Deck Rejuvenation, Restoration, Rehabilitation Project - Part 1

9:44:00 AM

Oh my - have I been busy (but really, am I ever sitting still? Answer? nope.)

The weather here over the last week has been horrendous. Rain, rain, rain. And of course when all I want to do is get my deck refinished. We waited through the summer to start on the decking, having completed all of the new skirting (as a form of skunk control) in August, in an attempt to avoid the oppressive heat.

Adding skirting to a deck for skunk control: skirting has to be below ground at least 18" so that skunks will be less likely to burrow underneath. According to pest control experts, they'll dig as far as 12" to get under something.
Adding the skirting - in progress photo - the new skirting wraps around the entire deck, and where it meets the soil the pressure treated lumber is sunk 18" below the bottom edge of the previous skirting in an effort to keep the skunks out.
The new skirting is a pressure treated lumber, sunk 18" (or more) below ground (experts say that's the magic depth to deter burrowing skunks). I then stained the skirting and inserted vents every few feet to improve ventilation under the deck to prevent (or slow) rot.

Eventually, next year, when I'm ready to landscape around the deck, I'll also bury chicken wire below said landscaping, and add paver stones off of the stairs, etc. - those skunks aren't welcome here...

We had to replace several of the decking boards and treads on the steps as they were just too rotten to leave. My husband and I became pros at pulling single boards out without damaging any of the surrounding ones - using 3 simple tools - a full sized pry bar, a roofing hammer, and physics. Boo ya.

Anyway - then the temperature dropped dramatically (we're talking 30F over night) and the rain started. Oy! So my deck has been in a state of partly-finished for several weeks:
Deck restoration by Sew at Home Mummy - repairs cracks, knots, crevices, leaving a smooth finish behind
First coat of the prep stage - we'll need another coat for the really deep cracks and crevices before we start rollering.

(I'm using Home Depot's Behr Deck Over, and it requires you go along and fill all of the cracks and knots and gaps with a brush before you roller the thick, gelatinous paint over top. I have realized 2 things about my deck whilst doing this painstaking step:
1) my deck is huge.
2) my deck was in horrible condition. The previous owners really neglected it.)

In progress: Using Behr Deck Over to rehab a deck - prep stage. You have to brush the thick, gelatinous paint into every crack and crevice for best results.
Going for a 3-tone look: the rungs still need to be painted/stained, but you get the idea.
Behr Deck Over - preparation stage - filling all of the cracks and crevices in the boards by brush.
I'm going with a 3-tone look on the deck - deck boards grey, risers, trim white, and the railing rungs a dark slate color. It should look great - although it's taking a long time, it'll be worth it in the end as we'll pretty much have a brand new deck again. (Need some ideas for your deck? Check out my Pinterest "Yard" page - I have pinned a ton of ideas there!)

I'm interested to see how the Behr paint makes the winter here. We will see.

Look for a tips and tricks/review post about their paint in the coming months - if I can ever get the deck finished!

In the meantime, I've been working on a new look for my blog - one which incorporates both my affinity for quilting and DIY -

...so excuse the mess around here while I'm under construction. I'm plugging away on it when the kids go to bed every night.

Want to give your blog a new look? You can check out my series of tutorials by clicking this button:

Did you do anything DIY/Rehab related over the summer? Have you ever used Behr's Deck Over? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

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1 comments

  1. That's a lot of work, Erin! I'm sure it will be beautiful in the end. Here's hoping you get decent weather to finish it soon :) I love the new blog design too!

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