How to stencil an outdoor deck

How to stencil an outdoor deck

Hi there friends! Today I have another fun project I did at the condo. I am actually surprised Mike was on board with this one. He seems to let me do what I want here without many gripes. He must be getting old or something HA!

At the condo our outdoor deck is small. It is perfect for a party of two and we enjoy sitting out there very much. It is enclosed and we can enjoy it even on a rainy day. One thing about Charleston is it gets very hot and humid. Having an outdoor rug is not a good idea. It will get moldy fast. In fact, I had a little mat in front of the door and the bottom rubber stuck to the deck and made a mess. I decided to add a little whimsy and fun a stencil would create that look.

It is Lucy approved so I know I got the job done right. This project took me about an hour.

Supplies needed:

—Stencil of choice. I chose:

—Painters tape

—Sponge roller

—Paper towels or rag

—Paint of choice in matte finish. Preferably acrylic paints work best when stenciling. Although I find using a chalky paint works great too. I mixed my own color using white outdoor Kilz paint, and gray chalky paint.

First I swept and cleaned the deck to be sure there was no dog hair, dust or pollen. I let that completely dry before I started.

I started at the far end so I could make my way to the entry door and not have an issue with having to step over it.

This stencil was easy to line up for the most part because it is large. I do have to go in with a small artist brush and fill in some gaps on the flower. No biggie.

It is a subtle, yet happy fun change and looks like a rug.

There’s Mr. Mike in the background spinning some records. We had a fun evening later on hanging out here.

TIPS: When stenciling a floor, or any stencil for that matter it is always best to go light and gentle when rolling. This avoids bleeding through. Always roll out your excess paint on a paper towel or scrap board. You can even use a big piece of cardboard to roll out any excess paint. If you do happen to get some bleed through, you can lightly sand over the dried stencil art and that should smooth it out and get rid of that bleed. Most of the time it isn’t a big deal and you can fix that. I would also recommend a coat of polyurethane if you are deck is exposed to outdoor elements. I did not do that step because as mentioned our deck is screened in and covered.

How to stencil an outdoor deck