Deck Makeover, Part II - Staining Pressure-Treated Wood

Last week I showed you how I prepped the deck for staining and now...drumroll please...here's a look at the deck with its lovely new coat of Cape Cod Grey:

As a refresher, here is the deck pre-stain and post-scrub:

And a side-by-side comparison, for fun:

I originally had a genius idea for the stain: I wanted to find a really close match to our walnut-stained maple hardwood flooring so it would look like the house extended outside.  When I looked at stain samples, however, my bubble was burst because the closest matches just looked really drab (and really red). 

No problem, I had a plan B: a pale, driftwood grey.  Something about this fresh lake air has me wanting everything to look driftwood-y, have you noticed?  The plan for kitchen counters (but luckily the white worked better), and then the credenza top... I'm really feeling grey right now.  I also figured that grey stain would be forgiving and hide any irregularities in how the wood absorbed the stain, because there isn't too great a contrast between the unstained wood and the grey stain.  If a little natural wood peeked through...meh.



I decided that variations would only enhance the (artfully) weathered, driftwood look I wanted.  Genius, right?  A design scheme that lends itself well to colossal screw ups!  Unfortunately, I didn't account for the stain complementing the existing exterior because I had hoped we'd have time to paint the house almost-black this year.  I'm not loving the grey with the concrete faux stone, but it doesn't loo bad either.  Hopefully next spring a darker exterior will materialize and my plan will come together.

At that point I'll also garden a bit (what's a weed?) and then (more excitingly) style the deck a bit!  The thought of sewing outdoor pillows and accessorizing will keep me going through the winter.  We pushed our patio table to the side and use the built-in bench in lieu of some of the chairs because this way it's functional but doesn't block a view.  Positioned elsewhere it's all we saw.  Plus this way we have room for our patio loungers for weekend reading!

I chose CIL brand Exterior wood stain (in semi-transparent), from Canadian Tire, and was pleased with the application.  It took almost three gallons and three days to apply the stain, however, so I only got one coat on.   The maximum applications recommended is two coats.

There are some variations in the stain intensity, but that's 100% attributed to my application and the wood.  A second coat would even out the stain, but it would be more opaque.  I'm going to leave it, and possibly apply another coat next season.  We've had some rainfall recently, and the stain is causing water to bead up on the deck.  This means it's working well to protect the wood, so I'm beaming with pride.    

Once again, here's the before:

Applying the stain was straightforward: I just brushed it on with a large brush, keeping a wet edge and working in small sections.  The stain had a nice consistency: not too thick, not too drippy.  It was easy to clean up (just soap and water).  We used three brushes: a big thick wide one, a 2" angled brush, and one with a super short handle for tight spots.  This combo was ideal.

We also tried the Wagner Deck Mate stain applicator and it was terrible!!  No matter how much I fiddled with the settings, the stain either gushed out or barely flowed.  The pad made it streaky and uneven.  I was so disappointed, but it was a valuable life lesson: in DIY, as in life, there are no short cuts!

I did figure out some tips (most of them near the end), so hopefully next time I stain the deck it will go even more smoothly:

• The best time to stain a deck is spring or fall when the humidity is low and it's not scorchingly hot.  If it's too hot or humid, the stain might dry too quickly (or slowly), ruining the finish
• Having a small broom is handy to brush out debris from the cracks - even if the deck was recently cleaned and swept 
• Starting on the most tedious sections (while energy levels are high) makes this task easier
• To stain railings, having one person applying the stain to the front and another on the opposite side works well because each can catch the others' drips - this makes the railing process go a lot more smoothly
• Working away from the house seems like common sense but it's easy to loose sight of an exit strategy in the heat of the moment
• Working in long sections - the entire length of a few boards, not 1/3 of the length of 6+ boards at once would ensure a more even application (I learned this on the second last board)
• Buying a set of cushy knee pads isn't a waste of money
• Following the manufacturer's instructions to the letter is always a good idea!

I'm happy!  The deck looks fresher.  And hopefully the deck will last longer with this protective coat (which will protect against rot, mildew, cracking, and more).  One thing I hadn't thought about was how much the grey would brighten the house from inside.  It reflects more light inside (if that's possible), which makes me think a darker stain would have had the opposite effect, so I'm even happier my walnut-stain idea was dead in the water.

