Deck stain

The Gray deck made of faded composite is as old as the house, installed poorly, without staggered boards. Adequate for a while, but eventually will need to be relaid properly. Meanwhile Tom hates the gray and does not want a gray deck. The other half of the deck is newer and made of cedar boards, a recent install or rebuild from the looks of  the newish boards. I didn't want a two tone deck with half gray and half natural cedar stain. I suggested staining the cedar a gray to match the gray composite.  Tom wanted to just stain the cedar natural cedar again. We were kind of having a "discussion" on the topic.

I headed to home depot for stain samples. Tom had asked for cedar semi transparent, though there was enough markings on the deck and discolorations that I also picked up a solid stain to try. I had power washed the neglected deck weeks earlier, so the deck was prepped and ready to stain.
The cedar color once painted on the sample board was not the color Tom wanted. I headed back to Home Depot for more sample colors. Now we were to try Redwood color.

While at Home Depot, I discovered a new solid stain that has recently come on the market for composite decks that have faded with time. Targeted at our specific problem.  This new stain can be put on the unpaintable surfaces of composite decking to change the color. I was giddy. I texted Tom that I had found a perfect solution to our problem of his not liking a gray deck and my not liking a deck with two colors on it. We could put the color of his choice over the whole deck, it would need to be solid colored though. That was a compromise, as he did love the semi transparent, but having seen the semi transparent with all the blemishes showing he agreed to the solid stain.

That agreement on painting the whole deck one color, was only the beginning of our Odyssey. Now we had to find the perfect color we both liked. Supposedly this solid stain will last 10 years without needing to be repainted. We needed to get the color right the first time. Each sample was $4 including tax. I had already bought two samples in the cedar, one solid and one semi transparent. The little squares of color samples did not match at all the final color in the can. Cedar was more of a light vomit color, a little yellow beige. Four trips to Home Depot and nine sample cans later, we  found our color. I had also found a good match to the house cedar siding, for when we finish power washing the beat up Southern exposure.

That in itself was another conversation. Tom is thinking about replacing all the windows that need replacing and at the same time re siding the Southern side of the house with , perhaps, Hardie plank siding. Windows and siding should be done at the same time , I was told. I could see money pouring out, but it does need to be done.

 Between the leaking windows last winter,  and the carpenter ants, we will eventually have to open that can of worms, that Southern wall. I was just hoping to paint that wall and wait on it for a while. We had killed the bugs and caulked the leaks. But, like the kitchen island bothered me to the point of ripping it out, those windows with the bad seals and the warped boards on the exterior wall bother Tom in the same way. We both agree something needs to be done with the siding.  I just would love to give it a new coat of paint. Even though it is probably on its last legs. Tom is ready for the complete replacement.

Back to the deck, I wanted the boys to help but Tom said he wanted a good paint job, so it was just the two of us, starting on the railings first. I wanted to do the back side as far as we could reach, but Tom wanted us to do the front and come back to the back side from below the deck with a roller. I mentioned the crevasses and tight corners, but there was so much to paint I could always get that later. Tom wanted to get the main deck done as quickly as possible so we could use it again soon. We spent hours staining the deck a beautiful Russet color, we both liked, which was more what we would call traditional Redwood but the can calls the color Russet.

After Tom painted the top rail, he turns to me and tells me to go ahead and paint the back side from above. I don't say a word as I lean over the damp top rail, getting Russet stain on my paint shirt while reaching for the back side which I had suggested we do in  the beginning. We found a lot of missed cleaning spots, but that didn't slow us down.

We now have to wait 72 hours for full curing. Tom was the impatient one to get the furniture back on the deck in order to do the rest of the deck. He does want to re scrub everything, but then we have to wait for it all to dry again. I don't want to ruin all our hard work so I am playing the wait time by the book. The composite deck is off limits until Tuesday. Once cured I will move all the furniture over to the fresh side and we will tackle the cedar side of the deck. There is still lots to do, but the gray is gone. I just hope this product lives up to our expectations.

On Friday I went and had my nails done. I treated myself to a French Mani. What was I thinking? I looked at my hands after a day of staining the deck. I was careful and wore surgical gloves all day, but my beautiful paint job on my nails was not so beautiful anymore. Oh, well, the deck is looking good.

This project of deck staining will take weeks. Thank goodness for Indian Summers.

Before

 Before

 After