We recoating this deck about 3 years ago, the homeowners are selling the house so they asked us to come back to freshen it up.
We pressure washed the deck, then lightly sanded the deck and railings with an orbital sander. After which we applied one coat of semi-transparent stain to the deck, railings, and spindles.
Update
August 22, 2024
Our Last Deck
We used to do deck staining on a regular basis. However due to ever stringent EPA and NYS regulations deck stain is not what it used to be. Ten years ago, you could stain a deck, and it would be in nice shape for 3-5 years.
Today, your lucky to get a year. Often times even less before the coating fails and peals off. From a homeowner perspective makes you look incompetent, possibly even negligent, especially considering the costs involved. Pressure washing and staining a deck is not a cheap project. Figure $1,500 at the low end, and the sky is the limit on the high end.
You expect to get something for your money! But unfortunately, the EPA, and NYS feel that its better if you waste your money staining your deck, over and over and over.. Personally I don’t see how that is saving the environment.. spend more on material plus the waste of the left over contaminated material, the brushes and rollers, vs using a product that actually lasts a few years? /rant
Any ways, this deck lasted about 2 weeks before pealing. I decided to strip the area that is exposed to the weather of the new coating, since it rained the past 4 days straight, I am letting it sit, as ugly as it is for a few days to bake in the sun before applying more stain.
I am very very disappointed!
To sand this down, took about 5 hours with 50grit sand paper on a belt sander.
It began to rain.
The reason I didn’t just touch up the bare spots with more stain is because if one area is pealing, how long before the rest begins to peal? How many times am I going to come back for this as more and more peals? Its not fair to the client.
So I decided at the time its best just to get back down to bare wood. Start over.
At $0 cost to the homeowner. We did the work, so we are accountable for it when it fails, and it failed, so now we will fix it free of charge.
No more decks. Call someone else.
As the author of The Carrigan Archives, Dave shares expert insights on home improvement, ceiling restoration, and industry trends. He also personally manages Carrigan Painting’s website and YouTube channel, providing homeowners with valuable resources and a firsthand look at the company’s craftsmanship.
With over 25 years of experience in residential construction, Dave specializes in ceiling repairs and high-end interior painting, often exceeding contractual obligations to ensure the highest level of craftsmanship. His ability to maintain exceptional customer satisfaction in such a demanding field is a testament to his expertise, integrity, and dedication to quality.
For 15 consecutive years, Carrigan Painting has maintained an unprecedented 5-star reputation—an achievement nearly unmatched in the industry.
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