A Do It Yourself Deck and Fence Refinishing Project

Buying a house leads to endless years where you sweat your personal touches in order to make it home. When we bought our house the owners did an average job of keeping it in good condition. There were obvious areas of waning attention, one of them being the back deck and the privacy fence that wrapped around half of the yard.

The wooden fence was never treated, or if it had been when it was built, it was never touched or maintained after that. The deck had been stained at one point in time but was pealing, weathering, and showing signs of serious neglect. My neighbor's wooden privacy fence dividing our yards is well-cared for and standing strong and sturdy. I've always wanted to match my fence and deck with his fence in order to give our backyard a classy and seamless look.

My neighbor and I had a discussion about his fence and he shared with me the brand and color of stain: Cabot. He stated he did a great deal of research in picking a stain and Cabot is where he landed. He shared it has kept the wood preserved and protected from the elements--he would never use any other product.

Disclaimer: Cabot products will be some of the most expensive you will buy. Regular price, this stain will start at $30 plus per gallon depending on what you choose. The one I purchased was $40 some dollars per gallon but I stocked up on it at Menards when they had a rebate sale per gallon which helped. You pay for what you get, so if you truly are interested in long-term preservation, aesthetic, and life-span of your fence/deck, spending more for a better product is a no-brainer. 

Here are the steps of my successful re-finishing project.

I used a palm sander and belt sander to remove the remaining stain on the deck. I've discovered that this can be tedious but if you skimp on this initial preparation process you are wasting time, energy, and money refinishing because there will not be a clean, solid surface for the new stain to soak into the boards and bond.

After sanding, it is critical to remove any sawdust particles or other remnants. I first swept the entire deck and then used my Shop Vac to vacuum up the remainder. You can never be too sure.

Because the deck had a substandard stain put on it, even after sanding, the wood underneath was dirty and there were spots of mold and mildew growing on it. The next step was to pressure wash the deck. For this I purchased 30 Second Outdoor Cleaner. I mixed this in my sprayer and sprayed it on the deck. Then I used a pressure washer to remove the layers of whatever was on the wood. Honestly, this worked better than I thought. The pressure washer quickly removed thick layers of sludge. Another disclaimer here: wear clothes you don't intend to use again or clothes you don't care much for because the back splash will leave them covered. I threw away two t-shirts after this process. It's also wise to wear goggles to protect your eyes.

For the fence, I skipped the sanding part. Initially, I was concerned about not sanding the fence but the Outdoor Cleaner worked great in removing the outer layers and leaving a prepared surface for staining.

The directions on the Outdoor cleaner suggest waiting 24 to 48 hours before applying any stain or paint. This is a good rule to follow, even if you just pressure wash. You want to ensure the wood is clearly dried out and free of any moisture so that when you apply the stain the boards soak up a decent amount of the stain and you get even and clear adherance.

Finally, the last step is applying the actual stain. You can use a sprayer or sponge, but after some research and starting with a sprayer, I quickly abandoned that method and went to the tried and true brush method. The sprayer would have dramatically cut down the work time but it just looked thick and I was using a lot of stain for the coverage area. Cabot actually recommends a brush even though they say you can use a sprayer. The brush more evenly spread the stain and allowed the product to soak into the wood.

Final disclaimer: this was a time-intensive process. The multiple steps involved to do this correctly meant that the project lasted months because I didn't have a week of consistent work time. Rather, I just worked on each step each weekend when I was off of work. 

The time and effort on this restoration was definitely worth it. The result is beautiful and has really classed-up our back yard.

And I'm certain it also extended the life of the fence and deck. The first rain on the newly re-finished surface impressed me when I went out to inspect how it held up. The water was beading and being repelled from the surface.

Now I just need to maintain this wood over time instead of leaving it to its own defense like the previous owners.

Moments of (random) connection

Today has been full of haphazard connections with random strangers.

It began with a late morning trip with Charlie to the vet. Charlie loved visiting his vet in Lincoln. I think the most difficult thing about moving to a new city is trying to discover all those places you frequented in your old city because of habit and comfort: your doctor's offices, dentist (mine is my father-in-law, so that one really hasn't changed), barber, or repair services. The list is endless. We establish relationships with those we frequent for the services and necessities of life.

