This is little off subject I think but Joan talking about making things with toilet paper rolls & oatmeal boxes made me think of all the fun I had making forts, school houses, or a fine house- all out of the refrigerator or appliance cartons. The ones we got were around a new appliance & had wood frame & heavy cardboard or maybe even lightweight paneling with reinforced corners. They did well in summer rains(I added some kind of roof) & in winter dad had gotten 1 for me to retreat to in the basement. I put 3-4 of them together on a vacant lot & "taught" school, played house with other neighborhood kids or fought off cowboys or Indians as we often changed which ones we wanted to to be. There was a tree on the lot, so we could escape the fort & go up in the tree & be lookouts, of course the lake was right below so we had to watch"on land & sea" it was quite a job & we were very serious about it. Too bad I didn't have my camera yet! I was shy but always road after the appliance truck & asked if I could have the crate, I think we ended up with 4 on the lot, they were very heavy but delivered right to spot I wanted.So disappointed when torn down & new house went up in there. Dad really started something fun by bringing that 1st 1 home tho. Jan

I stained 4 oak vanities in my previous home. I used cheap wal-mart brand brown spray paint - lightly sprayed not thick at all and let it dry at least 24 hours. I used a foam brush on the cabinets. I don't wipe it off. I didn't paint when using gel stain on unfinished wood on the staircase handrail and balusters in my garage it was raw wood and I used the sock method. I also finished a pine coffee table and used the sock to apply - no paint. It really is trial and error. Nice thing to know is that if you make a mistake with the gel stain - mineral spirits cleans it right up easily if you haven't let it dry for too long. I did attempt to gel stain my kitchen cabinets in the previous house. I tried to take a shortcut and not paint the oak first and it looked horrible and was simply more than I wanted to take on so I removed the stain on the doors i had worked on with mineral spirits and left good enough alone. I was only trying to update to sell the house. If I had planned on staying I probably would have painted the cabinets white.

Hi Jally, Do you currently have any seepage or water leaking at all in their present state? The reason I suggested a reputable handyman is that one who has experience in most all fields will also have the tools to take on this project. To trim out according to your picture, I would bring my portable table saw in order to rip down backing to accept the trim. Also would bring my finish chop saw to clean cut the trims as well as sanders, finish nailers,etc, all tools that a reputable ,experienced handyman would have along with all painting tools. If you are just looking to paint what you have installed and you have no leaking issues, you can easily do this yourself. Get a quart of bullseye zinnzer 123 primer, some dap dynaflex 230 sealant, and a good quart of exterior acrylic enamel and you'll want to put two top coats. Sand and rid any loose debris from all, clean the surfaces well ridding any dusts, primer, then caulk all joints where woods meet using the method mentioned above of cutting a small bead from the tube and as you caulk, moisten your finger and work it smooth into the crevices. Any larger gaps might need a second application as it will shrink a little. Finish off with two top coats of the acrylic. Let all applications dry well each step although you can caulk within a couple of hours of primering if it is fairly warm and dry day out. You might want to wait until it warms up a tad if you are in a colder climate. The brushes mentioned are a good brush for you as well. I prefer a sash brush for all applications, but a good cutting in type brush 1 to 1-1/2" would be easy for you to handle. Purdy makes a good brush, I would recommend the chinex bristled brush. They are pricy but will last you a lifetime if you take care of them. If this is a one time project and you do little painting or not much more in your future, then go with a less expensive nylon bristled brush. Clean often as you go and clean well before storing.

reesepbuttercup - Nice picture! You can't spot clean, but the Gumbacher's or Winsor & Newton cleaning fluid is inexpensive and easy to use. Any art supply store would have it. A 14x16 frame is actually a common enough size. Try the various hobby and frame shops when they are having a sale. Or this web site. That would be great in a weathered wood frame. https://www.arttoframe.com/14x16_picture_frames  Gracie - You are kidding, right? Perhaps a brass brush could be used on the stubborn spots?