So - this works better if it is OVER 65 degrees

Remember my little note that I was prone to fits of deconstruction and remodeling?

Well, I had a "what not to do" moment yesterday.

We had a couple new gates built by pro's this time - Mr. M and I built the last set, but one of them is really long - 9 feet - and our job only lasted 8 years or so. We got pros in and it is very impressive. They have this steel base and post they put in the ground then screw the wood around it to make a sturdy fence post. They even cored the concrete on the one side. I was very happy I let a fence company have the job this time.

But they don't paint. So we have been waiting for the perfect day to get the painting done - it can be very foggy and cool here in the winter so we waited for a "Santa Ana" condition, which brings low humidity and warmer days.

We got one on Saturday and ran right out for 3 gallons of paint. The fence gates went great! They look perfect. I'll have to get some photos they look so good.

Me - I had the bright idea that while I was going I would fix the front door (it got some water damage in a landscaping mishap). I got the exterior poly and some stains to repair bleached spots and got going about 3 PM.

Um - it is winter. Even in So Cal it is winter. And it gets dark around 5. And Santa Ana's often mean severe temperature drops this time of year.

You got it - I ran out of daylight and it got too cold for the poly to finish curing properly. So it is dark, I have the front door disassembled with a heater blowing on it.

Finally about 7 pm it was sort of dry enough to reassemble the hardware and close the door. With the heater on the outside blowing on the door.

Anyway, it doesn't look TOO bad. It was too cold to get the best flow on the finish, so come spring I'll get out the tools, sand it down, and give it another coat.

Live and learn.