Deb, my barber in Lincoln, is someone I have known since high school and college. When she answered the phone, all I had to say was, "Hi, Deb, it's Todd." She knew it was me and we scheduled my three week hair cut appointment, during which we caught up on what was happening in life. I shared buying my first house, graduating from college, teaching, surviving a car accident, getting married, getting a new job. Deb shared updates about the state of her garden, all the details of her sons' weddings and job changes, her husband's heart-attack. Both Deb and I were sad about my move to Omaha. She reminded me that I can still have my hair cut in Lincoln when I make trips to visit family and friends.

Maybe there is something wrong with me, but replacing Deb was hard. It was a necessity, and I didn't want to do it. Recently I have found a new barber in Omaha at a place called The Beard and Mane. Not only did I receive a great haircut, but I was greeted with a smile, a handshake, and was offered a beer or coffee while I waited. The Beard and Mane is my kind of place! But this blog post isn't about haircuts and finding a new barber or veterinarian. What I'm interested in are those connections we make as people. Oftentimes we have to work hard at establishing those connections, while other times they are the coincidences of life.

Back to this morning. Michelle took Charlie to his first vet appointment in Omaha and today was my first time taking him there. I wasn't so sure that I was going to enjoy this experience as much as I liked Wachel Pet Health Center in Lincoln. Charlie was just happy to be in the car with me. We were greeted with a smile by Karen at VCA Animal Medical Center of Omaha. Karen was verifying our information and then said that she lives in our neighborhood. I found out that Karen lives a block away from us. She asked where our house was and after I explained the location to her, she named our neighbors who we really like. We had a great conversation about where we like to walk our dogs. She can't wait for warmer weather to see everyone out with their kids and dogs. She shared that another young family recently moved into the neighborhood.

After the appointment, we told her that we looked forward to seeing her again, either outside in the spring or next time at the vet. It was a random connection, but one that seems to happen frequently with those who live in our neighborhood.

When Charlie and I got home, we stayed outside to clear the sidewalks of the light dusting of snow from earlier in the morning. As I was out front, a Nebraska Furniture Mart truck slowly turned the corner and drove by, stopping at our house next door. I kept my head down, taking care of the task ahead of me. I had an inkling that I should shout out a neighborly hello to the two delivery men who got out of the truck but I resisted. It have no idea why I decided not to say hi to these random strangers. It would have been a perfectly nice thing to do, especially since I felt something urging me to do so. And shame on me for not doing it.

One of the men at the back of the truck said, "Did you recently buy that house?"

"Yes we did," I replied, wondering about the nature of the question and where this conversation was headed, "Around the end of August."

"I knew the guy, Peter, who used to live there," said the Nebraska Furniture Mart man.

I smiled about the second random connection of the day. "It's a great house," I said. "We love it."

"It's a terrific house," said the Nebraska Furniture Mart man. "I helped Peter do a lot of work on it. The first time I met him, we installed that bathroom on the first floor. And then we became friends and did a lot of updates on it. I knew when I saw it go up for sale that it would sell fast."

"Well, I feel like the lucky one," I said as I returned to shoveling the snow.

I am feeling lucky and thankful about life. Maybe it is because of the two random encounters happening in such a short period of time from each another. Maybe I'm a little more sentimental and reflective this time of year, as the anniversary of my severe car accident is only days away. Maybe I'm turning into an old man (as another birthday is quickly approaching) who discovers too much meaning in the ordinary and just enjoys talking to anyone about anything. Or maybe I'm just experiencing an endless euphoric state of surprise that we stumbled upon such an amazing place to call home.

Home is where the dog is

While Charlie is obsessed with us, his humans, I am equally obsessed with him and his crazy personality. It would be great to find him a dog friend since he is incredibly attached to us. Whenever we take Charlie with us to visit other people who have dogs, he is incredibly happy. Obviously, part of that is due to the fact that dogs are pack animals. When we got Charlie, we plucked him from a cage with another dog from his litter. The first few days we dealt with him whining at night as we acclimated him to his new surroundings.

Since I haven't been regularly writing the blog, there is a backlog of many Charlie pictures in his new home; there are countless stories to go with these pictures. I need to share these stories and pictures, documenting our mutual obsessions.

Honestly, I think Charlie could live anywhere as long as we were there. We spent weeks painting almost every room in our new house before we moved in. This was a great idea because the place was vacant and prepping and painting were a breeze. I hate painting but recommend doing it this way rather than after moving. Charlie investigated every step of the painting process, presenting extra challenges at every moment. His constantly wagging tail is a long-haired hazard to wet drying paint. If I would have let him be with me, there would have been lovely streaks along the bottom portion of every wall. To protect the drying walls from the destruction of Charlie, I improvised by stacking up moving boxes in entryways and doorways to blockade him in. I found that a crockpot box was perfect for keeping him out of the bedroom, while allowing him to check-in on the progress.

