I Stained My Deck This Weekend… And Then This Happened

STUFF HAPPENS

I'm so glad that I found a tiny window to stain my deck over the weekend..but it wasn't without it's challenges. All I can say is, it's a good thing I have a sense of humor and just 'go with the flow.'

First of all, there was no rain in the forecast for Saturday..but the deck felt damp. I called my Dad after waiting til 10 am and asked him if I could stain the deck if it felt damp...he told me that it didn't rain the day before, so it should be fine; Maybe it was just me...maybe it just 'felt' damp.

I then proceeded to clean off the deck. I got my shop vac, broom, a butter knife and a few other things to get everything off the deck, clean out the cracks, and make sure it was ready to stain.

BEGINNING THE PROCESS

I had bought two full buckets of stain about 2 years ago, and never got back to the project. I proceeded to open the first bucket and wouldn't you know, the bottom half was all hard and stringy. I used what I could, and then moved on to bucket number two; same thing...thick rubbery bottom. That's okay...I figured I would have enough to cover at least half of the deck.

I proceeded to stain the first four boards under the steps. As soon as I had it done, I heard my dryer kick on...and out flew a bunch of lint...all over my newly stained deck. Yes....this happened.

GOING WITH THE FLOW

First of all, I had just cleaned that vent out with my vacuum. I must have loosened up something and blown the dust IN instead of OUT.  The lint covered everything. I figured I should try to get the lint off, but I was afraid I would make it worse, so I just let it dry.

I then discovered that the only thing that is going to fix this, is getting one more can of stain.  The good news is it didn't take long for Menards to mix up my stain and I was back at it in about 30 minutes. I also bought an extension and sponge made for staining decks...it really sped up the process. I had enough pain to go back over what I had already done, and still get a few things painted that I hadn't counted on.

I still have steps to stain, but overall, with the sprinkles of rain, my lint experience, and the downpour overnight, everything still looks good today.  Now...when should I tackle the steps? I'm on a roll. Maybe this week if weather allows.