Wash, sand, stain. Repeat.

I love a fished project. 

Don't get confused.  I have NOT finished our stay-cation project.  I may NEVER finish that one- at least that is how it feels.  I have so much to explain and so many pictures to post just of phase one.  I'll try to update on that this week- but it is definitely NOT DONE.  

I feel like most of our projects are constantly "in progress" and very few of them actually are fully complete.

I was able to actually complete the back deck last weekend.  Place one BIG check in the "finished" pile.

Remember when I power washed the deck?

Well, that was only the first of the steps to the whole re-stain and re-finish the deck project.

My lower back will never forgive me, but my back deck is finally all done!

When we last talked about the deck it was all ready to be sanded and stained.

Sanding the whole deck by hand was not fun (possible understatement of the year).  Sanding was necessary since some of the wood got roughed up when I power washed. I wanted to make sure there were no little slivers poking in my feet (I like to walk barefoot).

The smile is a fake....don't believe it, I was most likely cursing while Chris too it.

Once it was all sanded, it was time to finally stain.  Luckily I got some great advice from Colette at work, who told me to use a roller to stain the deck (she's a genius).  Man, that really helped me out.  If I had of brushed on the stain, it would have taken me twice as long.

Roller = life saver

I rolled the main deck, then hand brushed the stairs and the railings.  I ended up having to do 2 coats and had to make a second trip to Lowes to get another can of stain.  It's totally annoying to have to stop a project in the middle and then have to drive 20 minutes to Lowes, pick up the stain, then drive 20 mins back.  Nothing like an hour wasted.  Talk about a motivation killer.

I had a deadline of last Sunday to get this project done because I was hosting a baby shower in my backyard. Nothing like 25 people coming to my house to light a fire under me.

So once I was back from my second trip to Lowes, I kicked it into overdrive and got the whole thing complete in the next 4 hours, then I couldn't walk on it for 24 hours.  The 24 hour dry time was dangerously close to baby shower time.  I may or may not have walked on it before the full 24 hours....don't worry I don't think I messed it up.

2 coats of stain, and looking good

So there you have it.  One FINISHED project.  Apparently I need to have parties more often... that is how I get things done.