After consultation with their designer, our clients had a lofty vision in mind: a sleek, modern back deck, complete with a bug screen to protect them from pesky mosquitoes. They hired us to upgrade their builders-grade deck into the outdoor living space of their dreams, and we were excited to bring this vision to life!

Structural Modifications

A job like this requires the right type of equipment. To safely reach this deck’s highest areas, we set up two stories of movable scaffolding on a custom-built leveling platform, quite an undertaking in and of itself!

With our mobile workstation assembled, we began removing the deck’s railings and old screening system. We rebuilt the posts of the deck to accommodate the new screening system. Then, we added a custom-cut board to create an overhanging roof. 

Staining the Deck

With all the woodworking complete, we were ready to add color. Using our paint sprayer, Big Blue, we applied a coat of sharp black stain to the deck boards and posts. After the first coat, we walked across the deck to admire our work; immediately, we noticed a problem: the stain scuffed easily! Fortunately, our clients thought the color was too light — an easy remedy with another coat of stain. This coat covered all the scuff marks and darkened the stain to our client’s liking.

Protecting The Finish

Conscious of how delicate this stain was, we took extra care to protect the new finish. We found a clear coat product that creates a hard shell atop the stain. And, to prevent any scuff marks while applying the product, we walked on the deck in our socks! 

We accidentally scratched the clear coat in a few places while reinstalling the railings (they were very tight), but we quickly touched-up the blemishes with the clear coat. This product is excellent, and without it, the beautiful finish would have been ruined within a day!

About the Bug Screens

We helped our clients select a low-profile screening system. They settled on Screentights’ Mini Track, which matched the sleek design they had in mind. Although the system is marketed as easy-to-install, we discovered two tips to prevent the metal tracks from accidentally bending:

1. Each track sits atop a line of screws. To prevent bends, we double-checked each screw to ensure it didn’t deviate too far left or right from the center line. 
2. We used two people to install each track. One person held the track, aligning it above the screw while the other hammered the track into place. 

Together, these two techniques created a perfect installation — tight tracks with no bends or scratched finishes. With all the tracks installed, we took the bug screens and began tightly fitting them, and since we were careful removing the old screening, we could save our clients on material costs!

Final Touches

We are thrilled with the results of this project: Although it’s a small detail, the overhanging roof gives the deck a distinguished look. The black-coated tracks blend seamlessly with the fresh stain. And when tapped lightly, the well-tightened screens gave a satisfying bounce that reverberates for a few seconds before dissipating. 

It’s lovely to see how hours of planning, dialogue with our clients, and hard work culminate into such a fantastic finish. They bought some new furniture to finish the space, finalizing the chic, modern living space they were looking for!