One of my favorite traits about our new home are the original wood floors everywhere. Charlie is not much of a fan. He struggled adjusting to the fact that he had no traction when he wanted to run, or when he needed to stop quickly, leading him to dangerously slide into furniture or even walls. Eventually he was able to alter his technique and adjust accordingly. The other obstacle for him is our lack of rugs. Charlie definitely doesn't like sitting or laying on the hardwood floors. He is an ingenious dog, and made great use of painting drop clothes for naps in the sun.

While we are leisurely looking for floor rugs for certain rooms throughout the house, Charlie makes due with the one rug we have so far--the bathroom mat next to the shower. He will lay on it first thing in the morning. He utilizes it while we brush our teeth and get ready for bed in the evening. And, occasionally, when we spend extended periods of time upstairs folding clothes or doing some other chore, Charlie can be found there on the bathroom rug. The spot provides him multiple amenities: a soft spot to lay, the warmth of heated air coming out of the vent, and a place containing a view to watch his humans. 




In our first home, The Castle, we had a fenced in backyard. The problem was the backdoor didn't lead directly to the back yard. Charlie would have to walk out a few feet on the driveway and then enter the back yard gate, which we left open for him. He was decently good about walking on his own into the fenced yard. Although he was also good at sneaking out of the open gate when he was curious about what was happening in the rest of the neighborhood. This setup was occasionally problematic when he would chase squirrels or rabbits: it would create a great getaway for these poor small creatures, but Charlie would pursue them even sometimes crossing the street. I shamefully admit this made us poor dog parents and irresponsible pet owners. Our new home, Castle 2.0, has automatically made it less likely that the Dog Protective Services would take Charlie from us since the back door leads directly to the fenced in back yard. Charlie loves the staggered planks of the privacy fence as they allow him to watch people come and go. This same fence does an awesome job of keeping rabbits cordoned off, restricting escape. I've seen many rabbits sprinting for minutes around the yard as they stress-fully try (because Charlie is close behind) to locate how they found their way into the yard in the first place.

My other favorite feature of our new home are the large windows in every room, allowing in natural light and views of the outdoors. Charlie also takes advantage of this, and I've written about this before in another blog post. Charlie quickly learned which windows are the ones he must use to get views of his humans in the backyard or the garage as we leave to run errands or go to work. I've discovered that it is imperative to raise the blinds just enough so that Charlie can see out the window. If not, he will persist, finding a way to get his little head through to see what is happening. I realized this the hard way one day when I went out to shovel the snow while Michelle was not home. I came back inside the house to discover Charlie had destroyed (beyond repair) the upstairs blinds on the windows that overlooked the backyard. 

The joys of owning a home also come with those unwelcome surprise moments. We've already had several of those, but I knew that when we wanted Castle 2.0 to be an older house with character. I've put my do-it-yourself skills to use, unclogging a toilet on the first floor and replacing a broken garbage disposal in the kitchen. I'm secretly excited for other projects in the future, just as long as they happen on my timeline and when we can financially afford them. I know that is impossible to control, but I can sure try. As long as Charlie is right there with me, I'm confident we will survive it together.

Gazing out the window

The end of 2013 I've focused almost the entirety of my energy and time at work. There has been little time for writing or reflection. I have had a few moments to relax and enjoy our new house and neighborhood. Castle 2.0 (what we call our new home) has presented us with many surprises and adjustments. I have come to realize that everything happening outside our doors and windows of our new home make life more meaningful than anything that takes place on the inside.

Charlie definitely agrees with this statement. He always loved the windows at our other house, but now our window ledges are at his level, and the all-glass storm doors allow him to monitor everything that happens without having to put forth much effort.

He appreciates, just as much as I do, the fact that everyone in our new neighborhood comes over to talk to us. They want us to have their phone numbers. Making our street a welcoming, connected place is important to them.

Our neighbors make our community feel like a truly special place.

I've always talked to the people who live around me, doing my best to get to know them. But I've recently been reminded how intentionally working to build relationships and community with one another is what fosters a great space for people to inhabit a better life.

