Deck Maintenance

Between the Boards

Namaste

Basic rear deck in Santa Cruz California that is obviously clogged with debris, making water runoff impossible.  Many times boards that have been built too close to one another, after years and years, will fuse together, making the removable of debris a potential impossibility.  This wasn’t the case for this eight year old deck on 14th Avenue.  If you’re having a new deck built, make sure your builder knows how to properly space the boards for the long haul.

These photos were taken during a washing process. Both taken early in the morning. One with the sun behind the lens, and the other looking into the sun. You can see that the washed and unwashed portion of this deck in Live Oak takes on a different look depending on time of day, direction, and the list goes on. The same kaleidoscope phenomenon will also become present when a quality stain is ultimately applied to these clean boards. Capice?

Beautifully constructed deck in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This is the landing portion of the staircase that connects the upper and lower portions of the deck.

It should be noted that this style of rail construction will not only provide a better view and a better feel, but will also save you big time $$ with maintenance.

Are You Ready?  Alpine Meadows, CA

This is Batu Hardwood, AKA Mangaris  This is the lower deck which for the great most part is completely sheltered from both rain and sun.  That being said, I used a very neutral tone with significantly less pigment.  The end result was(is) an extremely well protected deck with a very natural look.  There’s that word again.

I know why water beading doesn’t get old even though it isn’t the “end all” indicator as to whether or not a wood deck is in need of maintenance.  It is however safe to say that if water is beading on your deck, there is likely plenty of product protecting the boards.

These photos are of identical nature, taken one after the other, at 3pm in the shade.  They help explain a thing or three which likely answers many questions.  Hopefully yours too.

Where you see water beading means that those boards have been washed and stained AND the stain is dry.  Where you see water that has penetrated the wood means that those boards have been washed only.  It’s safe(enough) to say that the stained boards don’t look all that much different than the wet boards.(And for the record, the “wet” boards are really only damp, certainly not soaked.)

This is a new Redwood Deck off Escalona Drive in Santa Cruz built in early October 2018 that was washed and stained in late May 2019.

This photo lined up nicely to show some tone examples.  The picnic table isn’t quite as new as the deck itself, the deck was newly constructed early in the summer 2019.  The location is the Pleasure Point area of Live Oak.

We waited about three months before washing and applying the initial coat of stain.  We chose a very neutral tone,(middle portion of deck) almost a base coat for the deck, and fattened the picnic table up with a much more aggressive, darker bit of pigment.

All shots worth sharing, especially if you have a cedar deck, in this case Clear Cedar.  Again, each picture here can definitely tell its own story.  This deck is under a year old with a horror story or two attached to it prior to me getting my hands on it.  We decided on a very neutral transparent pigment.  The client wanted to begin the process slowly, promising to maintain the deck as needed.  The goal to begin this deck’s journey was to create a tone that would look like the deck looks when it gets wet.  This beauty takes on eight hours of hot sun per day in the summer time.

This is Ipe’ in Santa Cruz.  Same deck, same corner of deck, same exact transparent blend.  Just a different angle, and a different time of day.  Santa Cruz County Deck Maintenance.

This was a new(ish) east-facing backyard deck up near UCSC.  This redwood deck was built in the late summer 2016.  This client happened to be an accomplished wood worker himself, and knew the importance of letting brand new redwood boards age in place.  He and his wife happened to wait a couple years, which certainly was not too long given the fact that the deck only gets morning sun til about 2pm.

Naturally, the deck had opened up, and oxidized grey.  Obviously it cleaned up very nicely.  The clients wanted a dark, richer tone to match the modern look of their home.  We used a Butternut Tone blend from Extreme by Defy.  We washed and stained some of their Ipe’ furniture as well.

Another quality deck maintenance project completed in Santa Cruz County. 

Beautiful Deck on The Peninsula.  My second time out to this property, first time being 2014.  This deck takes 6+ hours of hot afternoon sun daily.

Water Bead Test more to show just how natural the finished look of the Extreme Stain by Defy is when professionally applied.  This combination is 1/4 Driftwood Grey, 1/4 Light Walnut, 1/4 Cedar, 1/8 Redwood, 1/8 Butternut.

This A-client waited as long as she was capable of waiting before telling me to stop telling her to wait.  It was going to be that classic case of client always being right, even though I always know best.  The Lowdown: It’s new wood, and was just built a couple months prior.  It had definitely turned a little.  And by turned I mean that the brand new pinkish white look had faded some.  There were bird droppings all over.  Many of the boards had already pushed out additional sap.  It was no dirtier than it should have been.  If it were my deck, I definitely would have waited another 4 months, which would have meant like half the upcoming winter.  Well the client wasn’t having any more of my logic, and I was happy to cave in to her request.  They are close friends and special clients to me.

I will be keeping a close eye on this new entryway.  It’s right in my neighborhood, and I’m always curious.  Especially when I reluctantly cave in to a work related request.

Transparent Stain is Extreme by Defy(Dark Tone)

Santa Cruz Deck Maintenance

Pressure Washing, Custom Staining

There were several factors that lead to me agreeing to perform this solid color makeover.  It was a full wash, and a partial stain.  We stained all the flooring, the top piece of the rail, and too many accents boards to name.  I ensured the client that I would tie everything together symmetrically.  The goal was to find that balance between investing the right amount into this 30 year old deck.  We used a Flood Product that we purchased from King’s Paint & Paper.  I forget the exact color.  It was my only time working with a solid decking stain this particular deck maintenance season, and by the end of the job, I was reminded 1000x why.  To me it felt like I was applying chocolate fudge everywhere.  In the end however, and yes it took an additional ten hours of honest labor for me to get to that particular end, the results were quite nice.  Most importantly, the client loved it.  As always, I was the harsher critic.. 

More Ipe’.  This is a beautiful deck.  It’s at least eight years old.  The deck is likely 10-12 years old.  It gets filtered sun throughout most the day.  It sits beneath two pretty good sized Oak Trees.  A really nice design with every board having to be cut 2x.  Upper Prospect Heights Santa Cruz California.  The pictures tell most the story. 

The clients had been living here for eight years.  They hadn’t done anything to the deck since moving in other than regularly blow off the abundance of leaves and debris, and a couple times per year the homeowner would bust out his Target Pressure Washer and give it what he probably referred to as a deeper cleaning.  Outside of that, the Ipe’ just sat there and endured summer after summer, winter after winter.

Obviously from the pictures, it was pretty filthy.  Thankfully, it cleaned up real nice.  I’d like to point out picture #3.  You can see the reflection in the standing water.  That means only one thing.  The spaces between the boards are crammed with debris.  Water proves to just as much damage to wood boards as does sun.  And slippery when wet!  Picture #4 is a dry look of the staining process.  We used Extreme by Defy, a blended tone.

Santa Cruz Deck Maintenance