Caulking exterior joints and cracks
Caulking exterior joints and cracks is certainly recommended because it provides a weather tight surface and helps to eliminate unsightly cracks and black lines where building materials are failing or where they abut one another. But getting carried away with the aesthetics it offers your paint jobs can spell trouble down the road. In this particular case, all of the rafter tails on this front porch, including the facia board, were caulked in order to provide a very clean painted appearance. However, these good intentions resulted in some “dry rot” simply because moisture during the rainy seasons would get trapped behind the caulking and prevent the surfaces from drying as quickly as they should.

WARNING: Although caulking is highly recommended for almost every job you do, used indiscriminately it can help to create problems as well.

Using Colored Putties to Fill Nail Holes
When using colored putties to fill nail holes on stained and finished woodwork the putty will have a tendency to leave an oily spot on the wood and your hands covered in the material as well. To alleviate both problems add a little corn starch to your putty or as much as a teaspoon full to a small jar and mix thoroughly with the putty. This will make the putty easier to work with, keeping your hands cleaner, and will eliminate the oily spots on the finished wood work.

— Paul Chancellor, Sedalia MO.