When we were looking at purchasing Castle 2.0, one of the neighbors came over to tell us about this special street. He glowed about his love for his neighborhood, how he raised his kids here, and the fact that everyone in the neighborhood knows one another and does things together. He briefly explained to us that the street is closed down on the Fourth of July, and there is a neighborhood parade and fireworks. He told us we would grow to love our house if we decided to buy it.

We haven't experienced the July festivities yet, however other little events have begun to foster that love of which he spoke.

About a month after moving and becoming acclimated to our new surroundings, we were driving through the neighborhood on the way home. Some people like to decorate for Halloween, but I noticed that an awful lot of homes had outdoor decorations in their yards.

I said to Michelle, "I guess people around here really love Halloween."

We didn't think much of it, aside from that casual observation. Then I was stopped by our neighbor (the same one who told us about the Fourth of July) when I was mowing the front yard one weekend in October.

"Has anyone told you about Halloween yet?" he asked.

"No. Why?" I asked.

"Our neighborhood is a bit of a destination for trick or treating," he began to explain. There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood and we are a safe place for families, so people drive in from other neighborhoods. You should be prepared for 800 kids." He went on to explain that our street goes out of the way to decorate and that we should be prepared for all the activity at his house every year with extensive ghosts and goblins floating through the yard on a massive pulley system.

A week later, another neighbor made his way across the street asking me if anyone had warned me about Halloween yet. When I responded that I was told about the number of trick or treaters he said, "When we first moved here we didn't believe what we were told. I'm telling you, believe it. Be ready." Then we received the same warning from the woman who lives on the other side of us.

I didn't want to disappoint these 800 kids. So I went and purchased a few lights and did some modest decorating. I wasn't as modest in the way I hoarded candy at the store.

Charlie approved. So did the 735 trick-or-treaters.

And because work has consumed me since October, I've been unable to write about Halloween and all of the other exciting surprises Charlie has encountered with us in our new home. What reminded me to reflect my excitement and appreciation was the scene outside tonight. Apparently, every weekend before Christmas luminaries are lit.

This amazing sight captured my gaze as I finished shoveling snow. It's moments like these in life that make me thankful for everything that is right in the world amidst all the pessimism, negativity, tragedy, and daily carelessness and drudgery of humanity often surrounding us.

I guess my point is this: I'm reminded I need to be a little more like Charlie. I need to remember the importance of stopping, relaxing, and gazing out the window more often. Hopefully our new home and neighborhood will help me do just that.

For the love of popcorn (and accessible windows)

The greatest mistake a blogger can make is to not post regularly. Or, not post anything for months. Maybe I shouldn't call myself a blogger anymore? But I'm not willing to shed that identity yet.

Here's my excuse: moving to a new city, preparing a new house to make it a new home, and working diligently to open up a new store has completely encompassed every waking moment of my time.

A lot has happened (for Charlie) during this transition time.

A couple of nights ago, I made it home from work before Michelle. There have been patches of dead spots in our back yard, so I'm attempting to reseed the lawn. Charlie has not been allowed to come out in the back yard while I keep the ground damp  because he would love to get in the mud and roll around. I let Charlie out of his kennel and then went to water the yard. I was enjoying the peaceful moment, being alone. Then I heard a loud clanking noise. It was more like banging. I began to look around, trying to figure out the origination of the sound. It became louder, more intense. I couldn't figure it out. It sounded like wood panels, knocking against something in the wind...

But it wasn't windy.

And then it clicked in my mind.

We have wooden blinds in the living room.

And Charlie must keep track of his humans at all times.

I turned around and looked back at the window of the house. Sure enough, Charlie was working feverishly, desperately prying his nose in between the wooden blinds to watch me in the back yard. He just couldn't get his face in quite right, so he was shaking his head vigorously back and forth, rocking the blinds in every direction. He would pause for a moment, finding the perfect spot, and then crazily try to readjust again. He has always loved his perch in the front window at the old house because he could jump up on the couch and look out at everyone.

Some things never change.

The only difference in the new house is that the windows are accessible for him without having to jump up on furniture. If only the nice blinds didn't obscure his view.

Another thing that has remained the same is the mutual love Charlie and I have for popcorn. Charlie has become quite aggressive in his begging tactics. He will lay down patiently, next to me, often getting right up on my lap, putting his nose near the bowl.

Stay tuned for more stories (and pictures) showing how we are acclimating to our new home in Omaha, Nebraska.