Cheap Chic: Deck Makeover

Sorry for the lack of postings but the hubby and I (and many other family members!) have been re-painting our deck since Sunday. This much-needed project is costing about $100 (plus a few more buck in "thank-you" meals to our lovely helpers). Not bad! Paint truly is an inexpensive way to clean-up and make over any home project. Here's a "work-in-progress" photo so you can see the color.

And here's the project breakdown:

1. Power Washing. If you are as lucky as we are to have a handy cousin with a power-washing machine, ask him to come by and clean your old deck. The force of the power-wash helped to strip away lots of the worn-out paint. We thanked him with a pizza lunch! Total: $30

2. Pick Your Paint. Our deck had been painted a yellow by the previous owners, to match our house, which is yellow. We did not love it at all. To make it a bit more modern and hopefully give it a more sophisticated look, we choose Antique Chest from Behr's line of Porch and Patio paint. We needed 2 gallons ($23.98 each) plus extra painting supplies. Total at Home Depot:$100

3. Get to work! We started right away, no priming since our color would cover the yellow nicely. We used rollers and brushes to ensure we got the best coverage. It's a tough task! Three hours on Monday, then my father-in-law graciously came by the next day to help my hubby finish up. They spent seven hours in the sun, whew. Another "thank-you" dinner: $40.

4. We're left with little touch-ups here and there, which is easy enough to finish. I love the color (can't stop looking at it) and cannot wait to bring my furniture back on and accessorize. I see a "deck party" in our future. I'll post more completed photos soon, once we can bring our furniture back up.