Tuesday, September 2, 2014

we stained our deck black


Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful long weekend, we said farewell to summer at a
 fun family BBQ with tennis, volleyball, horseshoes and lots of food!
I shared my favorite dessert that's always a hit at get-togethers on Instagram.
Before the snow starts flying I thought I'd share our deck makeover. :) If you
remember back in June we were waffling and finally decided to take the plunge


If you're interested in the stain details they follow the pretty pictures. :)


I gave this old potting bench a makeover a couple years ago, you can also
see a before of the deck here, too.


I brought my favorite taxidermy outside for the summer, she got spiffed up with
ivy and Japanese anemone blossoms from our yard. The oversized lantern is
great in the evenings, I found it and the taxidermy at Homegoods. 

  

I haven't told you about a Craigslist score I found a month or so ago, a vintage
rattan set that I'll be using on the deck. Here is a peek at one of the pieces. The original
box cushions are in amazing condition, I'm thinking of having them recovered. I was
trying out a couple Ikea pillows, they fit perfectly, but aren't as cushy. The set has a
large sectional with a ton of options for rearranging the seating, you know I've been
playing with this for days. :)  



Onto the black stain...we love it! But, it's definitely more maintenance than a
wood color stain. We haven't noticed that it's hotter than what we previously had.  
  As far as fading in our intense sun, and how it holds up over the winter, we'll have to
 let you know next year.
We read reviews until we were thoroughly confused, you can find as many
 good reviews as bad for every product sold. We ended up choosing Benjamin Moore's
Arborcoat Semi-Solid Stain - Black and Arborcoat Protective Clear Coat. 
After completely sanding our deck boards we applied two coats of the semi-solid
stain per manufacturer's instructions and one coat of the protective clear coat.

Here a few items that may be an issue if you're considering black stain.
As you can see debris from our trees lodges between the boards.  

The stain settled in some nooks and crannies and screw heads in the wood, those areas
 are lighter. 



This is what it looks like after a rain and a golden retriever...


We remedy that by hosing it down and going over it with our sponge mop which easily
 glides over the smooth boards. If we hadn't sanded them down I doubt that this would be
 a good option, as ours was rough and splintered here and there.


Bottom line: After two months and a lot of rain and paw prints we're still loving
the contrast with our white siding and black shutters. The extra maintenance is
manageable, (and would certainly be easier without a dog) the durability is yet to be
 determined, we'll let you know how it holds up. 


Also, a reminder to stop by and visit two of my favorite inspiring blogs,
 Shelley @ Crazy Wonderful and Becky @ This is Happiness
are both sharing on the Tour through Blogland today.

      

  

31 comments:

Julia@Cuckoo4Design said...

It looks awesome!

khaki salmon said...

It looks gorgeous.....but I wouldn't want to have to deal with the maintenance! Maybe you could put down one of those outdoor area rugs to cut down on the paw prints.

Becky {This Is Happiness} said...

It looks amazing! Love the craigslist find too!

Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles said...

Wow Pam, it looks just as good as I knew it would! I'm totally dying over your new purchase...It's amazing! I've been searching for something new for outside lately too!

Cassie Bustamante said...

i love it! and that awesome craigslist score! hello.

Haley said...

This looks great! Also, you have the best craigslist luck. I love the rattan set you found.

Thehouseofhampton said...

This post comes with a bonus! I can't imagine your deck with anything other than black. Excellent choice and honest review. Now on to the the gasp that you heard further west. That was me getting a look at your CL score. You simply can't buy things like that anymore. Amazing find and style. Lucky you...
Sharon

My Notting Hill said...

It looks great - love the contrast with the grass too. Another amazing Craigslist score :)

therelishedroost said...

Very sharp I really like it!!

cindy hattersley design said...

I love the look of your deck but I know what you are saying with dark versus light!! We stained our floors dark inside and it is definately more maintanance. I do love them though!

Brandi said...

I love your deck stained black. We stained ours black a few years ago, but we eventually had to go over it with Rustoleum Restore. I wish you much better luck. It could be the product we used though. We used Behr stain. I'm sure BM is much better quality. Love your potting bench and your new patio furniture. I must remember to check Craigslist often.

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

Pam I LOVE the way your deck looks stained black!! Everything about your deck is so pretty!!

Leslie said...

