How To Stain A Deck And Create An Outdoor Room

There was a real good article in the N&O this weekend about homeowners getting more out of their homes in a down economy with a backyard deck. I did that on a much smaller scale about 6 years ago and have never regretted it.

The long term maintenance for me has been minimal and can be for you depending on your perspective. The railing lasted four years, but the flooring lasted a little over one with two coats. The second time I restained the floor (18 months later) I did two coats, the third time I restained the deck completely (four years from original) I applied two coats to the then dried out railing, and FIVE coats to the flooring. It's not as bad as it sounds because you can re-coat in 2 hours or less. It's a weekend project for DIYers, but the enjoyment you'll get from the new outdoor room far out ways the expense.

During this unusually cold and snowy Winter of 2010 my current 18 month old restaining still makes my 13 year old deck look awesome, but I may add a couple more coats to the floor as insurance this Spring just to keep it that way. Let me know when you want one.

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Interior Painting To Perfection

Not that often do I have a chance to post interior pictures because the rooms are never put back together until after I'm gone, but here are three from a home I did a few years ago that surfaced this week.

Click a photo to enlarge.

The Office



Guest Room



Master Bedroom Sitting Area


See more of pictures on Facebook.
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The History of Calvert Painting

I got my first painting job around 1969. I was 10 and my parents had me paint the backyard fence where we lived in Elk Grove Village, Ill. Mom said I was a natural. I never really stopped working with my hands after that.

I'd do small odd painting and carpentry jobs while attending Western Kentucky University in the late 70's and then in 1980 I officially started Calvert Painting and worked while finishing my B.S. in Communications at the University of New Haven.

My first truck was a 1977 Datsun pickup with 67,000 miles on it. I could not afford a new one at the time but I was able to stain a teachers house for it in trade.


I moved my business to Durham when I moved to North Carolina in 1988 and then to Raleigh in 1996.

Calvert Painting presently offers high quality residential and locally owned small commercial interior and exterior painting and staining, carpentry repairs, deck restoration and construction, wallpaper stripping, sheetrock repair, and pressure washing.

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