The COVID-19 Diaries: The Backyard Patio Cover Part 2-Painting the Structure and Sanding/Coating the Planks

So... we took a down day to figure out what I wanted to do with the structure before they put the ceiling on it. I went outside and took a few pictures of it empty and put it on my computer and started mocking up various versions of it to show Matt. 

Originally I was going to keep the joists the natural color and paint the planks white to look like a shiplap ceiling. BUT, I wasn't wild about the color of these joists and deciding to stain it a wood color would add an element of picking a wood color and I was terrified of that. 

Somewhere along the variations I talked out loud to Matt that the real star wood was the pine planks as they were and that maybe we should go for a scheme where the planks stay natural. 

I talked to Eric about it who in addition to being a genius is a director of photography by trade and knows about color and light so he said ok here, let's put the plank next to the fence that is the color you're thinking of painting the joists and see what it looks like. 

Beautiful combo right. So it was decided. I would spend the next day painting all of the structure that gray stain color and sand and seal the planks with a clear protectant stain.  

Matt watched the kids and I got to work taping the few things that had to be taped, sanding the posts and certain uneven joists and painting the structure. And yes, I know the wood looks nice here as it is but it wasn't that nice in person.

Around 4pm it was getting late and I felt like I would never be able to finish everything. I wasn't remotely close to finishing the structure and I still had about 15 planks to sand and seal. 

That's when I got some reinforcements! 

Alexa kept painting and Eric sanded while I sealed. We had quite a little machine shop.

The sealing is super simple, just needs an even coat on it. I put them on the trashcan makeshift work bench Matt made for me and just went to town.

The sun was setting but we were determined. We finished a majority in daylight and Eric brought out his set lighting and by 9:30pm we called it a night. Finally done.

It just looks so dang cool. Like something you'd find at some cool hipster coffee shop. It sort of made it look like metal which I like too. We are not cool enough for this cool structure.

And here's what the planks will look like with the structure. I know that whenever anyone comes over they will be like wow I love the ceiling. 

The next day the men worked on part of the ceiling and Matt and I tried to find the remaining pieces for the ceiling and were unsuccessful. I'll write more about that later! To be continued...