Deck & Fence Staining FAQ

Yes. We are based in Libertyville and work in every Lake County town, from Antioch and Winthrop Harbor down to Buffalo Grove and Barrington. There is no trip charge inside the county.

Text a few photos of the deck or fence to (224) 944-8652 with your town and a rough size. Most quotes go back the same day. For bigger restoration jobs we will come look in person.

No. We need the deck or fence clear, access to a spigot, and a way to reach you with questions. Most jobs happen while people are at work.

Professional-grade penetrating oils and oil-hybrids for most work, and a quality acrylic solid stain when you want color. We will tell you exactly what we are putting on your wood and why.

Always. Stain on dirty or gray wood fails within a year. Every staining job includes a wash, brightener and a moisture check before we open a can.

Usually not until late October. We need dry wood, daytime temperatures above about 50, and nights that stay above 40 for two days after. If it is too cold we will tell you and book you first in spring.

Every two to four years for horizontal boards, depending on sun exposure and stain type. Rails and vertical surfaces last longer. A south- or west-facing deck with no shade sits at the short end of that range.

New pressure-treated lumber needs to dry out first, usually a few months, and should be tested with a few drops of water. If the water soaks in, it is ready. New cedar can usually be stained within a few weeks once the mill glaze is washed off.

Late May through early October. We need two dry days after washing and 24 to 48 hours of no rain after staining, with temperatures between roughly 50 and 90 degrees. Spring and early fall are ideal because the sun is not baking the stain before it soaks in.

High pressure is. Anything over about 1,200 PSI or a narrow tip close to the boards will tear the soft grain and leave the wood fuzzy and more absorbent. We use a chemical cleaner to do the work and low pressure only to rinse.

Yes. Composite and PVC decks need a different cleaner and a gentler rinse. See our composite deck cleaning page for how that works.

Most decks are two to four hours on site. Drying takes one to three days depending on sun and humidity, and the deck should not be stained until it reads dry with a moisture meter.

Stain if you want color and UV protection with a two- to four-year cycle. Seal if you want the natural wood look and are fine with the deck graying gradually, or if it is a hardwood deck. A tinted sealer is the middle ground.

A clear water repellent typically lasts one to two seasons in Lake County. Tinted sealers with UV blockers last longer. When water stops beading, it is time.

Not the same day. The wood needs to dry out fully, usually two to three days of dry weather. Sealing damp wood is the most common reason a sealer fails.

If the finish is peeling, flaking or cracking, or if a previous stain went on blotchy, it needs stripping. If the deck is just gray or dirty with no failing coating, cleaning and staining is enough.

Yes. Paint and solid stain are the hardest to strip and often need sanding as well. It takes longer, and the result is worth it: bare wood that takes a proper penetrating finish.

Close. Stripping and sanding remove the gray and the failed finish, and the brightener brings back the wood tone. Old checks and small cracks will still be there, which is normal on a deck that is 20 years old.

New wood is lighter than 15-year-old wood. Once the deck is cleaned, brightened and stained together, a semi-transparent or semi-solid stain evens it out. With a clear sealer, new boards will show for a season.

Usually. Most wobbly rails are loose post connections, and through-bolting or adding blocking fixes them. If the post itself is rotted at the base it gets replaced.

No. Joists, beams, ledgers and footings are a deck builder's work and often need a permit. We will tell you what we found so you can call the right trade.

Once the mill glaze is washed off and the wood is dry, usually two to eight weeks after installation. Pressure-treated fences need longer, often three to six months, until water soaks in rather than beading.

We can. Many homeowners do their side only, or split the cost with a neighbor. Both sides gives the longest life because it seals the wood all the way around.

A quality semi-transparent stain on a cedar fence lasts three to five years. Solid stains last longer but will eventually peel, so we recommend semi-transparent or semi-solid unless you want an opaque color.

Only at low pressure with a wide tip, after a cleaner has done the work. High pressure splinters fence boards and leaves wand marks. We rinse, we do not blast.

The cleaners we use are oxygen-based and break down into soda ash and water. We wet plants before and rinse after, and have not had issues with lawns or perennials.

Once a year in shaded or sprinklered yards, every two years in sunny ones. Cleaning yearly also extends the life of the stain.

Surface area. A deck is one flat plane. A pergola is dozens of individual boards with four sides and two ends each, most of it overhead. There is far more wood to brush for the same footprint.

Yes. Cleaning and brightening lifts most of the gray. If the wood is deeply weathered, a semi-solid stain evens out the tone better than a transparent one.

Yes, and we recommend doing them together so the stain batch and tone match exactly.

Only at low pressure with a wide tip. Manufacturers generally cap it around 1,500 PSI held a foot or more away. Higher than that, or a narrow tip, will scar the surface.

Almost always mildew growing in the surface texture, fed by pollen and moisture. A composite-safe cleaner removes it. Bleach alone will lighten it and leave it to come back.

Generally no. Most manufacturers advise against coatings on capped composite and PVC. Some uncapped first-generation boards can take a composite-specific sealer, and we will tell you if yours is one.

Some are, some are not. We use penetrating stains and sealers suitable for use near water, apply them on land when possible, and use drop cloths and containment on fixed docks. We do not apply finish over open water in wind.

Spring before the pier sections go in, while they are dry and on land. Fall after they come out is the second-best window. Fixed docks are done in summer during a dry stretch.

A penetrating stain will not. A film-forming finish, varnish or paint will, especially when wet. We do not use those on docks.