Redhead Woman: Swabbin' the Decks, Part II

Monday, April 20, 2009

Holy flippin' cow! It's amazing what can be done with the right tools, the right products, and just knowing what the hell you're doing. Greg, from Deck Renewal and More has been here all morning, since about 11 a.m., working tirelessly on our deck. He's got a big conversion van, a trailer full of all sorts of gadgets and gizmos, and tools galore. He showed up at the house in what I'd assume to be usual garb for someone in the biz—jeans, overcoat and workboots (it's quite blustery today—maybe only 40-ish, but feels like 20, with the wind) and gave me the lowdown on what he'll be doing: power washing/scrubbing the deck, followed by a treatment with some sort of super high-tech kryptonite product that seals the wood for 20 years. Or something like that—I got the glassy-eyed stare when he got all technical on me. The sealant has to cure for a week or two, then someone else will come out and stain the deck.

Bob and I had already removed all the stuff off the deck to the front yard last night - the old wooden picnic table, grill, firewood box, an ugly "country" bench/storage box inherited from the previous owners, my "nature as art," which are two big planters filled with dirt and rocks, supporting several large tree branches, draped in strings of lights. They were probably the most challenging items to move, because they're big, heavy and downright awkward to transport. But I'm so proud of them as all the material used to create them were "found" objects—the pots were left by the previous owners, the rocks, dirt and branches procured from our very own backyard, the lights - leftovers from Christmas. They look pretty cool at night, all lit up—adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the outdoor space. And I don't even speak French. Bob successfully relocated them to the front of the house with the two-wheeler and a big dose of determination.

Greg asked if the big deck was the only thing we were having done today. I showed him the old picnic table sitting in the front lawn and mentioned that it, like the deck, is in relatively good shape, other than the unsightly discoloration of the wood. We considered having that power washed/sealed, too, if the price wasn't too outrageous. He asked, "What's 'too outrageous?'" I wouldn't pay more than $100 to refinish the table, as it's over 10 years old and could be replaced if it were to cost more than that.

He looked at the table, then at our front steps and asked, "Do you want the front steps done, too?" We hadn't considered it, as we were thinking of replacing them at some point (which, in our world, could be five years from now, give or take), along with the uneven brick pavers that ran along the side of the house. I didn't want to refinish them if we were just going to replace them sometime soon. Greg thought for a moment then said, "How 'bout I clean and seal the table and front steps for a $130?"Seriously?! "Sure. You could stain and seal them yourself, and not have to pay the next crew to do that, if you want." For that, I could live with those steps indefinitely! Done deal.

I went back into the house, back to my writing, a little laundry, the dishes. When I look outside, Greg has slipped into something a little more comfortable—rubber pants up to his armpits, rubber boots, rubber gloves, a rubber hat and goggles, manhandling a giant, serpentine hose across the deck.. He looks like he should be on a whaling ship in Alaska. He fired up the sprayer and a blast of water shot out of it with such force, I thought he was going to topple over. If you saw the video of me "power washing the deck," you'll see I'm sporting a tank top, shorts and tennies, with a scrub brush attached to a garden hose.

After about 45 minutes listening to the deafening sound of the powerful sprayer against the deck surface, I started to feel like I was living inside a car wash. I decided to take Gaia on a walk. We walked over two miles (which is long for Gaia, considering she walks about two miles an hour). By the time we got back to the house, Greg was packing his gear up.

I went inside and took a sneak peak at the deck outside the kitchen window. The wood was stripped bare, like it just came from the lumberyard. I looked out the front window, where the picnic table was, and that too, along with theat the picnic table and front step, was bright and gleaming as the day it emerged from the factory! Three hours of heavy labor by someone else, and already my deck looks like a million bucks!