The underside of our deck was ugly
The front deck at Ferny Hill Retreat is long and high. Although great on top with plenty of outdoor seating, a dining setting and a shade tree growing through the middle of it, we had other problems…
The deck was much less appealing when looked at from ground level. From that angle, the underside was exposed, revealing scraggly weeds that stubbornly survived in the dark, along with the remains of old retaining walls. It was untidy and in desperate need of a makeover.
Lattice to the rescue
Although we’d planted bushes that would eventually mask the front of the deck, they were still small and wouldn’t hide much for a few years yet. Luckily Neil, our handy home renovator, was able to install wooden lattice that immediately screened the unsightly area from view.
It looked better but…
The deck looked much tidier with the lattice screen in place but it was too new looking, too yellow. Again, if we chose to play the waiting game, in a few years it would turn grey. But that was a long way off and if the wood was left exposed to the elements it would deteriorate quickly. The only solution was to paint it. We chose the same grey colour as the house, Monument and gave the lattice two coats, front and back.
The final result
The screen is finished and it looks awesome. It might come across as a bit heavy in this photo but just wait until the flowering bushes grow tall enough to show themselves off in front of it. The contrast will be amazing. Woohoo!
