Deck staining
Decks, rails and steps, washed and re-stained on a schedule
A deck takes the sun on the boards, the damp underneath and every pair of feet. The plan treats each part the way it wears.
We walk it with you, write down the size and the repairs, and put the visit months on the plan. The first stain starts the two-year cycle.
On every deck plan
Boards, rails, spindles, steps and posts
Mildew wash at every visit
A re-stain every second year
A check visit in the year between
Prep, by surface
What gets done to each part of the deck
Prep is most of the work. Each surface gets its own steps before any stain goes on.
Boards
Washed and scrubbed, then left to dry. Popped nails and screws are reset, and rough or raised grain is sanded.
Fasteners checked
Sanded where raised
Dry before stain
Rails and spindles
Brushwork on every spindle and the top rail, where the sun does the most damage.
Washed by hand
Brushed, not rolled
Rail tops get a second pass
Steps and stringers
Treads and risers take the traffic, so they wear first and get touched up at the check visit.
Treads and risers
Stringer edges
Touch-up in the year between
Posts and undersides
The damp collects low. We wash and stain what we can reach, and say what we cannot.
Post bases
Reachable undersides
Notes on what we could not reach
A stain visit
Two to four working days, with a drying day in the middle
Ranges for a deck of about 300 square feet. The weather decides the exact days, and we text you the plan for the week.
Step 1: Day one: cover and wash
Plants and grass covered, deck washed with a mildew cleaner, scrubbed and rinsed.
Step 2: Day two: dry
The wood dries. We do not rush this, and we check it before we go on.
Step 3: Day three: repair and sand
Fasteners reset, rough spots sanded, dust washed off the boards.
Step 4: Day three or four: stain
Stain brushed on, rails and steps first, boards last. We text you when we leave.
Questions
Deck questions
How long does a visit take?
A stain visit on a deck of about 300 square feet is usually two to four working days, with a drying day in the middle. A wash-and-check visit is usually a half day to a day. These are ranges; the weather decides the exact days, and we text you the plan for the week.
Can you stain over a painted or solid finish?
Sometimes. Stain needs to soak into wood, so a failed paint or solid-color coat has to come off first. We tell you at the walk-through whether the wood needs stripping and quote it separately.
What about my plants and the grass?
We wet down and cover plants near the work and rinse as we go. Heavy shrubs against a fence sometimes have to be tied back, and we will say so at the walk-through.
Can I see the tone before you stain?
Yes. We brush a sample on a spare board or an out-of-the-way spot at the walk-through, and you look at it in your own light before choosing.
Send a photo of the deck.
We will say what we see and when we can walk it.