You really just need to keep the starter at a consistent temperature around seventy degrees and feed it twice a day if it is on the counter. I use a digital scale to measure the flour and water so the hydration ratio stays consistent. The first batch I made failed because I left it near a drafty window overnight and the temperature dropped too much. The second time I placed it on top of the refrigerator and that worked much better. You can tell the starter is active when it doubles in size within about six hours after feeding. A good test is to drop a small spoonful into a glass of water and if it floats it is ready to use. I use half whole wheat and half all purpose flour because the whole wheat gives the yeast more nutrients to feed on. If you need to slow things down you can put the starter in the refrigerator and feed it just once a week. When you take it out of the fridge it usually takes a couple of days of regular feedings to become active again. The key is to keep the feeding schedule consistent and not let it get too cold. I have been doing this for about six months now and the results are much better than store bought bread.

One thing I learned is that the water quality matters too. If your tap water has a lot of chlorine it can slow down the fermentation. I let my water sit out for a few hours before using it so the chlorine evaporates. Some people use bottled spring water but I have found that letting the tap water sit works just fine. The starter should have a pleasant sour smell not a harsh acetone odor. If it smells like acetone it usually means it needs to be fed more often. I keep a small notebook where I track the feeding times and the room temperature. That helps me adjust the schedule when the seasons change.

The pressure washing took about half a day and then I had to let everything dry for two full days before I could start staining. I ended up replacing four boards near the railing posts because they had started to rot. I used a pry bar and hammer to pull out the old nails and then cut the new boards to fit. For the stain I went with a semi transparent cedar tone so the wood grain would still show through. I used a pump sprayer to apply the stain and then back brushed it to work it into the wood. The railing spindles took the longest because I had to brush each one individually. I did two coats on the deck floor and one coat on the railings. The whole project took about four weekends total. I am planning to seal the concrete patio next weekend to match the new look of the deck. The weather forecast looks good with no rain expected for at least a week so the stain should cure properly.

One tip I picked up along the way is to always keep a wet edge when brushing the stain so you do not end up with lap marks. Working in small sections helped a lot. I also used a brush with natural bristles because synthetic ones tend to leave streaks with oil based stains. The pump sprayer saved a lot of time on the main deck surface but back brushing is essential to get good penetration. I would estimate the whole project cost about two hundred dollars in materials and supplies. The satisfaction of doing it yourself is worth the effort and it looks just as good as a professional job.