Since moving into the new house, it seems like there’s a never-ending list of things to do. This weekend it was staining the new fence. That took a big chunk of time.

The way to go when doing something like staining a fence (or a deck) is to get a compression sprayer—a plastic tank that you pour the liquid into, seal airtight and pump air into. This creates pressure that forces the liquid out of the spray nozzle when triggered. Pretty handy, but here’s some things you might want to consider doing if you’re doing this (all of which I, of course, didn’t do):

• Wear goggles. The sealant/stain spray has an amazing tendency to blow back into your eyes when it’s windy.
• Wear a mask to avoid inhaling too many fumes.
• Wear a hat, like a painter’s cap. Especially during those blowback situtations.