Weather Proofing the Deck

Last winter my deck was left vulnerable to our harsh weather. We didn't finish construction before winter hit and staining before the construction was finished didn't seem to make sense. However, since we are done with the structure of the deck and quickly moving into the winter season I decided it was time to hurry up and weather-proof the deck.

Cleaning the Deck
Because the wood has been exposed to rain, snow, dirt and pet debris for over a year I needed to clean the deck before beginning to stain it. So my dad brought over his power washer and we got some deck detergent.

In theory the tube in the deck detergent container is supposed to add detergent to the power washer spray for easy deck cleaning. We started running into trouble though. First the spray wasn't nearly powerful enough. Then, after Dad fixed that, I realized that the detergent container didn't seem to be getting any emptier. So we went old school with Dad spraying the deck while I splashed the detergent around.

Unfortunately I didn't consider that the detergent might have bleach and I didn't change out of my nice yoga pants. Now they look like this:

Bummer! I may try to re-dye them.

Once we finished cleaning the deck I had to wait for it to dry before beginning with the stain. Since I expected this to be a two-day project I started over a weekend. Saturday we power washed the deck and the staining began on Sunday afternoon.

Staining the Deck

I shouldn't have painted part of the decking like this,
it may cause brush marks or uneven coloring.
However, when I painted the outside there were drips
that I was trying to smooth out.

With no rain on the horizon I started staining the deck. The stain needs about 24 hours to dry, which means I'd been checking the weather forecast more often in one day than I normally do in an entire month.

I chose to start staining in the least visible area I could find. I'd never stained anything before and didn't want to experiment in an area that would be immediately noticeable in case I messed up.

The instructions said to paint each
piece of decking all the way across
before moving on to the next.

I only finished part of the deck before the sun went down that Sunday. If I had gotten started earlier I might have finished, but the sun setting before six worked against me. The railing on the deck made things difficult since I couldn't paint the crevices around the lattice without getting stain on the lattice. Plus as the sun started to set the railing shaded the deck, shadowing the areas where I needed light the most. 

Despite the complications, I got most of the railing done and started on the decking as you can see in the pics.

I really like the color I chose (see the picture to the left for a closer view), which is great because a downside of stain (as opposed to paint which wasn't really an option here) is that you only get one shot. 

With my bathroom I got samples of about five different colors. Then I painted a section of the wall with each color and waited a few days before deciding which color was my favorite. But with stain, if I decided I didn't like the color after I started, I couldn't just paint over it with a different stain. I could have tested the stain on some scrap wood first, but I wasn't overly concerned about liking the color. I knew I wanted the stain to match the lattice as closely as possible so I took a piece of the lattice with me when I went to Lowe's to buy my stain.

Because it gets dark so early at this time of year I wasn't able to get home early enough to work on the deck on a normal work day. The weather forecast predicted rain for the entire weekend, but I really wanted to finish before going out of town for Thanksgiving. So I skipped lunch a couple of days and left work early one day to get home before dark. After another two hours in the 40 degree weather I managed to finish all but the stairs. I finished those that weekend since the rain never did come.

Here's the finished product!

The built in bench will be against the back. I also plan
to build some flower boxes to hang off the side.

I need to buy the post caps, but otherwise it looks great!

Things I Would Do Differently:

• The stain didn't brush on very evenly and if there were any drips it changes the coloring. I would make sure to have a rag handy to wipe up drips and a roller brush instead of just paintbrushes might help. Having a really small paintbrush would have been helpful too.
• Painting the crevices around the lattice and in between the decking was tricky. Around the lattice it might have been better to stain before putting the lattice in place.
• If I had done this earlier in the year the sun would have stayed up later, the weather would have been nicer and the chance of rain would have decreased. (Plus I wouldn't have become a human popsicle.)
• I shouldn't have rushed toward the end, some of the decking has obvious brush strokes since I was trying to finish before dark. I also should have painted each piece of decking instead of doing about 6 inches of several and coming back later (see the picture from the end of Day 1).

Any other tips for future staining jobs? Great stories of mistakes made during big projects?

Dreaming of Stairs

After we finished the deck railing we took a long break due to the heat. Meanwhile, we hadn't gotten any stairs built and the deck was built over the existing stairs from the porch. While my brother (at about 6'2") kept claiming we didn't really need stairs, I was dreaming of the day I could get off and back on my deck without feeling like I had stumbled onto an obstacle course.

Building Stairs:

Until the stairs were built I used a
cement block and this beam to
climb on and off the deck

My dad surprised me with the new stairs, which he built while I was on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. Since I was gone I had to get a second hand account of how the stairs were built. I'm sure it sounds a lot easier in the telling than it actually was.

We had measured how wide the stairs would be and put in the concrete footing for the stairs over Memorial Day weekend (to learn about concrete footing read my first deck post). From there my dad bought stair risers (we needed three for my stairs) and the boards needed to build the actual steps. Those risers come in several sizes, so it is important to figure out what the measurements of your project are before heading to the store. You can read more about this in my first deck post.

