Deck Refinishing and Staining on the North Shore
A deck takes more abuse than any painted surface on your house. Sun, rain, snow, foot traffic, and the freeze and thaw of a Chicago winter. Every two or three years the finish wears through, the boards go gray, and water starts soaking in. Catch it then and refinishing is a weekend of our time. Wait too long and you are replacing boards.
What Deck Refinishing Includes
- Inspection. I check for soft boards, popped nails, loose railings, and rot at the ledger and posts. Small repairs get done before any finish goes on.
- Cleaning. Power washing with a deck cleaner to lift gray wood fibers, mildew, and old failed finish. Stripper where the old coating is peeling.
- Brightening and drying. A wood brightener restores the color and neutralizes the cleaner. Then the deck dries fully. Stain on damp wood fails.
- Sanding. Handrails and any rough boards are sanded so the finish goes on even and nobody gets a splinter.
- Stain or seal. Transparent, semi-transparent, semi-solid, or solid, depending on the wood, its age, and the look you want. Back-brushed so it soaks in instead of sitting on top.
Which Finish Is Right for Your Deck
- Clear sealer: shows the wood, needs renewing every year or two. Best on new cedar and exotic hardwoods.
- Semi-transparent stain: adds color, still shows grain, lasts two to three years. The most popular choice on cedar and pressure-treated decks.
- Semi-solid and solid stain: hides weathered, mismatched, or older boards and lasts longest. The right call for a deck that has seen a lot of seasons.
- Composite decks do not get stained, but they do need cleaning and the railings and trim often need paint.
Why Not Just Do It Myself?
You can, and I have made videos showing how. The honest answer is that the cleaning and prep are most of the work, the stripper and the pressure washer can wreck the wood if you rush, and the finish has to go on in the right temperature with no rain for a day or two. We have the equipment, we know the products, and we will do it in a day or two instead of three weekends. If you still want to do it yourself, call and I will tell you what to buy.
Fences, Pergolas, and Porches Too
The same process works for cedar fences, pergolas, arbors, porch floors, and railings. We can do the deck and the fence in one visit. See fence refinishing and our deck and fence maintenance schedule.
Call (847) 564-4880 or request a free estimate. Pete walks every job himself and puts the price in writing. Want to try colors first? Use the paint color visualizer on a photo of your own home.
