When more people are at home, we enjoy more aspects of our home. We actually have time to sit outside and enjoy our space. My neighbor loves being outside and spending time on her deck. Unfortunately, her deck needed a little TLC. That’s why I’m so thankful to be able to work with The Home Depot and Olympic Stains to help my neighbor in these challenging times.
Some of the rails had water damage and the deck floor was discolored and faded. She and I talked about it one day and she asked me if I could help give her deck new life. Of course I can! It’s kind of my thing, you know?
Originally, she thought she just wanted to leave with a clear sheen that would seal the deck and extend its lifespan for a few more summers. However, when we got into the project and had to replace old and rotten planks, it turned out that a solid stain would be more appealing.
So we stained my neighbor’s deck. Before you start a deck project like washing and dyeing a deck, you want to check the weather to make sure that not all of your efforts are raining.
1. Prepare the surface
Before you can do anything, it is extremely important to prepare the deck surface before you do anything. This is probably the most important step because if you bypass this step, all your effort will be in vain. Your stain may not stick to the deck and may flake and peel off. First attach loose boards and screw on all raised deck screws. I work with an older deck that was built with nails. In this case, I remove all raised nails and replace them with cover screws.
Repair damaged planks on the patio, including the railings and steps. Replace badly damaged or warped boards. Patch small holes and tears with a wood filler like Bondo to fill small holes and gaps.
Sand the surface of the deck with a belt or bar sander. The rails can be ground with an orbital sander.
2. Clean the deck
Now it’s time to remove all the garbage and mildew that has gotten into the deckboards over the years. We use Olympic Premium Deck Cleaner to clean the deck. I love this cleaner because it does all the work for you. It is delivered pre-mixed and you do not have to scrub the surface. Spray generously on the deck floors with a pump sprayer. Apply to the railings from bottom to top. Let the cleaner work for 5-10 minutes. As if by magic, you will see dirt and mildew disappear. Seriously, it’s really magic.
Rinse the deck cleaner thoroughly with a hose or pressure washer. If you are using a pressure washer, make sure you are using the correct nozzle and the pressure setting is appropriate for the job. You don’t want to accidentally damage the deck boards.
Let the deck dry for 24 hours before applying stains.
4. Apply stain to the deck railings
Now it’s time to actually color your deck.
There is a long story behind the color of the Olympic outer spot that my neighbor ultimately went with. For hours she thought about the wide range of colors in the Olympic solid stain collection. Finally I said to her, choose a color that defines how you live your life. And she chose the # 1 rated Olympic Elite Solid Stain she tinted for Navajo Red in the store. I couldn’t have been prouder. My neighbor usually chooses the safe neutral tones. Instead, she chose a color that is bold and makes a statement like she does in her daily life.
The Olympic Elite Solid Stain is an all-in-1 stain and sealant and will no doubt extend the life of your deck. Even with a solid stain, she no longer has to worry about having an uneven finish, as she did before, and tries to bring new and aged boards together.
Apply the stain to the deck railing with a small brush and roller, following the grain of the wood.
5. Color the top floor
You don’t need a lot of fancy tools to color a deck. All of this can be achieved with a good brush and paint rollers with a nap from ¾ inch to 1 inch. The roll fabric should also be able to handle rough outer surfaces.
Start by painting the columns between the patios. Take an angled brush and first paint the space between the individual boards. This may sound tedious, but this step speeds up the application time considerably. This ensures complete coverage of the stain.
Next, take a thick roller designed to dye the deck and roll the paint onto the surface of the deck. If you have two people, have one person paint between the boards and the other person go back with the roller.
6. Let the deck dry for 24-48 hours
Let the deck dry for 24-48 hours before putting the furniture back on the deck.
7. Have fun
Once it’s dry, sit back and relax and enjoy the fruits of your work.