We still need to re-build the deck step and next year I'm going to paint the lattice black so it fades into the abyss that is the space beneath the deck.  Oh yeah, and garden...

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Canadian Tire.  With the help of my local Canadian Tire paint department, all products were chosen by me.  I was not encouraged to choose a certain brand or use certain products.  I was not asked to provide a review of any of the products used.  I was simply asked to stain my deck and show it off!  All opinions and editorial decisions are my own.  

P.S. I'm over at Cuckoo 4 Design, gabbing about Szuka for Julia's famed Living Pretty with Your Pets series!

DIY Picture Frame + How to "Fix" a Warped Canvas

I have accidentally become a source for all things related to art (see my answer for choosing a store-bought frame for art by clicking the link).  Well, I'm up for the challenge!  I love all thing art-related.  This post is going to answer two questions frequently asked by my readers:

1. How can I make my own frame for paintings?
2. How can I fix a warped canvas stretcher?

You might have noticed in my post about the stairwell makeover that my most recent DIY abstract is now in a bold black frame.  After painting the piece, I noticed the canvas stretcher (the wooden frame the canvas is wrapped around and stapled to) was warped, which must have happened while it was being stored.  When I tried to hang it with wire, it pulled away from the wall on one corner.  Short of taking it apart and rebuilding it, I have yet to find the perfect solution. 

But then I had a light-bulb moment and decided Hubby & I should make a frame that could enable the painting to be screwed to the wall, holding down all four corners and forcing the warp to lie flat.  Success!  So that's why we whipped up a frame this weekend. 

Here's how to make a frame for a painting - and fix a warped canvas at the same time!

Supplies:

1. Chop saw
2. 1-1/4" nails & hammer (or a brad nailer, if you have it)
3. Three 8 foot lengths of 1/2" x 1-1/4" pine (Lowe's calls it "rectangular doweling")
4. Tape measure
5. Wood filler
6. Primer and paint
7. Painter's tape

 

Steps:

Measure the sides of your canvas.  Hubby measured the outside dimensions of the painting and added 1" (two times the dowel thickness). Using the chop saw the wood was cut to length with 45 degree mitered ends. Picture this shape: \----/

To attached the frame to the canvas, Hubby used a 2" 18 gauge brad nailer with 1-1/4" nails.  He fastened the frame to the stretcher as well as the other frame pieces (at the corners).  A good old fashioned hammer and finishing nails would work, too.

If your mitered corners aren't perfect, don't fret.  A little wood filler will hide that and after priming and painting, no one will be the wiser.

Of course, you could leave the wood natural.  But I opted to paint it black.  

Now, this is important: if your art is valuable, prime and paint the frame prior to assembling and then just do a bit of touch up after to hide any nail holes, etc.  You do not want to get any paint on a valuable work of art.  But, if this is a DIY project like my painting, it is much easier to assemble, fill holes, and then tape off the frame to prime and paint:

Screwing Your Painting into the Wall:

Once the paint was thoroughly dry (I waited a day) I gently scored the tape, removed it and then we screwed the painting to the wall.  If your canvas is NOT warped, just use some screw eyes and picture hanging wire.  But if you want your art really pinned to the wall (a good idea in places it might get bumped into a lot, or if it is warped like mine) follow these instructions:

For normal drywall walls, use four screws and wall anchors.  However, if you are screwing into a concrete wall (like we were - it is a shared walls between us and the neighbours) use 2-1/2" Tapco concrete screws.  No matter what screws you use: drill four holes through the newly built frame that are larger than the threads of the screws.  This will make sure the frame will be pulled tightly to the wall.  We held up the frame to the wall, positioned it and leveled it.  While Hubby held the painting, I used a hammer and nail to mark where the screws would go (just tap lightly to make a little dent in the wall).  We put down the painting for a moment and Hubby drilled holes into the concrete with a concrete bit (again, no need for this bit if the wall is not concrete).  Then, using a driver bit, Hubs screwed the painting to the wall.  Add a touch of paint on the screws to disguise them, and that's it (I have yet to do that).

Ta da!

Variations:

We actually made the frame a little narrower than the painting, so you can still see where I wrapped the painting around but you can create a frame flush with the edge of your canvas instead.  You can also attach a piece of wood between the frame and the canvas, indented a bit and painted black or a bright colour, like Hubby's grandpa does.  Here's our tutorial for building a DIY float frame.