Hi Pam! Your deck looks great.. love the black but I can see you what you mean regarding what settles between the wood pieces and the scratching. It's always a tough decision when you consider decks and floor finishes. The composite wood for the outside is popular around our neck of the woods. You can get any color and finish and it seems to be require less maintenance.

Hope your kids have a great start to a new school year. I always looked forward to getting back into the routine. We are 2/3 the way finished with the house .. it's been so much more than I thought it would be and there is no way I can focus on much else. Hope to be back in blogland in a few weeks.

xxleslie

Dana Frieling said...

I was just wondering the other day when we were going to get a glimpse at your deck?! I think it turned out beautiful.

decordelirium said...

It turned out beautiful!! The black is so chic and different. I can't wait to see how it holds up after sun and snow :)

Julie Taylor and Danni Greenwalt said...

Pam...it looks great!

Peggy said...

Pam,
Your deck looks great! We desperately need to stain the decking around our pool but it just hasn't happened yet. I do believe it will be up to me as Chris will be out of commission due to an upcoming surgery. Your new rattan furniture is gorgeous as well!! have a great week!!

Elizabeth @ The Little Black Door said...

It looks great! I love your stain choice!

Anonymous said...

Pam, another fantastic score on CL. The rattan patio set is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! You have to be one of the luckiest people in the world with your great scores. Either that or we need to move to Denver. Your deck looks great as everything you touch always does. Your incredible talent never ceases to amaze me. You are one great designer and I love everything you do and won't miss your blog.

Shannon Fox said...

Our yard is crazy with the bajjilionty trees, but I love it in yours! Ah.. black. So chic.
Looks wonderful!!

Vel Criste said...

I absolutely love it!!!! Now the deck floors go well with the rest of the black exterior of your home! Love the set you found too,and yeah, reupholstering it would be a better option since outdoor cushions are way too expensive, but then again, it is end of the season, so you might find bargains out there. Love the vignettes on your potting bench too! Can't blame you for spending your time outdoors!!!!!!

Kris @ Driven by Décor said...

I love, love, love how it looks Pam! We need to refinish our back deck and using black isn't something that was even on my radar until now. And can we talk about how beautiful it looks with your pillows, flowers, and other accessories? The perfect place for hanging out on summer evenings!

Mallory | Confetti and Stripes said...

I love the black!

Lisa @ Shine Your Light said...

I love it black, it came out great Pam! Looks so beautiful with your white house & black shutters, and your pretty yard!

Nita Stacy said...

Your deck is soooo pretty! I love the dark stain and I love your new furniture! But aren't you worried about it being out in the weather?

www.modvintagelife.com

Unknown said...

I think it's absolutely beautiful Pam! I don't think it would do well on our deck with sometimes up to 5 dogs when Bethany's visiting with her crew. Plus I have overhanging trees and lots of constant debris. I love the contrast and hope for you that it over-winter's well! xo Nancy

Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...

I think the deck looks so stunning against the walls of your home...such a very classic look...you certainly can bring the elegance outdoors too!!!

Tracy Laverty said...

I love the black on the deck. Black always looks classic. Great Craigslist score!

Sew a Fine Seam said...

I can't believe it's taken me this long to get over to read about and see your black deck! I've been a bad blog friend! I love your deck - I love the classic timeless contrast of black and white. I painted our front door black this summer and I'm loving it. We have some black outdoor chairs we want from IKEA to go on the porch. I think my Mom is going to get them for us for Christmas - I can't wait till next spring to really spiff the porch up :)

Anna said...

Did you post a follow-up on how the stain lasted over the winter. We are getting ready for our annual deck staining...somehow the winters in Chicago (wet or dry) cause peeling every spring. We currently use a dark brown stain (to go with tudor details on the house) but I'd love to switch to black. I've started using indoor/outdoor rugs to protect little feet from the heat during the hot days.

pam {simple details} said...

Hi Anna, It's been almost three years since staining the deck, and although we still love it, it didn't last as long as we were hoping. After a couple years it needed touched up, we have harsh summer sun and Colorado winters. I don't necessarily think it was the stain, over the years we've tried several different high end products and despite the promises, they all seem to perform the same, needing re-coating after a couple years. Good luck with your choice!

Post a Comment

When you leave a comment whether simple or detailed, it brightens my day!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 
Pin It button on image hover