Pillar Project Product List & Reviews

We used a lot of products on the pillar project here at BHH. Some of the them we loved. Others, not so much. I thought I would jot down a quick review of each item in case you DIYers have product needs in the future, and you get stuck staring at the aisles and aisles of available products at a big box store.

(Mostly L to R):

Top Row:
1. Red Devil 0846 Window & Door Caulk 35 Yr. Siliconized Acrylic ($6). This product comes in a variety of colors, is paintable, and it flows smoothly from the caulk gun. We have used a variety of caulk on several projects, and this one is my favorite so far due to ease of use. It is sold as a weatherproof product, and we will certainly give it a rigorous testing here in the frigid north.

Middle Row:
1. Minwax Wood Hardener ($11). This product was not a winner for our project. The description states that it will harden soft wood fibers so the wood can be filled, sanded and finished. It is not clear just how rotted wood can be before the wood hardener will have no impact. I am guessing that the condition of our wood was too poor, because there was no change in the wood fibers after using nearly an entire canister of this product. My guess is that Minwax Wood Hardener can be useful, but it is not a miracle worker. Save the miracles for the deity of your choice.

2. Behr Paints and Stain. I am completely satisfied with Behr products. Over the years, we have used other paint brands, but we keep coming back due to Behr’s excellent coverage, beautiful, brilliant colors and the fact that their paints and stains stand up to harsh weather and our day-to-day family life. When we refurbished and remodeled our California house, we used Behr paint on everything except the exterior stucco walls. Behr products are not cheap, but they are worth every penny. I plan to use and evaluate other brands on the interior at BHH, but this time, for exterior use, I did not want to leave it up to chance.

We used the following Behr Products which we purchased at Home Depot:

• Porch and Patio Floor Paint  – low lustre* ($29/gal)
• Premium Weatherproofing All-in-One stain and sealer – semi-transparent* ($37/gal)
• Premium Stain-blocking Paint and Primer in One – flat/matte finish* – ($40/gal)

*Available in other finishes.

3. Crown Turpentine and Boiled Linseed Oil ($7-10 each). I cannot offer too much helpful information on these products. I used them, and they were both great. However, I cannot speak in favor of this brand over another brand. Turpentine and boiled linseed oil are very basic products. I combined them 50/50 to make “blopentine” to condition the old wood prior to painting. Regardless of brand, I highly recommend blopentine.

4. Minwax Stainable Wood Filler ($11) (top image). This particular filler is much like the Elmer’s product. It feels like a combination of sawdust and wood glue. Although Minwax states that it is good for cracks and nail holes, I would suggest only using it for small nail holes and minute cracks. It is not the proper product for large coverage. In our application, it crumbled away when it was sanded. I will absolutely use it again since I have some left over, but I will not use it on a large scale.

5. Minwax High Performance Wood Filler ($13). This is definitely a restoration product. It resists shrinking and cracking. The directions say that it can be sanded, but it dries so hard that it is difficult to sand with an electric sander. Hand sanding was impossible. For that reason, I recommend that you make your project nearly perfect before letting it dry. Then, you only have to sand in order to fine-tune your work. Fortunately, the high performance wood filler can be molded and shaped as it is drying, but it dries quickly. Be prepared. This product has a very strong, acrid smell. It requires ventilation. I am pretty sure I lost some brain cells even though we used it outdoors.

6. Elmer’s Wood Glue ($3-$5). I recommend keeping this glue on hand at all times. You can’t miss with this one. It is a basic, all purpose wood glue. If the tip gets clogged, the dried glue is easy to pull out with a pair of needle-nosed pliers.

Front Row:
1. Kilz Odorless Oil-based Primer ($12/qt,$26/gal). I am new to oil-based primers. We could only buy latex primer in California. (Apparently, Californians do not know how to properly dispose of household waste, and we are deathly afraid of the toxins in oil-based primer more than the crappy air quality. Therefore, oil-based products were removed from the shelves to save us from ourselves.) I am completely sold on the Kilz brand. The pigment in the oil-based primer is more difficult to mix into the oil, but once it is thoroughly combined, the application is smooth. We will use this product often at BHH because we are repainting almost entirely over very old oil-based paint. Latex paint can be used over oil-based primer. For our porch project, I used it under the window glazing.

2. Frog Tape ($6). I will never paint without Frog Tape again. Really. On our porch project, I used Frog Tape when I was doing the window glazing, and to secure the plastic sheeting over the entire project to protect it from rain. This tape stays put. After you apply it, lightly go over it with a damp sponge to activate the adhesive even more. I cannot rave enough about this product. It lasted through several rain storms. It did not come away from the wood, nor did it peel off the paint. Frog Tape loves humidity. The same cannot be said for sub-par, blue-colored painter’s tape sold under several different labels. Do not waste your money on an inferior product. You will not be disappointed with Frog Tape.

3. DAP Window Glazing Putty ($5-$8). I was satisfied enough with this product. I plan to try some other brands in the future. The DAP brand did pull a little as I drew the glazing tool across it. That caused unsightly gouges and roughness that took some time to smooth. The end result was good. BHH has plenty of window sash work on the to-do list, so we will have an opportunity to thoroughly test other brands of glazing putty.

4. UGL 222 Spackling Paste ($5 and up)(not pictured). I left one of my favorite products out of the photo. I used this spackling paste (regular, not lite) on the pillar during the final prep work before it was painted. Over the years, I have used so much of this type of product, and in general, spackle has not been a stand-out type of product. The UGL 222 Spackling Paste changed that perception for me. It went on very smoothly and easily, and I was able to sand it to perfection without a lot of effort. I plan to use this brand wherever the application is appropriate. I think I just became brand-loyal to spackle. That seems weird.

That is the full list. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please leave a comment below. It is possible that I have left out some key information that could help you make a decision. Home repairs are not an exact science, so I would love to hear your thoughts on these products or your own recommendations. I will add your choices to my list of supplies that we would like to try.

I have included our favorites, excluding Behr product which are not sold by Amazon, on the widget on the top right side of the page. Behr products are only sold at Home Depot.

If you choose to purchase through our Amazon links, BHH will receive a small percentage of the sale. No additional cost will be passed onto you. Amazon Prime members receive free shipping. Any proceeds will be used to offset blog expenses or go directly towards lovingly restoring Blake Hill House. If we make a bundle, I cannot promise that we will not use the surplus for a Caribbean getaway. It is very cold here. That said, please buy according to your conscience. The details of BHH and any tropical vacations will sort themselves out.