Deck Job #863

This deck had a badly worn honey-tone finish that had been over-applied (a common problem) and beaten up by the full-sun conditions and a few Winters. It had grayed over to the point that it was difficult to even see the extent of the residual material. It was agreed by all that stripping the wood was the best way to go. It cleaned up nice and the home-owner called just to say "I can't believe that's my deck!". She was thrilled.

Once it was clean and dry - and the weather accomodated us with warm enough temperatures on those Fall afternoons... we went to work on applying a deep rich finish that would make it 'pop' out from the house. We made the call on-the-spot to go with a TWP tone after wiping on a couple of quick test samples. With that decision out of the way, we went about cutting in along the house to avoid any overspray issues against the white house. Any drops of this reddish color would be a problem on the white aluminum siding and trim. If it were a red brick house -- not so much.

Spraying on the material with a pump sprayer gets it out there -- but the best way to get a nice finish here is with good old elbow-grease in the form of back-brushing. The scrubbing, best accomplished with a stain pad on a handle, helps even out the finish and helps prevent any puddling or 'shiners'. And it's actually okay to walk right on the wet finish while you back brush your way across the deck backwards to the steps.

It looks like a wet-look finish - but it's just wet. It came out great. I got a thank you note when my invoice was paid and a request to keep in touch for future deck and fence work. Well, I'd be happy to do the deck again in a year or two -- but that fence is one long shadow-box nightmare for pressure-washing and sealing. I'd rather do a nice cedar fence. Like this one...

 

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