We have been busy little bees around here this weekend. The sun was shining, the days are longer, and it was time to get on the huge project of our deck redo. We spend lots of time out on the deck by the pool during the summer. Many times we do dinner out there, as well just hang out and swim. Actually, if the weather is nice we will spend some time out there.
Our furniture was old and a little rusty. The cushions had faded again, and the deck was looking a little old. You know it always looks great the first year, and then slowly goes down hill from there. Even though we do the yearly maintenance of pressure washing the deck and then adding a clear coat of Thompson’s Water Seal. Well, this year things changed! I went to the Haven conference last year (which you can read about here). One class I took there was with a rep from Thompson’s Water Seal. I’m so glad I went because he told us how to upkeep our deck so that it will last for years. With his tips, this weekend I was able to turn our deck into this.
And I started with this!
From the Thompson’s Water Seal rep tips I learned we had been doing 2 things right. Yearly pressure wash, check. Adding a fresh coat of Thompson’s Water Seal each year, check. My problem was that each year that I pressure washed, the boards had a more worn and uneven toned look. This year I dug out my notes from the talk to remember what the Thompson’s Water Seal rep had discussed. With our boards looking like this, the next step was to use a Thompson’s Water Seal Transparent Stain. So I went and purchased this stain in Acorn Brown.
According to Thompson’s Water Seal, first you use clear, then move to transparent for several years. Once the transparent stain doesn’t cover up the wear, you then use the semi stain category. Then the final application is the solid stain. To apply it we brushed the boards close to the pool, while one of us held a piece of cardboard under the boards so that none went into the pool. After all, we didn’t want acorn brown colored water. Once we got back away from the pool, we just used a paint roller and long handle to roll it onto the boards. It took several hours, but we love how it turned out.
Even Copper approves! He had to stay down all weekend, so once it was dry he had to come up and check it out.
Now we are on to the deck redo. This involves building a new sectional, revamping the table, and covering some cushions. Still lots of work, but it is going to be awesome!
Here are G’s coworkers. They like to add their input as to how he should do things.
Copper is that stubborn employee that just always has to get his 2-cents in. Actually, he just has a thing for gloves and won’t leave you alone when you are wearing them.
Stay tuned for lots more deck redo progress pictures. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter so that you can see how we are coming along. There are lots of projects that will be happening in the next few weeks.
Here are some pictures you can click on to see the stages of our deck over the last several years.
Here was our deck in the beginning, just click here.
Then the roof was coming apart, so we had to put on a new roof. You can see the details here.
Here is what it looks like in the fall. We had new cushions because our other ones faded. You can see the fall deck here.
