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Our dirty old deck was getting us down in the dumps. After spending so much valuable time and money on our yard over the past two years, the deck was neglected and left behind. We had a contractor come out and quote an entirely new deck, extending it, adding a patio and such and with a quote near $10,000 we knew we could not add that onto what the yard cost us again this year.
The solution was simple, do what we do best and fix it up ourselves!
Our amazing friends at Ryobi sent us a few new tools we needed to jump-start the process of refinishing our deck and bringing it back to life. You guys, Ryobi Outdoor and Ryobi Power Tools are remarkable. The new air strike nail finisher is so quiet and works like a charm!
We were given this power house of a pressure washer + sander + nail finisher
The wood on our deck was filthy, splintered and had strips of old, old paint in random sections. Thankfully with these tools at our side, tackling the job was so easy Dan was able to prep the entire deck in one evening after work. Yes, we prepped + refinished this deck in a matter of 48 hours. We honestly would not have been able to do this if we didn’t have the right tools!
First step was sanding all of the rough areas, and the sections that had really stubborn areas of paint.
Just look at that gross wood! Like the paint swatches on the house? Yes – were contiplating painting the house here too, call us crazy …. we are.
The sanding process was an absolute cinch, and it took every last drop off that needed to go.
After the sanding process was complete, we were left with a deck full of dust and debris, so the pressure washer came in handy to remove the rest of the dirt and clean the deck completely before we started the painting process.
You can see just how filthy the deck was – and look below how crisp and clean it gets after being pressure washed!
Look at that! We did a complete look over, and made sure all nails were hammered down that popped up, and double checked all rough spots to be sanded again if needed. What a difference you guys!
At this point, Dan decided it would make all of the difference if we took the time to put spindles up around the deck. I was all ears, because the gap between the posts bugged me. Duke would always leap off of the deck, and with little ones running around, I loved the idea of blocking the deck off more.
You can see just how plain jane the lack of railing was before. There was zero detailing to our deck, which left it looking 1/2 finished.
We cut the length desired, and Dan created a 4 inch piece of wood to prop in between each spindle as he went to ensure they were all equally spaced. Such a good idea Dan the man.
We painted the railings once around the entire deck – the second step was placing on the spindles. We followed by painting the spindles and saved the deck floor for last.
We chose to use Deck Over at Home Depot (where you can find Ryobi as well!) (the paint/supplies were covered on our end, not part of the collaboration) to paint our deck.
This paint was amazing, such a thick luscious paint that seeps into the cracks and sealed over the deck in just 2 coats.
The railings are Cape Cod Gray, and the flooring is Stone Hedge Gray – well, that was the plan. Turns out the lady mixed our base color wrong, so we have no idea what it came to be. This was our original game plan. The railings are tried and true Cape Cod Gray, and the floors …. well, we don’t know. But they are more of a blue/gray and we don’t mind. Mistake gone good.
It gave our deck and entirely new look. Not only one that will last for years to come, but it actually made us fall in love with this space and want to enjoy the time outside spent on it.
Just look at the difference –
Our deck last year ….
Oh heavily wooded lot. Zero privacy and zero sun light.
Hello beautiful, bright welcoming new deck at The Thome Home 🙂
Just look at this beauty!
I hopped over to Home Depot and snagged these two cozy chairs to nestle where the stove, ha, grill sat before. (blame the mom brain, doesn’t everyone has a stove outside?!)
You can find these two beauties HERE They filled out this nook so well, giving our family more room to sit and enjoy this space.
The deck feels so much bigger, and I am so glad Ryobi gave us the right tools we needed to fix it up right!
We had family over for the 4th this weekend, and the deck was the place to be. So grateful for Ryobi and our collaborations this year – we enjoy every last drop of making this house a home!
Doing this in 48 hours with a newborn made us feel like Beyonce. With the right tools, you can do it too!