Looks Like New!

Back at the end of April and early May, I did a couple of posts on a deck rehab project at my hacienda to replace rotted floor boards, and to replace the rotted stairs with wider ones. The plan was to then power-wash and then treat the entire deck. Birds nesting underneath and a shitty wet summer was not conducive to power-washing and treating the wood. To review how bad the deck was at 16 years old:

I had just started replacing the worst floor boards. It was really gray and weathered

A closeup of the rotten original stairs

The new wider stairs in place. Now 54" wide

New railings in place

Construction complete

Wifey and I spent a good chunk of yesterday power-washing the entire deck. The far side requires being on a ladder to get the outside of the railings since it is on a slope that puts it at second floor level. I took care of that and then had to head over to my sportsman's club for a couple of hours to do a work party I volunteered for earlier in the week. While I was gone, she did the inside of the long side railing and the floor. When I got back I moved the ladder and got the outside of the long railing. I am always surprised by what a power washer does to old weathered wood.

From this morning... you almost can't tell the old wood from the new

I use ZEP Power Wash Concentrate mixed at double normal strength of 10:1. It really breaks up grime and removes mildew and lichen growth. The weather this week should be mostly not rainy, so the wood will dry nicely. I HATE working with Thompson's Water Seal (actually "painting of any kind) but I like how it repels water. I can't stand how it makes everything sticky. I am admittedly a messy painter. My wife has volunteered to do it all herself. She did the front porch last year and it didn't seem to take her too long, plus she didn't make a mess. Hopefully we can get it done this coming weekend. I will help by getting on the ladder and doing the outside railing.