Deck & Fence Staining
Cleaned, prepared and stained so the wood survives another Illinois winter. Chicago, the North Shore and the western suburbs. Licensed and insured.
Stain does not fix wood. Preparation does.
A deck takes more punishment than any other surface on a house — direct sun, standing water, snow sitting on it for weeks and foot traffic on top. Stain applied over a grey, weathered or still-damp surface will not penetrate and starts lifting within a season. Cleaning, brightening and letting the wood dry properly is what makes the difference between a finish that lasts and one that peels by August.
What is included
- Cleaning to remove grey weathered fibre, dirt and mildew
- Brightening to bring the wood back before any stain goes on
- Sanding where the surface needs it, including rough handrails
- Popped nails and screws reset, loose boards flagged
- Proper drying time before staining, not a same-day rush
- Decking, railings, spindles, steps, fascia and fencing
- Siding, landscaping and hardscaping protected from overspray
How the work runs
1. Assess the wood
We check the condition of the boards and rails, flag anything that needs replacing, and agree the stain type and colour with you.
2. Clean, brighten, dry
The part that gets skipped elsewhere. Wood has to be clean and genuinely dry before stain will penetrate rather than sit on top.
3. Stain and walk it
Applied evenly and worked into the grain, then walked with you so you can see the coverage on rails and spindles as well as the deck floor.
Deck and fence questions we get asked
How often does a deck need re-staining?
Horizontal surfaces wear far faster than railings because they take the sun and standing water. It is normal for the deck floor to need attention sooner than the rails. We will tell you what we expect for your exposure and the product used.
Stain or paint?
For decking, stain almost always. Paint sits on the surface, and on a horizontal board that takes water and foot traffic it peels. Stain penetrates and wears rather than lifting. Fences and railings give you more options.
Can you stain a brand new deck straight away?
Not always. New pressure-treated lumber often needs to weather before it will accept stain properly. We will tell you if yours needs to wait rather than take the job and have the finish fail.
What about rotten or cracked boards?
We flag them at the estimate. Staining over a failing board is money spent on something that has to come out anyway. See Carpentry.
Photographs of our own deck and fence projects are being added to this page shortly. In the meantime, see our recent projects.
Get a free estimate
Send us a photo of the deck or fence. We will tell you what condition the wood is in and what it needs — no charge and no obligation.