allowed to sit stagnant on its surface.  The worst case scenario seems to be a bit of rotting at the ends, but if it's a weathered look you're seeking out, it may well be that this is part of the overall image you desire.  If you decide to go this route of weathering your deck, it's well worth making sure you move any plant pots that sit on your deck from time to time to make sure there isn't water congregating beneath them. Another way to get this weathered look on your deck is to apply a heavily diluted, semi-transparent, water based stain that you rub on randomly on to the surface of your deck.  If the end result of this process is less weathered than you were hoping for, wash the stained deck with a power washer on a medium setting to remove some of the traces of stain, leaving the deck looking even more weathered.  You can then apply random staining to certain boards to create a really convincing effect. Not surprisingly a bleach solution will create a similar effect, particularly with the bleaching strength of the sun behind it, but be careful not to either damage surrounding plants with the bleach solution or to make it so strong that it damages your decking.  A rather novel and slightly old-fashioned way to achieve this weathered look is by applying a dilution of baking soda (about 2 cups of baking soda to around 5 litres of water) to the