Deck work

[bainin]

Having my Powerpro out for what seems like a long repair, I've been putting the time to some use trying to square away this deck/3 season room. Turns out it is a lot of stuff I wanted to do.

Here is where the contractor left off-on my request-they didnt complete the lattice work as I figured I could complete myself-given an example (which I had them do).

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First-after a good rain, I realized the open section of deck was dumping a lot of water underneath next to the house and on my ac units :/ So I found a nice/reasonably cheap water capture idea online and followed it. I attached some wavy plastic panels to support and graded it properly to an underdeck gutter, finally connecting into the existing downspout.

If you look close-you can see that pressure treated 2x4x10 is suspended in place by some twine-have to get inventive when working alone

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Its been dry as a bone underneath since the install was completed.
With that done-I went on to finish the cross-hatch work.

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And finally-working on staining and finishing the floor inside.

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I just did a 220 grit pass over the first layer of poly and will finish up with a 2nd poly and sand today (hopefully).

At this point, I have to switch to geology and build a stone walkway from the bottom of the stairs around to my shop door Trying to go fast as I am running out of semi-cool days here...starting to see 80+F by the end of the week.

hope you are all staying safe out there !

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[Hobbyman2]

nice job!!

[BuckeyeDennis]

That is truly striking. My wife has been wanting to convert our backyard deck into a screened porch for a long long time. Something to do with mosquito bites ...

[bainin]

Almost done with the paver walkway now.

We've gotten pretty far along this spring with the lockdown. Still waiting my powerpro to return from repair.

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[RFGuy]

Looks great! For the deck exterior will you paint it or keep it natural?

[bainin]

Its all pressure treated-I don't mind the natural color..but the wife is getting quotes for staining

Will staining preserve pressure treated lumber better than no stain ? That would decide it for me rather than curb appeal.

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[RFGuy]

I am no expert on finishing, but I think staining or applying a water sealer will prolong the life of it. Also, it serves to reduce the amount of surface cracks and checking you might have. I know some people annually apply water sealer to their pressure treated decks. How much this is really needed versus not needed though, I couldn't say. Pressure treated should last a long time with or without finish, I would think.

Here in AZ the sun is brutal on anything outside. The few wooden outdoor projects that I have done quickly develop check cracks and eventually the finish flakes off here. Items that are in full sun here probably need a re-application of finish every 3-6 months to be useful. I am still in search of a longer lasting wood finish for the AZ heat. I know paint would be better here, but I prefer a more natural wood finish.