You can also wrap the frame around the front of the canvas as well, to totally cover the edge, like Hubby did for this painting I made ages ago:

And, if you prefer, you can skip creating a mitered corner, like Hubby's grandpa has also done:

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DIY Painted Wooden Spoons

I have pinned so many inspiring ideas to my "DIY to Try" board on Pinterest that I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.  I've noticed how much longer the "to try" list is than the "My DIY Projects" board I started.  To remedy that, I've been chipping away at the ideas/projects I've pinned.  Last week I made a simple abstract, inspired by a painting I pinned and loved.  More recently, I tackled some wooden spoons.

I saw these gorgeous wooden spoons from Milk Farm Road and was instantly smitten.  Pinned!  I think gussying up the handles of wooden spoons with paint, or even stain, is such a simple but clever idea.

Milk Farm Road vintage painted spoons

Feeling emboldened, I rummaged around in my cooking utensil drawer and found two, inexpensive dollar-store wooden spoons to experiment on.  Because the spoons weren't varnished or coated with anything, I didn't need to sand and I didn't bother priming.  Lazy!

I taped off where I wanted the colour to be and, using the same acrylic paint I use for my artwork (I actually did these while tweaking the bedroom abstracts), I painted on two, super thin layers of paint, letting each coat dry for about an hour.  I used Hubby's work bench to keep them upright as they dried.

The next day, I remove the tape and applied a super thin coat of water-based varathane finish (we have tons left over from our DIY desk project).  I applied the finish just slightly over the painted surface because I didn't want a really pronounced edge of where the paint and clear coat begin.  I let the spoons dry overnight (but will have to refrain from using them for another two days, as per manufacturer's instruction).

This photo captures the glossiness:

And voila!  I want to grab every single wooden spoon and paint the ends.

I think this would look so cute for wood serving ware, too, like wood salad tongs.  And you can use craft paint, leftover wall paint - even stain.  I plan on running these through the dishwasher and I will keep you up to date on wearing/fading.  It is probably best to hand wash these, though, and I don't recommend painting any part that touches food or using a toxic, lead-based paint.

EDIT: Yep, hand washing is best.  The dishwasher did not get along with these painted spoons.  No biggie - nothing a little touch-up won't fix!

How about you - are you tackling any projects you've pinned on Pinterest?  Can we all agree that simply pinning something is productive?

P.S. I linked this project up to the DIY Project Parade at the DIY Showoff!

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Colourful DIY Abstracts - How to Make Your Own Art

What seems like ages ago, I painted three abstracts for our bedroom that have seemed a bit ho-hum since I added brighter touches to the room, like the cheery Marimekko blanket.  Readers have asked how I made the paintings but, since I was actually trying to recreate this painting, it was a crazy, un-documentable journey from blank canvases to finished pieces.  Anyone curious about the how-to is in luck though, because I recently tweaked the triptych (by adding new pops of colour to the two blander paintings) and I captured the transformation in photos, so you can get a sense of how to make your own DIY abstract art (it's easy, I promise).

To make a simple abstract like this, the key is in layering colours:

 
This is the same method I used originally: with acrylic paints I painted some random, colourful squares in different colours and then, once they had dried a touch, so as not to smear the paint around, I painted over them in white.  Then I layered in some pastel shades to soften the look.  The result is an abstract with colour peaking through shades of white.

I worked and I fiddled.  I did the old step back, paintbrush between my teeth and my head cocked to one side, with a really pompous expression.  The kind that requires a black beret.  I also covered myself in paint in the process.  I continued fussing until I liked the finish product.  The same process unfolded with another of the three paintings:

The trick is to apply the paint thinly, with a large, very dry brush.  This way the paint won't drip and will dry quickly so the paint can be layered easily.  I used artist's acrylic (not craft paint) because the colours are more saturated and the quality is better.  I don't buy the most expensive kind, though.  I buy whatever is between kid's acrylic paint and professional grade (I switch brands and stores).

I worked around the canvas, instead of concentrating on one area at a time.  Here are a few detailed photos of some deliciously layered colour:

Here is the "before" and "after" of all three paintings together:

I like the brighter, more colourful paintings better.  They suit the room  better.

The middle canvas remained untouched

The paintings are a cheery scene to wake up to each morning, as I begrudgingly haul my butt outta my warm, toasty bed and face the cold, snowy world.

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