DIY Deck Project - Step 1

Yes, I actually have started my deck project, which is why I have been slacking on my blog posts. This project is very high priority and must be finished before the summer, so everything else is being put on the back burner until it is finished.

I did promise to document my project in case someone else is thinking about tackling this job. So, here we go! Step 1 of my deck project.

My dirty deck! (If you look closely you will see the outline of my "Beware of Cat" mat.) I never realized how dirty a deck can get. When I bought this house a year ago, I really loved the big, red deck. Unfortunately, it has turned into such an eye sore. I hope I can bring it back to its glorious red color again!

I have done quite a bit of research on repainting a deck. This is what I have learned is the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to do it.

1. Buy your supplies I bought all of my supplies at Lowes, because I am there pretty much every weekend. I love Lowes! But, you could go to Home Depot and maybe even Kmart or Walmart for this stuff too.

Here is what I bought: Clorox, Jomax (deck cleaner), and a garden pump sprayer.

2. Mix the ingredients Make sure you read the directions completely before mixing your supply ingredients. If you buy Jomax, you will need to mix water and Clorox with it. It was kind of a pain, but it worked really well. Also, read the directions to the pump. I had a really hard time figuring that out! Once I got it, I was good to go.

3. Clean deck I got up at the crack of dawn (6:00 am) and started working on my deck. Getting up that early really wasn't my idea, but we were still on water restrictions and that was the time I could use my hose.

I started with the railings first and then worked my way to the floor boards, steps, and finally the trellis. My deck took about three mixtures of ingredients, and I still have half a bottle left. One of these days I want to do the front porch too.

4. Completely wash deck with water After letting the spray sit for 15-20 minutes, you need to wash the sprayed portion of the deck, completely. When you wash it off, the mixture will bubble like soap suds so you know when it is all off the deck. Some of the really dirty, moldy sections I sprayed several times. It was definitely worth it.

One word of advise. . . if you value your plants or grass, cover them with plastic bags. I killed all of my grass next to the deck. The good thing is it killed my weeds too:)

Here is the finished product:

What a clean deck! The cleaner and the hose took off some of the paint, but that is a good thing. It makes Step 3 a little easier!

We'll tackle Step 2 next week!