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Deck Design, Building and Repair Tips

A Guide to Updating Your Deck: Part 1

Is your tired old deck in need of a little TLC? After a decade or more of use, most wood and vinyl decks tend to look a little grungy.

This article looks at the big upgrades your deck might need—those outdoor improvements that may require a helping hand from friends and neighbors. While a bit more of an investment than just dressing your deck in new furnishings, these deck upgrades are still well worth the effort and cost. Why? Because they prolong the life of your deck and as a result give you lasting enjoyment.

Cleaning and Repairs

The first thing you need to do is clean the deck and make necessary repairs. This includes scrubbing the surface with a stiff bristle brush and a solution of water and detergent. Water and oxygen bleach or specialized deck cleaners also work well. Make sure you rinse thoroughly after scrubbing.

Using an orbit sander, give the whole surface a good sanding to smooth over rough spots. Remove and replace splintered or rotting boards. Hammer down popped nails. If your deck needs to be refinished, now’s a good time, but if you’re planning on following up with any of the other updates discussed in this article, then hold off until all additional construction is complete.

When you do decide to refinish, consider an opaque stain with lots of pigment. A solid stain does a good job of concealing old discolored decking and it can be applied on top of old stain, as long as the proper prep has been followed.

Railings

One of best ways to spruce up an old deck is to update the railing style. It's amazing how much a railing can affect the overall look of your deck. Railings aren’t just functional borders. Safety of course should be your primary concern so find out about and follow local building codes carefully. But you can also add style and fun to safety.

For example, balusters are the vertical members between the posts attached to the deck and attached to the top rail. Just by changing the style of baluster to something more interesting, gives your deck new life. Also called pickets, balusters can be made of wood, steel, or wrought iron, and come in different designs. Decorative wood-turned balusters are readily available at home building centers. Powder coated aluminum balusters in many styles are wrought-iron look-alikes without the cost.

Here are some other railing options to consider. Tempered glass panels take advantage of spectacular views as well as block the wind. Artist balcony panels cut from thick plate steel feature decorative outdoor scenes. Horizontal galvanized steel tubing and tensioned stainless steel cable running between posts is another option for a modern feel.

Finally, finish your railing with decorative post caps or finials that match the style of your home. Post caps come in wood, copper, powder coated steel and aluminum. Styles include pyramid cap, acorn, ball, and flat top and are fitted by either slipping over the top of the post (slip-over) or by attaching on top of the post (non-slip-over). Post caps are held in place by stainless steel screws or a marine polyurethane adhesive.

Lighting

Deck lighting is often overlooked when designing or redesigning a deck. Avoid this mistake by adding various types of deck lighting to your budget right from the start. Types of deck lighting to consider are recessed deck lights that install flush with the deck surface. You can walk on these without damaging the fixture so they’re good for illuminating the perimeter of a low deck that has no railing, or for lighting stairs. Post cap lights are attached to the tops of railing posts and shine in all directions. Use them to mark the tops and bottoms of stairs, or the intervals along a long railing. Post mounted lights can be used for stairs as well and are installed about a foot from the deck. The beam is focused downwards creating a pool of light.

When positioning deck lights, especially near eye level, make sure that the light source isn’t blinding to people when they’re sitting or standing. Use a flashlight or portable floodlight to experiment.

Low voltage deck lighting can be installed without an electrician and solar deck lights require no wiring at all.

Built-in Storage and Seating

The last major construction upgrade to your deck should be built-in storage and seating. There’s nothing worse than constantly tripping over gardening tools, pool toys, kid’s trikes, chairs, and all that other “stuff” that seems to collect on a deck.

Here are the storage ideas you should consider. Hose reel storage, either in a ready-made PVC housing or on wheels that can be easily moved around. Cedar deck storage boxes for storing gardening tools, barbeque implements, furniture cushions, and so on. Patio benches with storage under the seat are another good idea. You can also add built-in seating to your deck using inexpensive bench brackets and get rid of the clutter caused by those stacks of plastic patio chairs.

Once you’ve got the big stuff out the way, like railings, lighting and storage, you’ll have a deck that still got some life left in it. Now the fun can really begin. Learn how to dress your deck in Part 2 of this guide.

Leanne Tremblay is a freelance writer and publisher of Deck Design Upgrades, a site all about ways to update your deck with deck railings, low voltage deck lighting, storage, and deck bench seating.