Campsite + deck makeover {before & after}

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It is safe to say that our campsite and deck makeover just about killed me and my dad probably feels the same way.  There are two large decks one being almost 400 square feet and can I just tell you, staining this beast was insane! Thanks to my friends at Sherwin-Williams, the two decks are completely stained in a fresh coat of their Deckscapes product. I did enlist a family friend who does work occasionally for my dad to help out with this project. It took both of us about 3 days to complete everything and he is equally as happy that this project is done.

Lets start from the beginning. Here is the campsite before we moved our camper in. The existing structure was very old and in need of some serious TLC. We think the existing deck was over 20 years old and it had never been treated with any stain or water sealer. It was so old looking!

It’s amazing what a little hard work and a coat of stain will do for your deck. Next year we will tackle staining the stairs leading down towards the second driveway. If I see another paint brush and can of stain, I might run away.

Here is the view from the driveway.

We decided to coordinate the colors of the camper with the deck in order to create one large living area. The three Sherwin-Williams deck colors  we used were lodge brown, navajo white and cedar.

Here is another before picture while the camper was being delivered.

Here is the after.

Here is the before we added our new floor to the middle.

You can see below how we built a deck on top of the old deck which created a small step up. I love our new deck!

The new stain covered the old deck ridiculously well. Be sure to power wash your deck first and allow two days or so to fully dry. The Deckscapes product is water-based which makes cleanup a breeze.

Here is a picture of the stairs leading down to the water before we added handrails and stain.

After:

We also added 3 yards of new stone to the ground to cut down on the mud when it rains.

Unfortunately, it’s not an easy area to keep clean as you can’t grow grass and the slope when it rains, creates a mess! We are hoping the crushed rock will solve that problem.

Here is the before view from the water.

Here is the before as well of the second deck we repaired in June that sits over the lake.

Making progress:

Here is the after:

If you want to have a good laugh, click here to see me staining the deck while standing in knee deep muck. Gross.

The retaining wall once it was stained in the cedar color, added a pop of color that really brightened up the space.

This crazy deck below when we arrived was unsafe and ready to collapse.

Be sure to check out how we renovated and re-braced this deck. It was a crazy process!

Here is the scary view from the dock before. This is how it looked when we arrived and I remember my husband saying, “you want to live here for the summer?” The after picture just goes to show you that with a little TLC and motivation, you can turn a disaster into something really nice.

 View from the dock after:

With a some sweat, hard work and a little DIY know how, it doesn’t cost a ton of money to make a dramatic improvement.

Colors:  Large deck near camper: lattice/navajo white, rails/lodge brown, floor/cedar. Deck overlooking the lake: Top and bottom rail/lodge brown, inside rails/navajo white and floor/ cedar.

How many of you camp? This is our first year camping and we absolutely love it. My husband, who wasn’t sure in the beginning, is the most thrilled of all I think. He finds it extremely peaceful and relaxing.  The insane deck makeover is complete and we love the colors and how they coordinate together. The new deck offers so much more space when all of us are at the camper. My mom loves sitting on the deck overlooking the water and have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. I think if she had the time, she would sit there all day!  Thank you again to Sherwin-Williams for supplying all 15 gallons of stain! Yes, 15 gallons of stain my friends, I don’t ever want to see another paint brush again.

You can see all of our RV and camping projects and posts here. Linking to Tidy Mom Lovin Party.