Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 6, June 2003
Copyright 2003 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.
DECORATING DILEMMAS:
Dealing with decks and patios
By ROBIN DALY
In the nicer months, decks and patios receive more use than our living rooms. The deck becomes an extension of the great room with multiple activities such as cooking, eating, and lounging. With the weather threatening to finally stay nice, it's time to get ready and go outside!
Dear Robin,
Q: I just bought my first home, and the deck looks as if it has seen better days. What are my options? I'm not prepared to build a whole new deck, but I'd like to entertain this year and have it look nice, too.
A: If the wood is in sound condition, you can do a lot to improve the appearance of the deck. First, look at the surface; how is it finished? If you see peeling, flaking chunks, this means you have a paint or solid stain on the deck. Your first step is to remove everything with a deck stripper.
If the deck is very faded looking, with bare spots showing, but a little color in areas, your deck is probably treated with a semi-transparent stain. Go ahead and clean it with a strong solution of deck cleaner.
When mold and mildew appears (look for green slime or black specks), you must clean it all off with a strong solution of deck cleaner. If ignored, mildew will only worsen creating an avoidable situation where much more work, and cost, is involved. Note that simply washing off the surface with a soap solution will not remove the microscopic spores, and you are only masking a situation that will soon return.
Once your deck is cleaned, you can advance to my favorite step, the wood brightener. I love this part because you can take old weathered wood and make it look like new. It's so fun to see the transformation! Okay, I understand my idea of fun may be different than most people, but it's really cool to see the change.
Finally, you can repaint or stain the deck.
I usually recommend a semi-transparent stain, it's the least maintenance and it allows the beauty of the wood to shine through.
Once it's properly coated, all you need to do going forward is wash the deck at the beginning of the season, and every couple years apply fresh stain to the clean deck. No stripping, no major painting job, easy.
If you are looking for a waterproof surface, there is a latex elastomeric coating system that makes the deck waterproof and adds traction. This is designed for floors, not posts or rails. A great option if you have a plywood floor on your deck.
Finally, I strongly advise against painting the deck or using a solid stain. Both of these products sit on the surface of the wood, and you are only setting yourself up for film failure in short order. Of course, if you LOVE spending every year painting and scraping and stripping, then be my guest! Meanwhile, I'll be outside on my beautiful deck enjoying a nice BBQ dinner!
As always, I love answering your Decorating Dilemmas, so feel free to write or email me anytime. b