How to Stain a Deck: YourSummerGuide to Deck Maintenance Made Easy

Tools you’ll need to stain a deck:

Broom

Putty knife

Hammer/drift pin

Pressure washer

Vinegar (apple cider or white distilled)

Scrub brush

Step 1: Clear surface debris

The first step in cleaning a deck is to sweep off any surface gunk such as dirt, twigs, and leaves. This can be accomplished with an ordinary broom on the top, but be sure to pay special attention to the cracks. Use a putty knife or similar tool to dig out any leaves or other items lodged between boards in the crevices as these can rest on the joists and eventually rot the boards.

Step 2: Look for protruding nails

A worn deck that has been battered by the elements can have protruding nails caused by the boards repeatedly getting wet and then drying out. So, a good safety practice while cleaning your deck is to look for any nails that are sticking out and hammer them back down with a drift pin on the nailhead (to avoid damaging the wood itself) until they’re flush with the boards.

Step 3: Power-wash the boards

If you have access to a pressure washer, this is the time to pull it out, or consider renting one (especially if your deck is large). This is a highly efficient way to thoroughly clean a deck regardless of the material. However, if your deck is made of wood, keep the power wand moving at all times and keep the water stream 6 to 8 inches from the surface to avoid damaging the grain.

How to Clean a Deck:

A quick way to clean a deck is to use a pressure washer with a high-powered water stream.(Ron Hazelton/youtube.com)

Step 4: Bring out the vinegar

Don’t have access to a pressure washer? You can do the cleaning by hand with some vinegar, water, and a scrub brush. Apple cider or distilled white vinegar is a recommended all-natural deck cleaner by many sources. Just pour vinegar on the deck and let it rest for an hour (preferably in the sunlight). Then vigorously attack the rust, mildew, or moldy areas with a scrub brush. Finally, rinse the deck with water.

Now it’s time to properly stain and seal the surface.

Tools you’ll need to stain orseal a deck:

80-grit sandpaper (electric sander is optional)

Waterproofing deck stain (and sealer)

Paintbrush

Deck staining pad or paint foam roller

Paint tray

Step 1: Smooth the edges

Though this step is optional, it’s a good idea to sand down any rough spots or splinters, especially handrails and high-traffic areas. This can be accomplished by “spot sanding” certain areas, or doing a once-over of the whole deck with an electric sander.

Step 2: Stain between the boards

Pour whatever waterproof stain, sealer, or hybrid stain-stealer you’ve selected into a paint tray, and start to resurface your deck by using a paintbrush to coat the crevices between the boards. By doing this, you ensure that you don’t miss these areas and they are sufficiently covered before you treat the deck top.

Before painting anything, make sure that the stain or sealer you’ve chosen can be applied to wet surfaces; otherwise, you will have to wait after the cleaning phase for the wood to dry sufficiently before the staining and sealing can happen.

How to Stain and Seal YourDeck:

Choose a stain or sealer to protect your newly cleaned deck.

Step 3: Seal the deal

Using a deck staining pad with a handle or a long roller (so you can stand up while coating the boards), cover the rest of the deck with the stain and/or sealer. Always move the pad or roller in the direction of the wood grain for a smoother finish. Asmaller pad/roller may be used for the rails on the deck. On vertical surfaces, apply from the bottom to the top to avoid drips and runs.

Step 4: Let it dry completely

Before putting any outdoor furniture or plants back on the deck, make sure that the stain or sealer has dried completely. You want to make sure that you don’t leave scuff marks on your newly treated deck, which is especially an issue if you’ve used a stain that is a different color than the wood’s natural hue.

7 LANDSCAPE DESIGN TIPS FOR BEGINNERS TO HELP MAKE YOUR GARDEN DREAMS COME TRUE

Whether your yard just needs new plantings or a complete refresh, it can be challenging to know where to begin. Here's how to g et your project off to a super start.

If you've never tried your hand at designing a landscape before, you might find all the choices you can make a bit overwhelming . Which plants do you want to include, and where should they go? Should bed lines and paths curve or run in a straight line? And what a bout accessories such as stylish benches, eye-catching planters, and birdbaths to attract colorful wildlife? It can help to think of a space in your yard as you would a room inside your home because many of the same principles that guide your room setup inside can guide your designs outside, too. Here are seven considerations that will help get your new landscaping project off to a super start.

1. DETERMINE LANDSCAPE NEEDS AND WANTS

Make a list of needs and wants. Do your kids need a play space? Do you want to grow vegetables? Would your family enjoy gatheri ng on a patio? Do some very rough sketches of the yard with thoughts of where you want to place things; it's a great organizing princip le for landscape design for beginners. They don't need to be master plans (they can just be ideas), according to Marianne Lipanovich, auth or of the Big Book of Garden Designs. Her sketch for her front yard landscape design overhaul was just a few lines and a couple of circle s. You can easily play around with ideas without a lot of time and commitment.

2.

Think About Location

Study the sun and wind patterns. You might want to place a patio on the west side of the house, but it will get lots of afterno on sun, which means dinnertime in August could be unpleasantly hot. And wind whistling around a corner will quickly extinguish a fire pit. Those are common mistakes in backyard landscape design for beginners. Your design should take into account what the sun and wind do at di fferent times of the day and year.

3. SPEND TIME IN YOUR LANDSCAPE

Coming to quick conclusions about your yard can lead to choices that don't work in the long term. Live with it for a while befo re making any changes. After spending more time outdoors, you'll start to see areas where you want to go and sit that you wouldn't have t hought of at first, Lipanovich says.

4. START SMALL

Sure, complete outdoor makeovers can happen in just three days on your favorite home and garden show, but they have a huge crew to handle the heavy lifting, which is not a situation enjoyed by most beginner home gardeners. Part of creating a landscape you'll love is slowly developing a plan and enjoying the process. From your master plan, start with a small flower bed. Go out and work on it for an hour or two when you have the time, and worry less about filling everything up right away. Lipanovich notes that when you take your time with your DIY landscape design, you're less likely to get sloppy or resort to shortcuts you'll regret later.

5. FIND A FOCAL POINT

Any good garden design has a focal point or series of focal points, and it's an easy principle to put in place. That may be a s culpture or a stunning tree or a series of shrubs. Let the design draw your eyes around the landscape, Lipanovich says.

6. FOCUS ON SCALE AND PACING

It's the trickiest principle in landscape design for beginners, but scale and pacing give your yard a pulled-together look. The re will be variations in size, shape, and color, with tall plants against a building or in the back of a flowerbed, and paths that lead people through the space. Lipanovich emphasizes the importance of finding a good balance between repetition and new elements. Repetition gives a s ense of cohesion, but you also don't want it to be monotonous. An occasional new element is better than having all different elements t hroughout.

7. BE OPEN TO CHANGE

Unless you're strongly devoted to something, be honest about what's working for you and what's not in your design. Even Lipanov ich has found herself discovering elements she once liked that no longer reflect her style. It's okay to experiment and edit as you go.