After putting the footing and risers in place finishing the steps was a lot like building the decking was (read about that here). With the stairs Dad cut the boards before screwing them in place (with the decking he waited to cut the boards until they were all in place). He also put J-hooks in the concrete footing before it dried so we could add the handrails later.

Handrails:
We began building the handrails over Labor Day. The first step was to add the posts at the foot of the stairs (which is why it is important to remember the J-hooks before the concrete dries). We made sure the posts were level and then made them as stable as possible.

Don't the stairs look so much better (and safer) than
that cement block I was using though?

Then we added the top handrail. That's as far as we got on Labor Day, we were short one 2x4 and decided to wait rather than running to the store that afternoon. The plan is to add a bottom rail and lattice like the rest of the railing, but we might leave it like it is. Cutting the lattice to size is a little trickier for this section than it was for the railing because the handrails do not form a perfect rectangle.

For the handrails we cut the wood diagonally with my dad's fancy power saw (I even used it a couple of times!) and then screwed it into place. We had to measure the wood before using the saw to make sure the angle was correct. Even then we had to adjust it a couple of times.

The next deck post will be all about staining and weather-proofing the deck, then we'll get started with that bench I mentioned!

The Next Step

A few months back I posted the first in the series on building a deck. Last May I had no idea this project would take over a year, but here's the next step...

Decking:

After the foundation is complete you have to lay the decking (basically the floor of the deck). Laying the decking is a fairly quick process that requires a lot of power tools and screws. Dad bought tan screws since they would match the decking and not be as visible once we were finished. We started by laying the lumber in place. Once we made sure everything was in place we began securing the decking using the screws. 

At this point the boards were still significantly longer than the frame of the deck. Rather than risk cutting the boards unevenly before we screwed them in, Dad waited until they were all in place then used his power saw to trim the edges.

Railing:
The railing was a tricky step. According to our book on deck building, my deck is just high enough off the ground that it needs a railing. But there's a big step between deciding we needed a railing to actually building one. We had to decide how tall the railing should be, whether to buy pre-made railing or to build our own and how to put it into the deck.

After looking at costs I decided we should build our own railing rather than buying a pre-made one. Going with a pre-made railing might be a quicker option and they have several decorative railings that I really liked. However, for me the lower cost of building my own was the deciding factor.

Then Dad and I discussed whether to attach the railing posts to the outside of the deck or fit them into the frame. We decided on the second option. Since the decking was already in place that meant cutting out holes for the posts--which turned out to be a big headache.

As we began cutting out the decking we ran into issues like the wood splitting, the frame hardware getting in the way and tools breaking. Dad came up with creative solutions to circumvent each problem and eventually we got all the posts in. From there we began adding a top and bottom rail to each section of railing. We had decided to use lattice for the railing so the top and bottom rails acted as part of a frame for the lattice panels.

Moment of truth here. I really was not much help during this process. After we finished the decking we took a break because of the extreme heat that swamps Oklahoma in July and August. Once it was finally cool enough to work again I was so busy on the weekends that most of the time when Dad came by to work I was gone. In many cases, 'we' actually means 'he.'

The few plants that survived the 100+ degree temperatures
are shown here. Ignore the empty pots...

The railing is finally finished (except for some finishing touches like molding around the lattice and post caps) and we've moved onto the stairs (which you can read about here).

As soon as we finish the handrails on the stairs I need to start staining and weather-proofing the deck (watch for a how to post on this). I probably should have done that before last winter, but since we weren't finished with the deck I didn't get to it.

As a finishing touch I plan to buy the post caps that have sun powered lights. I think those will add a nice touch. Has anyone else taken on a project as big as building a deck? Do you have a deck and have any advice or tips for long-term maintenance?

It was my birthday!

In an earlier post I showed you the perfect porch table I found for just $60. I mentioned that I finally broke down and bought some chairs despite the expense, but I still had some plans for my back porch. Among those plans were cushions for the new chairs. And since I plan to have company over to enjoy the deck I wanted to complete the look.

When I began looking, however, I discovered that seat cushions ran around $40 per cushion. And I wasn't finding many patterns I liked either. I ended up describing what I wanted to my mom and asking her to buy me cushions for my birthday. Target ended up coming through with these $10 floor cushions (so they aren't really weather-proof) that are amazing.

Check out the set-up:
I love the way the turquoise pops against the black chairs and the color of the house. Plus the cushions are super-comfy since they are so thick.

I will need to do my best to bring them in during bad weather, or buy some spray on weather coating to make them last longer. Has anyone ever used the weather coating sprays before? Any suggestions for what to buy?

In addition to the cushions I got this pot with the plants from my grandmother (it goes perfectly with the cushions!) and my dad is buying me a ceiling fan that we'll install on the deck.

I'm looking forward to enjoying my back deck with all my friends! This weekend we'll be cooking out and playing lawn games. How do you celebrate during the warmer months?

How to (Start) Building a Deck

When I started this post it was May. And to be honest I expected my deck to be done in a month, maybe two. I thought I could cover the entire process in one post. Now that it's November we're finally reaching the final stages of building the actual structure of the deck, although it will probably be next year before the project is truly complete.

