I rarely share mundane chores...why? Well, because they are mundane. But this week I thought I would share our weekend chore only because I think I might have found a new product I like.

I say "I think I might" only because I suspect it will take a few years before I come to a conclusion as to whether it actually works. As far as "ease of application," it's a winner!

The back deck is on the north side of the house so one half gets no sun and had a good build up of black and green gunk. The other half gets a lot of sun so most sealants with stain tend to fade over time! For years I have just scrubbed it annually with bleach and Dawn.

Years ago I used a high power washer to clean my deck...not only did it clean it, it literally chewed the wood! Curses! (I suspect it was more "operator error") I sealed it with an oil based stain/sealer and it was a real pain in the rear...dry time was unreasonable when you have cats who like to sun bathe on the back deck.

Clean up wasn't a huge deal because I usually just tossed the applicator! But it made it near impossible to "start and stop" the project...I pretty much had to do it all at once!

And honestly, it was pretty stinky!

Time flies and while it feels like I just did this whole tedious chore a few years ago, I think it has been more like 10...so it was time once again to power wash and seal the deck.

This time I borrowed my neighbors power washer...only 2700 PSI but it cut right through the black gunk and dirt.

Then I went on a search for a water based deck sealer. I'm all about oil based anything...and while I know it may not hold up as well, "ease of application" is a biggy these days!

I started researching like I always do...I googled "best deck sealant." I found a product on Amazon with five star stellar reviews...even says it right on the bottle...#1 Deck Premium Wood Stain.

I ordered the "Light Walnut" and tested it on the little deck off the master bedroom.

(Yes we neglected to clean the sides of the steps, hence the "green gunk.")

I was a little freaked out at first because it was kind of a "purplish haze" when I first brushed it on but it dried to a pleasant cedar color that blended well with the old stain color. I was able to clean the brush and bowl with soap and water so I didn't feel the pressure of getting it all done at once!

So, what do I LIKE about this product. First, it does not stink! Pretty much odorless. Second, it dried in 1-2 hours as promised so I didn't have to worry about the critters. I poured it in one of my "work bowls" and used a cheap 4" paint brush to apply it....it was like brushing on water! It was super simple to clean with soap and water.

I wish I had taken "before" pictures of the deck so you could see just how nasty it was...but again, I usually don't share mundane chores so I didn't even think about it. This is a picture I snapped with my phone after I potted my summer plants...you can kinda see how bad it was!

This is what the deck looked like after cleaning but before applying the stain/sealant.

It had been a few days since we powered washed the deck, so before I applied the sealant I hosed it down and let it dry....as you can see, the water just sits on the deck...no "beading."

This is "after" the sealant...looks amazing and the water beads right up which tells me the wood is sealed...for the time being!

The "side by side" comparison...again, it dries fast so I will be able to move everything over to the done side when I finally get the energy to finish it!