DArcyM

My husband and I bought a house with a new front verandah made with plastic wood that is, I believe, a composite of plastic and sawdust. It was a revolting liver colour all the way through, and I hated it. Still, I loved the idea of it being low maintenance ( I've seen real cedar decks rot out from under me even with annual water sealing.) and it was going to be with us for years to come, like it or not.

My solution: I got some heavy duty all-surface primer and primed the railings, spindles and facings (everything but the floor boards.) My husband and I decided on some classic pale sandy green exterior semi-gloss for the railings and apron, and complimented that with cream for the spindles, and we painted it up. It completely changed the look of our house from "post modern loading dock" to seaside victorian cottage.

Its been through a long hot summer and the tantrums of a Canadian winter, and it hasn't got so much as a scratch or a blister on it. So far so good.

Verdict? Snug in a nice coat of paint, it's good as wood without the rot.

Who has storage space to spare? My ideal mitre saw stand would be something that can be folded up or knocked down for compact stable storage. I like the extruded side support extensions of the Sawhelper model, rather than rollers which would provide spotty support, but I would want the side extensions to be sturdy enough for heavy jobs, so I’d use thicker cast aluminum -- instead of extruded -- with a machined work surface for smooth gliding of stock. I’d design in a network or grid of cutouts in each side extension’s surface to reduce weight. I’d have the side-extensions each designed with a rail along the length featuring built in measuring tape and multiple quick release stops that could be flipped out of the way for one job and back in place for the next. Nothing would be made of wood. My storage is not that dry, and I don’t want issues of warp, rot, or splintering. I like the idea of Ryobi’s quick releasing crossbar mounts with feet on them to allow the saw to be popped easily out of the table assembly and used on it’s own

What about condensation rot between the impermeable 1.5" foamboard on the outside and the impermeable sprayfoam on the inside?

I've been trying to figure out what to do with my open porch cieling, over which my upper floor overhangs. The old cement has come off the lath in this outdoor ceiling, and I was going to put up some 5/8" firestop drywall against the exposed lath, and then a layer of 1.5" foam board and then some pine tongue and groove. But I don't know how airtight the eaves of the porch are, and I'm afraid of moisture condensing between the drywall and the foamboard.