Dock & Pier Staining Riverwoods, IL

Dock & pier staining for Riverwoods homes

Dock & pier staining in Riverwoods starts with knowing the housing: heavily wooded lots with homes tucked under old trees. In practice that means moss and mildew on shaded wood.

Riverwoods sits along the Des Plaines River, and the tree cover that comes with it keeps decks and fences damp longer in the morning. We schedule washes early in the week so the wood has time to dry before stain goes on.

Dock staining has a rule the rest of our work does not: what goes on the wood ends up in the lake. We use penetrating oil or water-based stains and sealers that are suitable for use near water, apply them with the dock sections on land where we can, and never over open water on a windy day. We also pay attention to slip resistance. A glossy film finish on a dock is a hazard. A penetrating stain is not.

How the job goes in Riverwoods

1. Schedule around the waterSpring before the pier goes in, or fall after it comes out, is ideal. Fixed docks are done in dry weather with drop cloths and containment.
2. CleanPercarbonate cleaner and low-pressure rinse remove algae, gray and goose mess. Slime on the lower boards gets a scrub.
3. Dry fullyDock wood is wetter than deck wood. We wait for a meter reading under 15% before anything goes on.
4. Stain or sealPenetrating finish, back-brushed, with attention to board ends and the underside edges where water wicks in.

Other work we do in Riverwoods

Homeowners here also ask us about Fence staining in Riverwoods, Deck sealing in Riverwoods and Deck restoration in Riverwoods. See everything on the Riverwoods service area page, or read the full dock & pier staining guide. We also cover nearby Bannockburn, Highwood and Lincolnshire.