Cleaning and sealing a wooden deck is non trivial, and it is a fallacy that tasks like this one do not require knowledge and skill. All decks should be sealed, no matter what kind of wood they are made of.
Mine is made with pressure-treated pine. This wood looks adequate until it ages slightly, at which point it begins to excrete the nasty green chemicals with which it has been treated. I had wanted it to weather to gray, at which point I would seal it. Upon seeing the sickly green I covered it with sealant stain the color of red cedar, a bad idea since it was very loud.
I let that sit for years until all the stain washed out. Now the boards have begun to shrink and some nails are popping out, so I have begun to work on it. Secretly I would like to let the deck deteriorate completely and be forced to rebuild in cypress five years from now, but I am not doing this.
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I have learned that whether a casual glance reveals this or not, your deck is mildewed. You have to clean it. You may resist this because it will use some of the few dry days there are in any given month. You may notice that by the time there is another dry day you also have free to work on your deck, the mildew may have grown again. Clean it anyway.
Oxygen bleach is more environmentally friendly than chlorine. Let the bleach soak in for a few minutes, and then scrub. It is easier with a scrubber on a pole.
I like putting in flooring and I do not mind staining it, but I dislike finishing floors. I really, really dislike preparing to paint, painting, and sealing. I shudder to think what it will be like to clean and repaint the mildewed and partially rotting fence. I fantasize about hiring someone to paint the interior wall and ceilings that were repaired.
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Always wear your oldest clothes when using any kind of bleach, no matter how careful you plan to be. Do an experiment with non permanent colored water if you must prove to yourself how things can spatter. Always wear rubber gloves when using any kind of dye, no matter how careful you plan to be.
Bring your tropical plants indoors even in mild winters, and cover your citrus if it is going to freeze overnight. Do all of these things, cook Momo’s recipes, and you can be a good housekeeper (although I would prefer to have an assistant, I can tell you).
Additional house goals for this semester and summer are limited to:
* Major mending projects: 3 (2 skirts, 1 alpaca coat).
* Finicky cleaning project: suitcase
* Caulk and nail siding. Consider repainting.
* Caulk bathroom.
* Paint bathroom, hall, fence, and shed door.
* Replace exterior doors.
* Prune and cut back all those more pesky bushes.
* Remove the rest of that stump.
* Fertilize plants. Look for another kumquat and a satsuma. Analyze fig tree.
* Consider replacing shed step and building fence behind hedge.
There is much more to be done but I cannot afford it, and it is very distracting.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
Thanks for this. Great stuff. Always worth remembering Camus’ “Myth of Sisyphus” when it’s time to do maintenance….
Re: stumps, have you run across the Jan Svankmajer’s movie “Little Otik?” A piece of Czech surrealism: the plot revolves around a desperate childless couple who carve a baby out of a stump. It comes to life and eats everything in sight, including people. Fantastic, if you’re in the right mood.
Oh good, so it’s not boring?! Sisyphus, yes. And you need to put on hard rock or something else very straight-ahead to listen to while you do home maintenance – which has ruined my hands, by the way. I’ve seen the movie but should see it again.
P.S. I got the stump out! And filled the hole with dirt I created myself from my compost heap! This is the first major success of my compost heap – it made a lot of dirt!
Good for you! I am going to make a similar list for my house projects, now that I am temporarily childless.
I’ve heard good things about the Wood Cleaner OX oxygen bleach cleaner for decks (takes about 20 minutes once applied). What brand did you use?
In regards to building a deck from scratch, keep in mind the type of fasteners or nails you chose to keep the wood down. I got tired of re hammering loose nails every spring on my old deck. When my wife and I bought a new house last year I made sure the deck was built with hidden deck fasteners. These prevent the evil stubbed toes and make the deck look alot better too.
[Normally I do not take advertising comments but it appears this might actually be worth considering, or knowing about, or discussing for practical reasons. This post linked to TIGER CLAW hidden deck fasteners. –Z]
* Major mending projects: 3 (2 skirts, 1 alpaca coat).
DONE: Finicky cleaning project: suitcase
SCHEDULED: Caulk and nail siding.
* Caulk bathroom.
* Paint bathroom, hall, fence, and shed door.
DONE: Replace one exterior door.
POSTPONED: Replace other exterior doors.
* Prune and cut back all those more pesky bushes.
DONE: Remove the rest of that stump.
* Fertilize plants. Look for another kumquat and a satsuma. Analyze fig tree.
* Consider replacing shed step and building fence behind hedge.
Must keep going. Everything is money. Quiero mas dinero.