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Creating A Unique Deck Design
Sam Lutz • July 18, 2017
Most people stain or paint their deck in a solid color to either match their house or the surrounding landscape. However, at Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture, we’ve done some research and found a few decks with super cool colors and beautiful designs. We think this is a great idea and encourage the creative people of Pittsburgh to consider making their decks a stand-out piece of art this summer!
Picking a Process
There are different ways to use paint creatively on a deck, including:
- Stencils: Stencils are useful for creating a complex, repetitive pattern on your wooden deck. If you’re not used to painting with stencils, we recommend practicing on some scrap boards before committing to this project. This will help you get used to the process and will also help you decide if you stencils are really the route you would like to take.
- Free-hand design: If you’re especially creative and comfortable with your ability to free-hand a design on your deck, then this is a fabulous way to make your wooden deck a work of art. Painting your deck can require a lot of back-breaking labor, so if you want to save your knees and your back, try containing the pattern to a small portion of your deck. You can always add more to the design later.
- Paint a simple pattern: Painting subtle stripes or a subtle geometric pattern on your deck (think checkerboard) is a good way to make your deck attractive.
Gathering Your Materials
In addition to a little creativity (and possibly some beautiful stencils), you’re going to need the following materials to pain your deck:
- Primer
- Porch paint
- Sand paper
- Deck cleaner
- Power washer (optional)
- Paint brushes
- Rollers
- Blue painter’s tape
- Tarps
We recommend using porch paint for an outdoor walking surface. Glossy paint is easy to clean but can be slippery, so choose your paint carefully based on your needs.
Prepping Your Deck
Before painting a pattern on your deck, you’ll need to clean the entire surface from top to bottom. Use deck cleaner to clean the surface, or if the wood is covered in mildew or mold, use a pressure washer. When using a pressure washer, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, because a pressure washer can do significant damage to wood if it’s not used properly.
Once the deck has been cleaned, it will need 24 hours to dry. Sand the surface of the deck to remove any splinters, then wash away the dust. Replace any rotten boards with fresh boards of the same type of wood, and screw the boards in with ceramic coated deck screws.
Get Started Painting
Once you’ve prepped the surface of the deck, then it’s time to get started painting! If you’re using stencils, our previous post about stenciling will help guide you through the process. If you’re painting stripes on your deck, use blue painter’s tape to help you stay within the lines. If you’re painting free-hand, sketch the design on the deck before getting started.
Have Fun!
At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture, we hope you have a great time repainting your deck. We sell all the materials you need
to get started, so stop in today!
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