Decks in full sunshine - need ideas!!!

We recently had our deck washed and re-stained...and went with a darker color. Our deck is on the back of the house and is pretty much in the sunshine from 2p-sunset. Didn't really think this thru too well, because now the deck is essentially too hot for our doggies little paws! We are thinking that we could paint the baseboards a lighter color so they don't retain the heat as much. But a neighbor also mentioned getting some outdoor carpet that we could set down where the dogs normally go.

We spend a fair amount of time on our deck in the summer and want our dogs with us, but need to protect their paws. Suggestions? Ideas?

Thank you in advance!!!

Me, I think I'd try to provide shade instead. Awnings? Pergola with climbing vines? Umbrella?

^ this. Our back deck gets the same afternoon evening sun and it is hot! Our family room would even get to uncomfortable to be in during the evening hours, until we installed an awning. It cooled the room down 3 degrees just with the awning, course with the flood a couple years ago we had to redo our ductwork so that helped too. You can also get those raised beds so they are up off the deck floor but can still lay in the sun, with outdoor runners leading to the beds. With the awning you have to take it down when you are away incase of a pop up storm but they have a motorized one. We have the crank awning and it is still pretty easy goes up in no time at all.

We'd started out with a canvas canopy and ended up, years later, with a real roof being built over the deck from mid-point in back and around to where it ends at our garage. Best investment we ever made.

Our deck is stained a light color and that makes no difference in the heat buildup, as far as I'm concerned.

We have a raised bed.


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Until you can get what you want done, how about large mats. We have them on our deck but don't have the super hot problem you have.

One thing to make note of is how much wind you get. My deck is very well protected living in the woods the trees really cut down on wind. This will really determine your cover.

I have a full canvas canopy. Very much like this one.
https://www.hayneedle.com/product/st...-ft-gazebo.cfm

Very easy to put up. Mine also has full mosquito screen. I really love this because I can also be outside in the rain. In the end I would love to put up something a little more permanent. But right now the frame stays up year round, and in May, next weekend actually, I put it up and sometime in late September early October it comes down. A neighbor down the road has really high winds and not protected. One time in a storm he found his ripped from his deck, as they are bolted down and in his front lawn as it went over his roof damaging it on the way.

If you have high wind scenario then you might want to look into something more like a Pergola, with the long wooden slats going east to west so the angle of the sun gets full shade. You can get canvas and stuff like curtains for them as well.
New England Arbors Summerwood Vinyl Pergola - BJ's Wholesale Club

In the end, the best thing is really shade. This will help in a lot of ways like also stopping the deck from fading.

We have the sunsetters awning bought it the first summer here after cooking ourselves in the back deck. We bought the wind flapper things you can put on each side to keep the wind from lifting it up. We also bought a side shade to help keep the deck cool in the evening as the back faces the west. I would love to get a pergola to attach to the house so I don't have to worry about leaving and the awning up. But not a complete cover just something to help block the sun.

buy em some shoes :)

It sounds like your deck is right up against the house. If so you can buy a retractable awning that attaches to the house. I have seen them at Home Depot and Lowes.

Our deck is shaded from about noon until late afternoon. We wanted a little late afternoon sun protection as well as wind protection and privacy from one neighbour. So I built a frame from 2" x 2"s that extends about 2 1/2' above the railing on that side, or about 6' above the deck. We bought a roll of burlap, cut pieces to fit, and stapled them to the frame. Other fabrics, like window screening, would work.