Deck Finished!

 Well, that was a long term project.

It started in late 2020.  The front deck was getting pretty funky.  From time to time over the years we replaced some of the boards - but like everything else it fell into arrears after Hurricane Michael and Bob's treatments.

Seriously into arrears.  Like when I put up a ladder to clean out the gutters, did my usual trial "step and bounce" to be sure the ladder was secure - and it punched through the deck.  I knew where the bad spots were in front of the door and not to step on them.  We had long learned not to lean on the railings.

I finally admitted that it was pretty darned unsafe.  I really didn't want to do a misstep and punch myself through the deck.  I was getting some work done on the roof, and one of the roofers knew a guy . . . 

You know how that usually goes.  In this case, it went brilliantly.  The guy and his team were amazing - in one day they had the old one torn out and hauled off, and the new one in place.  At a suggestion from Jeff, I only had railings put up by the steps; the rest of the deck was at ground level anyway, and I like the open look.  Besides, at that point in the Covid lockdowns it was hard to get wood and it was becoming astronomically expensive.

Must note that Amanda didn't like it.  For almost 30 years when they came to visit, she would see Bob on that deck, hand on the rail (but not leaning), calling out "Hey, Mandy."  

At the time I asked the contractor if I should put water seal on it, but he said it wasn't necessary as it was pressure treated wood.  And I figured the raw wood look would age down over time.  Well it did - it aged, and, this being Florida, mildewed, and was starting to get a bit slippery.  People often wonder (or worry) at my living alone out here, but, honestly, if I sense something unsafe I do something about it.  Last April I pressure washed the deck.  Finally, a couple of weeks ago I put the water seal down.  I had bought it last year sometime, after I pressure washed the decks at Chez Wicca, but didn't get around to doing those.  Looking at the coverage listed on the can, that gallon should have been enough.

Getting started was a little slow.  Step one - sweep off the deck.  Easy.  Step two - shake can.  No problem.  Step 3 - open can.  Ahem.  "Push down cap and twist" translates into "grip can firmly between feet, get channel lock pliers clamped down on cap, push down with one hand and twist with the other."  Step 4 - remove inner cap (which means get a screwdriver and pry all around the edges of the thing until it finally pops off.  Step 5 - wipe brow, and remember when Steps 1-4 would have consisted of "hand can to Bob."

Side trip - I knew that we had a Wagner spray gun that we had used when we stained the surround of the chicken coop.  Spraying is faster and uses less stain than brushing.  It was "somewhere in the barn."  I located it, put it together, tested it, poured in the stain, and started.  It sprayed, sort of.  It also sputtered and dripped so I had to keep going over the area with the paintbrush.  The heck with it.  I dumped the stain into a paint cup, cleaned up the sprayer and DID NOT return it to the barn.  It went into the car to be dropped off at the donation site.  Fortunately we did have some brushes.

By now the resident raccoon was hanging around on the deck, just in case I had the urge to feed something and maybe might drop some food while doing so.  I shooed her off, with the firm admonishment to "AND KEEP YOUR PAWS OFF MY DECK!!"  Only to get met with this attitude.

Got her chased off (well, bribed with the food she wanted) and spent the next three hours painting.  And ran out of stain.

So instead of being able to cross "stain deck" off my things to do list, I had to clean the paint cup and brush and write "go to Lowe's for more stain" on the list.  I did not go that day - I was hot, sweaty, sore, and bug chewed and there wouldn't have been enough time to paint that night anyway - and it was due to rain the next afternoon.

So two days later I go to Lowes to get more stain.  I went after work, so I was a little tired, and I wrote about my depressing lunch on my last post, so I was absolutely in the proper mood to find out that not only did Lowe's not have that color stain, but that the manufacturer doesn't make that color anymore.  I got one that I thought might work and came home.  After reconsidering, I realized that it would look really patchy, went back to Lowe's, got two gallons of a slightly darker stain in a solid rather than semi-transparent and eventually spent another four hours painting the deck but at least it's done.  And I don't go skidding across it when it rains.

Oh - didn't have to chase the raccoon off this time but my lone remaining peacock showed up for a snack. 

And people wonder what I do with my time.