Thursday, May 17, 2012

More and More and More Deck Tips

John: Arghhhh!!!!!!!!  Shelley! Look at the deck. The "guaranteed to last for years" stain is peeling off for the second year in a row! What are we going to do?
Shelley: That's it. I'm so done with staining that stupid deck. Let's put ceramic tiles on it.
Dad: Jeez. That's too bad. Maybe you'll have to stain the whole thing.
Mom: No. Just paint where it's flaking off.
Clerk #1: Not a clue. Can't help you. Sorry.
Shenley (Brother): Hmmm... while I think about it, know that you can use my belt sander, my hand sander, my high pressure water hose, my work horses, my electric drill, my battery drill...
Clerk #2: North West Coast BC weather on wooden decks... sucks eh?
Mom: Cover it with an indoor outdoor carpet.
Clerk #3: A sander should do it. But, not the industrial belt sander. The nails will rip the belt and that will cost you $800 to replace. What you need is a oscillating sander. We don't have those.
Clerk #4: Sorry, all out of oscillating sanders. Deck season.
Mom: Outdoor rubber flooring.
Clerk #5: Do not use a sander. It will take off the treated layer, then you'll have to prime it.
Dan (Nephew): I built most of that deck. BTW, I don't think I was paid enough.
Nephew Tyler (Nephew): You were paid!?!?  Why didn't anyone ask me to help? I would have helped.
Clerk #6: Try a high pressure water hose.
Woman in Clerk #6's store: Buy a stain stripper, a brush and use the water pressure hose to remove what's left. Then paint it.
Mom: Outdoor flooring.
Clerk #7: Whatever you do, do not use a high pressure water hose. It'll gouge the wood.
Neighbour who lives on our left: When you do something, you should do it right the first time.
Clerk #8: No matter how you take off the stain, you'll need to prime it.
Clerk #9: No need to prime it.
Woman walking her dog: Should have used composite flooring.
Marina (sister-in-law): We used the "lifetime guaranteed not to rot composite flooring." The wood underneath is probably rotting as we speak.
Deck Builder: Flip the boards.
4 year old neighbour who lives on our right: Those brown spots don't look good.
Andrew (son): Looks good enough for a nap. What'd you do?
John: OMG. We tried everything. But, ended up sanding and painting only the chipped areas.
Mom: What I'd tell you?


Shelley and John