Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Freshened up the deck using Padre Brown

Back in May after my hubby had knee surgery I took on the job of staining our deck. It's been about 5 years since it was last stained and was totally faded from the sun. 
Our back deck is not that big but it took me 3 days to finish it! NEVER AGAIN!! I told the hubby when this needs to be done again we are replacing it with Trek decking, he agreed.

Home Depot sells little sample cans of stain which is great if your not sure on the color you want. That was a good thing in my case because the first three colors I tried I didn't like! I finally decided on Padre Brown.
What a difference already!
We had a retractable awing installed our first summer in this house. Our deck is in full sun all day, we would never be able to sit out there. It also helps keep the sun out of our breakfast area and kitchen.
I planted Portulaca in the clay pot on the table. It thrives in the sun.
My tomato plant is doing great too and we started seeing little tomatoes, can't wait to pick them!!
I love the contrast of the dark brown stain with our taupe siding.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a Happy 4th of July!!

Martina

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42 comments:

Shabby Brocante, Karen said...

Well done! It looks great! I can't imagine the work it takes. You should be proud. Your deck is beautiful. Love the table and chairs. When I lived in France we had a cute orange and white striped retractable awning.I miss it. We really need to get one for our patio too! I bet you love having it.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Your deck looks great! We are thinking about having a retractable awning put on our next home. I love the striped ones!

ANNE said...

Ugh, don't remind me that my deck is on my never-ending list of things to do...

Yours looks amazing, great job & I love the portulaca.

xox

Gina said...

I feel your pain, Martina. We stained our deck in May...it took forever!

That being said, your deck looks awesome & I love your striped awning.

Anonymous said...

Hi Martina! Oh, your deck looks wonderful! I know that was a lot of work. Happy 4th to you, sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Dee ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️ said...

Hi Martina,

I love the new stain color on your deck.

Happy 4th of July!

Dee

Sunflowers With Smiles said...

I never have a wood deck, however my mother has one and I know it is a lot of work staining it. Your deck looks great! I love portulaca, so pretty. Happy 4th!

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

I told my husband I want ours replaced next time, too. I hate painting the deck. We also need an awning because it just gets so hot all afternoon that we can't use it. Your deck looks great.

Designing Domesticity said...

Looks great. Love your outdoor rug as well. Enjoy it over the holiday weekend. Thanks for sharing, liz

chateau chic said...

All your hard work paid off because your deck looks great!
Mary Alice

Kelly said...

Oh I love how good that looks. We need to do ours too. Our deck has been sorely neglected. It sits in the hot sun as well so we don't use it very much. I've always liked those sunshades like you installed. i told my husband that would be a good idea for us to do one day. I'm sure it makes a big difference in your enjoyment back there.

Sharon Lee Johnson said...

Wishing you and your family a very happy 4th tomorrow. X Sharon

Babs said...

Martina, I'm with you on deck staining. Not a fun project, but you did a great job. Nice color. Our deck is west facing and blazing hot too. We've thought about installing an awning. It certainly would be a help with the sun. Your portulaca and tomatoes are looking great. Hope y'all have a Happy 4th!

Gail said...

Hi Martina, your deck before looks like my deck now! We never use our deck because it gets extremely hot out there too. I would love to get one of those retractable awing but Charlie thinks the wind we get here would probably tear it up. Hope you and your family have a wonderful 4th, Gail

Unknown said...

Martina, I agree~ It's a lot of work! It looks great tho! Our deck is HOT too and I also would love a retractable awning, but like Gail ^^^ The wind would have it torn to shreds! Happy 4th! Cindy

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Martina, I love the color of your deck. We have a Mahogany porch and it needs sealed every few years. I love the stain you chose. You said the color was Padre Brown but what is the brand. I think I might like to try a patch on my porch!
You have such a sweet deck! I love the awning!
Thanks for sharing your pretty space with us. You are a brave one to tackle the deck alone!!!!!
Happy 4th, my friend!

Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...

Oh my...you are the ambitious one on staining that deck...you did a great job....I love retractible awnings...not only are the functional but pretty too!!..Great deck..

