Deck Refinishing

The weather has finally cooled down to the high 80s, so I decided to start my fall project--refinishing the deck. We have a very nice deck that Gary's parents built for us several years ago, but we've been too lazy to refinish it every year. It is a lot of work to scrub 2-3 years' worth of dirt and algae off the deck, so our friends lent us their pressure washer to try. It doesn't do a perfect job, but probably good enough, so we're cleaning it that way.


After a couple years of wear, the nails start working themselves out too, so they all have to be pounded back in. I convinced Gary to help with this chore.

The deck is too big to do all at once, so we're cleaning then painting a section at a time. And the job is too big for me alone, so I've talked Rachel into helping. When I went to Home Depot to buy the sealer, this time I bought the most expensive kind that is supposed to last for four years. We'll see.

Speaking of Rachel, this week she finally heard from the Texas Board of Education about her status as a Texas teacher. The good news: they have granted her a one-year temporary certificate. The bad news: she has to take two more standardized tests to qualify for permanent certification. Ugh. So I guess she'll order the study guides and start studying again. In the mean time, she still has a temporary job that is bringing in some money, and she is hoping to save enough to buy a used car.