Expert Advice: On Deck with Jeff Wilson

As the host of the DIY Network Show "Build A Deck," and as a consultant for the Thompson's^® WaterSeal^® brand, Jeff Wilson gets a lot of questions about decks. Fresh from designing and building his own backyard deck and outdoor kitchen, Jeff shares ideas and tips that just might answer some questions you have!

Design

Try Before You Buy. Before you decide on a design for a new deck, live with it first. My wife and I laid out garden hoses on the ground where our new deck would be, and then arranged outdoor furniture within the lines before we committed to a plan for our new deck. This allowed us to be sure that there was ample room for good conversations or dining without building something so big it was impersonal.

Outdoor Rooms. Separate your outdoor spaces the same way you separate your indoor spaces, based on specific uses. Our screened porch allows six adults to relax and talk, while our dining area comfortably seats those same six adults for a meal. With separate spaces for each, we can move from dinner to our living area, leaving the dirty dishes for later. Delineate these spaces by changing deck board direction, changing stain color, or placing furniture accordingly.

Rail Against The Ordinary. Customizing a railing and baluster design is a great way to jazz up your deck. Consider trying different materials like mixing wood species, using galvanized electrical conduit or tensioned stainless steel cable. Be creative, but remember to work within code regulations on baluster spacing. Want a custom result without the work? Try a prefabricated metal or glass railing system for a unique look.

Light Up The Night. Installing any of the newer solar lighting will make use of the sun's energy to light up your deck at night. (And a well-lit deck is a safer deck!) From tiki torches with a realistic flickering "flame" LED light, to table lamps which look a lot like their indoor counterparts, solar powered, LED deck lights have come a long way from their original forms. Installation is easy, since there are no wires or connections to make, and many of these lights will produce light almost all night long. All of that, and a "greener" choice to boot!

Building

Drill Sergeant. The day before you install your deck boards, borrow a neighbor's cordless drill to use in addition to your own. (Make sure to borrow the extra batteries and charger as well.) The night before, make sure all the batteries are charged, and keep cycling through them while you're working. When working with a cordless drill, you'll often run Jeff Wilson, during the building of his new deck, through a charge on one battery before the one on the charger is ready for use. By borrowing an extra drill and batteries, you'll be able to keep going.

Quick Change Artist. I also like to use a "quick change" drill bit & driver set-up. These allow you to drill the pilot hole for your deck board fastener, disengage a quick release, flip the drill bit over and re-insert it into the quick release, leaving the driver available to drive the fastener into the hole you just drilled. This set-up costs under $10, and eliminates the need to change out a drill bit for a driver each time you install a couple of screws.

Stainless Fasteners Only, Please. Newer, copper-based pressure treated lumber may react badly with many types of metal fasteners. The only way to be sure that the fastener you're using on your deck won't corrode when it comes in contact with different types of pressure-treated lumber is to use stainless steel fasteners. They cost a bit more, but they're worth every penny. Also, stainless fasteners won't react with the tannins in cedar or redwood to produce the dark streaking you so often see with those woods.

Local Lumber. Be sure your wood comes from sustainable well-managed forests by checking for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo. Another "green" choice is to contact a small, local lumber mill. Depending on where you live, many local mills will offer naturally rot and insect resistant types of wood, like cedar, locust, cypress, or even oak, which have been sustainably harvested from local woodlots. Since the lumber isn't shipped in, the carbon footprint is even smaller.

Deck Care

Regularly Scheduled Programming. Whether yours is a brand new deck or an older, weathered deck, getting on a regular deck maintenance schedule will make your deck last longer. No matter how old your deck is, start now. Cleaning and waterproofing your deck on a regular schedule means you don't have to think about whether your deck is protected, and that your deck will last years longer than an untreated deck. Don't want to do it yourself? Ask your contractor to remind you at one or two year intervals. This is a "green" issue too - by keeping your deck waterproofed, you'll greatly extend the life of the boards. This results in fewer trees being cut and less garbage in the landfill.

Color Brings Back an Older Deck. If your deck is older and has that weathered look, try using a waterproofer that adds color. Your choices are a tinted waterproofer (very sheer, natural wood color), a semi-transparent stain (allows some of the wood grain to show through) or solid deck stain (covers the wood grain). The pigments in these products will help to even out color differences caused by aging, and can actually help your deck last longer by blocking damaging UV rays. Don't be shy — get creative with two or more colors or try a pattern.

Do A Flip. Sometimes a weathered board can be removed, flipped over, and re-installed, bottom-side up. Since the underside of many deck boards haven't been pounded by precipitation, the sun's rays, and the passage of many feet, you may be able to get more life out of some of your deck boards. Make sure the board is sound, and use a deck stain if needed to even out the resulting natural differences in the colors of the flipped boards.

Weatherproof Your Accessories. We usually don't have a problem considering furniture and accessories when outfitting a deck, but what do you do with furniture covers when they're not in use? And where do you put the throw pillows when an afternoon storm comes up unexpectedly? Make sure you've planned for plenty of weatherproof deck storage, like deck boxes and cabinets. Choosing models which are weather tight means you can quickly store and retrieve items depending on the weather. Our deck boxes double as seating, end tables, and wood-clad ice chests.

Help At Hand. The way that you clean and waterproof your deck may be different than the process your next door neighbor follows! It can vary depending on the type of wood, what type of coating is on your deck, the finished look you want and more. The Thompson's^® WaterSeal^® Web site has extensive resources to help you map out the best approach, including step-by-step directions on using every product, videos, project ideas, an inspirational photo gallery and more.