Happy 4th!

thistlewoodfarm said...

Martina,

This looks amazing! I can't believe what a difference it made! Thanks for inspiring me today!

blessings,
karianne

Anne said...

Martina,
Your hard work paid off.Your deck looks great.But I don't blame you that is allot of work.Hope you are enjoying your 4th celebration.
(((Hugs))))
Anne

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Hi Martina,
OMG, I'm not sure I would take on a project like that. It looks great but I would have passed out from the heat.

Your deck does look lovely.

Happy 4th.

hugs
Sissie

The French Hutch said...

Happy Fourth Martina. Wow, I know what a job staining a deck can be. This is the first house we've lived in without one. I think the color you chose looks fresh and new. The awning is gorgeous too. I see a few little blooms on your tomato plant. Nothing better than out of the back yard.
Hope you're enjoying the summer.

~Emily
The French Hutch

Linda @ Life and Linda said...

Deck staining is time consuming. We have trex, so no need to paint. Love the awning. I hope you are having a wonderful 4th.

Lauren @ My Wonderfully Made said...

Beautiful color choice -- I've always just sealed our deck but never stained it. This makes me want to try it -- it really freshens it up! I was so excited to see green beans and tomatoes in my garden already! Looks like it will be a good growing season.

Honey at 2805 said...

Staining the deck really gave it a lift! It's beautiful, Martina!

Thank you for sharing your creativity at Potpourri Friday!

Athena at Minerva's Garden said...

Hello Martina: I really like your choice of stain color, and I agree with you--the contrast in the deck floor and the house wall colors are really wonderful together. The container with portulaca really sets off your lovely dining area as well. Take care, and have a great weekend!

Courtney ~ French Country Cottage said...

It looks amazing Martina!! Well done! Thanks for linking up at Feathered Nest Friday! :)

Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia said...

No fun but it sure looks fabulous!!!
XO
Kristin

Something Nice and Pretty said...

Love it to, I wouldn't have wanted to do it either but it sure turned out great...love the color!

Helen said...

Wow, nice job. Everything looks so inviting on your deck. I will have to remember about your sun-loving plant.

Ann from On Sutton Place said...

We stained our deck one time and have not done it ourselves since! I just had mine stained last month in a light gray. It's a nice change but I love your dark brown too. Stay cool!

Debbiedoos said...

What a job girl! I do not care for the staining aspect, however the after is AWESOME. What a pretty deck you have. I love the awning too. We had an awning in our Florida home and we loved it.

Suzanne said...

Looks so pretty, Martina. We have a small deck off my daughter's bedroom, and I started the project of staining that. Ugh! In the middle of summer! I did not finish that project. My husband finally stepped in for me this year. It does make such a big difference, though. Hope you're relaxing this weekend!

Debra from Bungalow said...

Your deck is looking great! We had a awning too and they really help to make a deck a more livable space.


Thanks for coming by :)

Pamela said...

What a fabulous porch Martina!

Bliss said...

I have my tomatoes on the deck too. The hope is that I will then take care of them. I'm going out to see if they need water right now. Let's just say it's a good thing I saw your plant as a reminder.

~Bliss~

Mariaelena said...

The deck looks great Marina...enjoy it!
Mariaelena

Pat@Back Porch Musings said...

Looks beautiful, Martina!

Anita at Cedar Hill said...

Gorgeous deck, gorgeous awning, and wow, love that view.

Deserae said...

Looks great! Love that retractable awning too....everyone needs one of those!!!!
~Des

Carolyn@Sweet Chaos Home said...

I feel your pain! That is a back (and knee) breaking job! We did ours last year and it looks as though it should be done again. I think I'll wait one more year :)

Enjoy the fruits of your labor!!

StagerLinda said...

Been there, done that--and never again. Your results are stunning. Love the idea of the retractable awning!

ProInTheCity said...

"What an excellent and insightful Deck Staining post! The information shared here is truly invaluable. Thanks for taking the time to create such a well-researched and informative piece."

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