Deck Restoration & Refinishing Fox Lake, IL

Deck restoration for Fox Lake homes

Most of our deck restoration calls in Fox Lake come from homes with year-round and seasonal lake homes with docks and channel frontage. We see a lot of seasonal pier sections pulled every fall, and the work is planned around it.

Fox Lake sits on Fox Lake, Pistakee Lake and Nippersink Lake, and waterfront wood weathers faster on the water-facing side than the house side. We check both and often give the exposed side a second coat.

The reason so many decks look bad is that each new coat went over the last failed one. Stain does not stick to stain that is letting go. Restoration resets the deck to bare wood so the new finish bonds to the grain, not to a flaking layer underneath it. Done right, it is the last time the deck needs anything more than a maintenance coat for years.

How the job goes in Fox Lake

1. Assess and quoteWe identify what finish is on the deck, how many layers, and whether any boards need replacing before refinishing.
2. StripA sodium-hydroxide or solvent stripper, depending on the finish, dwells and lifts the old coating. Stubborn areas get scraped and a second application.
3. SandHorizontal boards get an orbital sand at 60 to 80 grit to remove residue and raised grain. Rails and spindles are hand-sanded as needed.
4. Brighten and dryThe brightener neutralizes the stripper and restores tone. Then the deck dries for two to three days.

Other work we do in Fox Lake

Homeowners here also ask us about Dock & pier staining in Fox Lake, Deck staining in Fox Lake and Fence cleaning in Fox Lake. See everything on the Fox Lake service area page, or read the full deck restoration guide. We also cover nearby Lakemoor, Lake Villa and Round Lake Heights.