Since building a deck is much more complicated than I originally anticipated I will break the process down into a series of posts. Today I'll go over beginning the process. Read part two here.

Make a Plan
This may seem obvious, but Dad and I did a lot of measuring, reading websites (and the pictured book), choosing deck styles and we (i.e. HE) made a list of materials and calculated exactly how much of everything we would need. For day one my brother, Spencer, helped get things ready for building the foundation. I didn't do a lot, the work was pretty slow (a lot of Dad thinking and planning while I sat there).

A Strong Foundation

In this photo you can see the first step of laying
out the foundation. We staked out where the
deck would go using stakes and masonry string.

I guess this can apply to a lot of things in life, but never skimp on your foundation.
Lowe's and other home improvement stores are promoting the new floater concrete post holders. The benefit is that you don't have to dig holes, mix concrete, set the posts in concrete and then wait for it to all dry. But Dad decided not to go that route. He was concerned about how solid the foundation would be if the posts aren't securely set in the ground. So, we dug holes and mixed concrete! Unfortunately the soil around the house is really rocky. So, we altered our plans a little.

Spencer and Burns helped mix cement
and fill in the post holes for the deck.

 *Sidenote: With the high winds and tornado potential in Oklahoma I agree that making sure your deck is secured to the ground is smart.

Our plan alteration was to build a ledge attached to the porch instead of using posts to support the deck near the house. We still used posts to support the rest of the deck.

I began to realize during that first weekend how much more complicated building a deck was than I had realized. It felt like 90% of our time was spent measuring distances to the nearest 16th of an inch. Then remeasuring it...repeatedly. I am the type of person who rounds of measurements to the nearest inch or half inch. If it's very important maybe the 1/4 inch. But building something that needs to hold up under a lot of traffic, weather and time requires very precise measurements. Even understanding that I was very impatient to "start" building the deck.

That first weekend we:

1. Staked out where the deck would go (using stakes, masonry string and other things). 
2. Built the ledge to connect the flooring to the back porch.
3. Dug holes and filled them in with concrete. The yellow tubes (molds) were cut to size and used to keep the concrete in a nice round form. We put J-hooks in the concrete to attach the posts to once the concrete dried. We put rocks in the bottom of the holes to help with drainage.
4. Attached really expensive post anchors to the J-hooks. Then we cut the lumber and attached it to the post anchors. There was a lot of measuring involved to insure that the beams would be level and aligned correctly. 
5. Once the posts were in place we built the joists. The joists are the part of the foundation parallel to the porch that supports the beams and decking. 
6. Now the next step was building the beams, which actually got put off until the next weekend (and I was gone that weekend). When I got home the foundation was complete and we were ready for the next step.

Other options:

• Before deciding to build a deck I considered purchasing a pre-made deck. I'm not sure of the cost or the best places to buy them, although if you're in the Tulsa area I've heard there is a store near the 51st Street exit off I-44 that sells solid Amish-built decks.
•  I also considered using composite decking. The benefit is that the decking doesn't require as much upkeep and won't wear like wood will. However, the cost is significantly more (a few dollars more per foot) and it will be years before the wood deck really shows signs of wear.
• I decided on a fairly simple design, mainly because that's all I wanted and budgeted for. Also, however, I wanted to build it myself. More complex deck styles are an option, of course, as is hiring a contractor to complete the project.

Dreaming

One of my favorite parts of owning a home is that I can follow through with all the decorations, projects and ideas I have. For example, my backyard is getting a major overhaul this summer. Dad and I are building a deck (with the help of my brothers). I'm adding a small retreat with a hammock and bird bath, building a flowerbed and adding stepping stones to the side yard.

I'm a creative person, I think that's why I found renting such a frustrating experience. When I look around my surrounding I picture the way I want things to look; the changes I want to make, furniture or decor I should add, etc. With a rental property you're limited by what your landlord approves.

But the best thing about dreams is that once you've brought one to life there are plenty more to come up with. Here are a few projects I won't get to this summer, but I am so excited to see the finished result someday!

• Once my deck is finished I really want to screen in the porch area. While I love my porch and the new deck, mosquitoes and I have a love/hate relationship (they adore me, I loathe them) so I often limit my time outdoors. If I screen in the porch I can open up my french doors without letting critters into the house and maybe even put a table outside so I can enjoy my meals out there without losing any blood. Another great addition to the porch would be a ceiling fan for the warmer months.
• The original washer/dryer hook-ups at my house were in the garage. A laundry room has since been built, but the plumbing for the old washer hook-up is still there. I really want to add a utility sink out there; great for jobs like washing the dog, soaking clothes or rinsing off muddy shoes!
• My big dream: a second bathroom. I love my house, but I think a second bathroom would be a great investment on many levels. The laundry room is enormous and could easily be divided into a small bathroom and laundry area. I love to go through the bathroom supplies area at Lowe's or Home Depot and look and sinks and showers to find ones I like. Unfortunately, this project will probably cost close to $10,000. It will probably be a few years before I can afford it and even then I'll need a second loan to cover the cost. :(

 What are some of your big (or small) dreams? Any of those dreams brought to completion?