Deck Makeover – Part I

We have lived in our home for over 4 years and until this Spring, we have completely neglected our deck. I am not a huge fan of our deck layout, but replacing a deck is a lot of work and a lot of money, so we opted for a less expensive approach. I knew that if we were really going to use this space, we would need a more intimate/private area. We have zero trees in our yard and the backyard is on a slope, so the houses behind us can see directly into our backyard. We do like our neighbors, but with them basically living on top of us it makes for an awkward situation when you end up staring at each other.

BUT…after the longest winter ever, the last place I want to be (when the weather is nice) is cooped up in the house. So I decided to finally make our backyard a priority. Fortunately for me, my hubby was on board. 🙌🏼 

We definitely had our work cut out for us. There was so much to do. Mulching, power washing the house, cleaning the deck, painting the deck, finding affordable outdoor furniture, and landscaping.😩

Our goal was to stay under $1k for everything. That is a lot of money, but with everything we needed/wanted to do, we were being extremely optimistic. The first thing we did was clean the deck. It was pretty gross. 😷 After the deck was cleaned, it was ready to be painted. I went with white for the paint color. Shocker, huh? My hubby was not excited about my paint choice, but now that it is done, he loves it.

Painting a deck is a big job! Especially when you have a ginormous one. So instead of trying to bust through in one weekend, I set small goals. One weekend I dedicated to the octagon. The next weekend, the remaining deck. I hit the first goal. The second one, not so much. In my defense, it rained the day I planned to do it, then the next weekend was Mother’s Day weekend. Which is why I decided to make a part I & II. Part II should be up in a couple of weeks-ish.

However, the part of the deck that is done, looks 1000 times better! Don’t you think? The morning after I got the octagon done, my hubby saw it and said at first he thought it had snowed the night before. 😂

After painting the octagon, I started working on the privacy screens since I couldn’t finish painting due to the weather. I initially planned on buying a screen, but I couldn’t find one that I liked or was big enough. My plan was to have a screen that would block the side of the octagon that overlooks our neighbors houses. The only screen I semi-liked was $400 and only 5′ wide. I needed a screen that was triple that width, so I went with plan B. Pinterest.

I made three screens, all 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide, and paid around $165 for all the materials. I bought treated wood to build the screens as it is rot and insect resistant. And it will hold up in all-weather conditions. For those of you interested, the material list and details to make this privacy screen is at the bottom of this post.

2 hours and 3 privacy screens later… 😍

Then we waited for our outdoor furniture to arrive…and what do you know? The furniture was delivered on my birthday. 😁 So of course I asked my hubby to assemble it, since it was my birthday and all. 😆 He wasn’t amused, but he did help. Thanks, hubby!

Side note, have you ever shopped for outdoor furniture? It is crazy expensive. 💸 After hours of looking online for affordable outdoor furniture, I finally found THIS set that my hubby and I both love!

After the furniture was assembled, it was time to decorate! I linked the items in this post below. Clicking on anyone of the pictures under “Shop This Post” will take you directly to the site of where I bought the items.

All the flowers & plants are from Lowe’s. I listed the names of all the flowers & plants shown, below.

English ivy (hanging planter, right side and on railing)
Trailing rosemary (coffee table)
Lavender (hanging planter, left side)
Viola (on the side table)
Salvia (purple flower in galvanized bucket)
Impatiens (pink potted flowers)
Gardenia (far left, next to chair)

How cute are these planters and wall hooks? I have had them for years, but have moved them around in our home…a lot. 😂 But I am happy to say they finally found their forever home. ❤

The finale!

All I can say is WOW! It is unreal how this space looks now. My hubby and I have sat outside almost every night since we assembled the furniture. I plan on continuing our new tradition through the summer. ❤ Bonus, we don’t have to worry about seating for our annual summer party this year. Ekk!!

Well friends, that’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed my post and leave here feeling inspired. The tutorial for the DIY privacy screen is below “Shop this Post”. Part II will be up in a few weeks. I am excited to show you all what I have planned for the rest of our deck. Stay tuned! Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by! Your support and encouragement mean so much to me.

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DIY Privacy Screen

Materials:

3 – 6′ x 4″ x 1″ treated wood planks (feet/vertical pieces)
10 – 6′ x 6″ x 1″ treated wood planks (screen/horizontal pieces)
30 – 1 1/4″ wood screws
table saw
Electric screwdriver
tape measure
pencil
2″ deck screws

Step 1: Measure all your cuts. Our deck railing is in 5 feet sections, so I cut the 10 – 6′ x 6″ x 1″ to 5 feet to completely cover each section. You’ll want to cut your wood based on your space, so make sure you measure it before you purchase the wood. I would not recommend making the screen longer than 6 feet across as the wood is heavy.

Step 2: Cut your wood. Make sure you buy treated wood! If you don’t have a table saw, Lowe’s will cut it for you. 😊  If you have a table saw I would recommend cutting your wood as wood width/length can vary from plank to plank. Also, I would recommend cutting one piece at a time incase the feet are not 100% straight.

Step 3: On a flat surface (I laid out the pieces on the deck), align 2 of the – 6′ x 4″ x 1″. Depending on the size you want to make your screen, you’ll want to the feet to be flush with the edges of the horizontal planks.

Step 4: Take 1 of the 5′ (horizontal) planks and lay it across the top where the side and top of the horizontal plank is flush to the feet. See the picture below for reference.

Step 5: Drill 1 – 1 1/4″ wood screw into each end secure the feet to the horizontal plank.

Step 6: Using a tape measure and pencil, measure 1″ down from the bottom of the horizontal plank on each side and mark it. See photo below for reference.

Step 7: Take another 5′ horizontal piece and align it to the 1″ marks then drill each end to secure the horizontal piece to the feet.

Step 8: Repeat steps 5-7 until all planks are secured to the feet.

Step 9: Flip the screen over. You might need help. The screen is heavy.

Step 10: Measure the space in between the two feet and find the center. Mark where the center is, then take the 3rd 6′ x 4″ x 1″ piece and align it to the center.

Step 11: Secure the center foot by adding a screw down the plank. I did it this way so there were screws on each side duet the weight of the screen. I wanted to make sure it was extra secure so a gust of wind wouldn’t blow it down.

Step 12: Line the screen up where you want it to stand and while someone is holding it, use the deck screws to screw the screen into the deck railing. Our railing needs replaced, which is why I didn’t mind drilling into it. Also, I did it this way so when we move we can easily remove the screens.

Step 13: Repeat the process for additional screens.

Then decorate your screens and enjoy your new private patio!