone has some handy. I'd like to see / learn more.

Hey Deck Guy wheres the pics of "The Davis Mask"?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

*Bump*

Hey all, thought I would get this back on top to see if there are any new ideas out there.

Rod!~