Deck Is Done

It was actually done early last week. 

But first we had to wait for the paint to cure before replacing the BBQ and furniture.  Then it rained on and off here and there. 

Neither is conducive to taking "after" pictures. 

So here's my new view for the past week:

Before

After

It's amazing what paint can do.  I'm surprised every time. 

Steve and I painted our deck these colors in 2007.  But it was so.  Much.  Work.  And that was with one kid.  With three, it would be close to impossible to a) keep them away from the work area  b) get the job done if only one person worked on painting at a time  c) who wants to work like a dog if we asked family to take our kids for a couple days (at least not THIS kind of work).

So instead, we hired College Pro.  Two guys, two days plus a morning of touch ups.  They did a good enough job for how much we care about this deck. 

Scraped & Sanded

 

Half of the work was prepping the site.  Patching & sanding the railing, scraping & sanding the deck floor. 

Then came the priming.

Primed

And this is the point when I had my a-ha idea of painting the shed white like the railing instead of my kitchen cabinet grey color. 

A-HA

It ended up turning out quite nicely.  My husband has said on a number of occasions that was a great idea.  Score.

After

Here's the view from the backyard looking at the house.

Before

Primed

After

In these pictures, it almost looks like the before shots just have maple keys scattered all over the deck floor.  Ah, no.  I swept those million up.  That is actually multiple layers of paint peeling off and random brown, mint green and bare wood colors showing through. 

Major Peelage

At least now, there's no peeling.

Much Better

That's lookin' pretty orange.  It's not quite that shocking in real life. 

What might be shocking is the shed.  In a good way.

Before

After

Also shocking is that Virginia Creeper vine.  I fight with it often to keep it from growing up the shed on it's way to our brick wall.  Great for greening a fence.  Bad for people who don't tame it.

So, with the BBQ reattached, the furniture back up and the flowers in place, we are liking the view. 

Summer-Ready

We spend time out here dreaming of our next deck...which will probably be a short-term goal instead of long-term... 

Failing Support

If you touch that concrete, the whole chunk falls off in your hand. 

Rotting Wood

If you touch this 2 x 6, it's spongey.  And it turns into mushy dusty slivers. 

Hence, our decision to not spend any more money on this deck.  She's done.  She's still alive and kicking - safely - nothing's falling down or off or through the floor.  But we've got dreams of a shed-less wider & shorter deck with a corner sectional and low table for optimal relaxation. 

Sorry, Packer picnic table.  I may have to find a new fan family for you...