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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.

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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!

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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.

campsite + deck makeover before and after

Here is the view from the driveway.

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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.

campsite + deck makeover before and after

Here is the after.

campsite + deck makeover before and after

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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!

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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.

campsite + deck makeover before and after

After:

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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.

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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

campsite + deck makeover before and after

Making progress:

campsite + deck makeover before and after

Here is the after:

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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.

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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.

campsite + deck makeover before and after View from the dock after:

campsite + deck makeover before and 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.

campsite + deck makeover before and after

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.

Meet Jessica

What started as a hobby, Jessica’s blog now has millions of people visit yearly and while many of the projects and posts look and sound perfect, life hasn’t always been easy. Read Jessica’s story and how overcoming death, divorce and dementia was one of her biggest life lessons to date.

19 Comments

  1. Looks great. My husband has fantasies of owning a camper and having a seasonal rental fairly close to home so that we could go often. I think it could be lots of fun but the build of our home and the projects that go along with it have dominated our lives since 2007! Finally getting to some outside projects but of course there are now inside things I’d like to change….

  2. Your site looks amazing! A home away from home for sure. The stain really made it all pull together and look so fresh and finished. Bet you guys are going to make a zillion memories there. We camped a ton growing up and I know I do!

  3. Cheryl Siciliano says:

    Hi Jenn,

    What a great job. The change is so dramatic. I don’t think i could ever imagine all that stain. 15 gallons!!!

    We camp at Lake Ossipee. We love there. It is our little slice of Heaven!

    Enjoy! lots of great memories camping!

  4. Cheryl Siciliano says:

    Hi Jessica,

    What a great job. The change is so dramatic. I don’t think i could ever imagine all that stain. 15 gallons!!!

    We camp at Lake Ossipee. We love there. It is our little slice of Heaven!

    Enjoy! lots of great memories camping!

  5. Cheryl Siciliano says:

    Sorry Jessica.

    I was multi tasking and wrote Jenn instead of Jess

  6. Tiffany Gugino says:

    This is awesome! If I had a campsite like that I would be there all the time! Great job!!

  7. This is a simply eye-opening transformation! Loving the stain

  8. Fabulous! And all your hard work is going to pay off. Y’all enjoy!!!!

  9. Bonnie Fish says:

    Jessica..love your transformation and colors! So much work. I do have a question for you….what is the make and size of the fireplace. I would love to have this in my HOUSE. Is it ventless? Don’t know where to look for it. We do heat with propane and have for years. Love your blog and have followed it for over a year.

    1. Hi Bonnie! What fireplace are you talking about? I am wondering if you were on my previous post about propane at our camp but someone left a comment on this blog post (the campsite before and after post?) Are you talking about our new fireplace in our tiny home?

      1. Bonnie Fish says:

        Sorry Jessica….yes I meant the fireplace in your “tiny” home. I am glad you saw my post.

        1. I just searched everywhere on the fireplace looking for the brand and couldn’t find anything :(. BUT it’s called a gas insert fireplace 🙂

  10. Cindy Klein says:

    Jessica, I just saw your campsite renovation. Wow, great job! What lake is this on? My husband and I enjoy camping and he’s retiring in 7 years. We are looking for a permanent spot and I noticed other campers around. I would love to know where this is located. Thanks so much for your time. Cindy

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