Check-in for Rehab Here: Guilty Deck-Owner Syndrome

They say the first step toward improving your mental health is to admit you have a problem. So, let’s get right down to it.

Is it true you feel guilty that you haven’t stained your deck ever, or as often as you think you’re supposed to? And a follow-up question — have you actually noticed that your deck has boards that are rotting, the whole thing is discolored, and you’re afraid to even think about it because there are a thousand things you’d rather spend money on that are a lot more important to you?

But he’s the big question. You spend more time thinking negative thoughts about your deck than you do sitting out there enjoying it, am I right?

Now, as a totally unqualified mental health professional, let me do what I imagine therapists always do — affirm your feelings. Yes, decks are not the perfect solution to enjoying the nature outside your house’s walls. Many days here in St Louis are too hot, too cold, too wet, too humid, or too appealing to mosquitoes. After all, we don’t live in a place with “perfect” weather like California, which has its own completely different set of problems you might not want to trade for better weather.

So, let’s discuss how to get you to enjoy use your deck more, so you are more motivated to give it the maintenance it needs before it collapses into a large, festering heap of debris due to complete neglect.

IDEAS TO GET YOU TO USE YOUR DECK MORE

Ceiling & Free-Standing Fans

Having a fan out on your deck can make a big difference in how often you want to be out there. Fix St Louis can wire and install a ceiling fan if you have some kind of ceiling overhang. And if you don’t, we can install an electrical outlet on your home’s outside wall to plug-in a free-standing fan.

Patio Umbrellas, Pergolas & Awnings

On hot sunny days it’s nice to be able to sit in the shade. Fix St Louis can assemble free-standing and table patio umbrellas. We can install fixed and retractable awnings. We can also build wood structures called pergolas. Even though they have an open frame design that would not keep rain out, homeowners who own them swear they sufficiently block-out the sun and make the deck comfortable.

IDEAS TO KEEP YOUR DECK LOOKING GOOD WITH LESS WORK

Use Pressure-Treated Lumber, Not Cedar

The most important thing I can tell everybody about deck building, repairs, and staining is this. STOP USING CEDAR! Yes in the past, cedar boards were the gold standard for decks lasting longer and looking better, but that’s so 20th century. Pressure-treated lumber is cheaper, lasts longer, and now that they’re treating it so that it is the same color as cedar, there are no reasons left to use cedar.

OK, OK, there are SOME instances where we’ll recommend cedar, but too few to mention — e.g. If you’re in a hurry for staining and you can’t wait 90 days for pressure-treated lumber to dry out. Or if your deck uses an unconventionally large-sized post or board. We’ll let you know if one of those exceptions pops-up.

Use Composite Material Instead of Cedar

If you REALLY don’t want your deck to ever deteriorate, and don’t want to stain it ever again, using composite deck boards is the answer. These composite boards incorporate plastics technology, and I’ll stop right there because that’s all I know. In their early days, composite boards looked liked melted gallon milk cartons, and deteriorated just as badly as wood boards, but not anymore.

Sure, composite boards cost more than pressure-treated lumber, but these cost differences have converged so much that you can make up for the higher cost of composite within the first couple of deck stainings you no longer have to do. In rough numbers, the floor boards on a composite deck would cost about $2-3,000 more than pressure-treated lumber. Also note that you can simply replace your wood floor boards with composite without rebuilding the structure below. They have the same substructure requirements.

Staining Your Deck

No matter what stain type you are using on your pressure-treated or cedar floor boards now, whether it is clear, translucent, or solid, you ought to accept that some day you will need to switch to solid stain unless you tear it down first. No matter how good you are about staining your deck, with clear or translucent stain eventually the wood is going to discolor and degrade, and not look very good. But a solid, opaque color can always look good, with the bonus that it gives the wood added protection from deterioration by light and temperature.

Decks will always have drawbacks because they don’t give you much control over your comfort from weather and darkness. But they HAVE come a long way since they were first invented right here in St Louis in the 19th century, when the Mississippi River flooded and Huck Finn from Hannibal had to hitch his raft to a split level home in Affton. Well, I know for sure that isn’t true because I just made it up.

But if you give Fix St Louis a call, we’re sure we can make you enjoy your deck more and feel guilty about not staining it less.

Dr Steve

Fix St Louis