Deck Staining & Sealing

Staining & Sealing

Hand-Brushed, Never Sprayed

Spraying is faster, but brushing works stain into the grain for deeper penetration, more even coverage, and a professional satin finish that holds up. Hand-brushing also means no overspray drifting onto siding, windows or landscaping — a real risk with spray equipment on a breezy Michigan day.

The process matters as much as the product. The right sequence is: strip the old, failed finish with the correct chemical stripper, pressure wash, brighten the wood to open the grain back up, let the deck dry completely, and then stain. Skipping or rushing any one of those steps — especially stripping and drying — is the single most common reason a stain job fails within a year or two.

We steer clients away from big-box stains promising 3–5 years of protection; in our experience they rarely deliver on that promise in Michigan's freeze-thaw climate. Instead we use professional-grade, penetrating oil-based coatings — Olympic, TWP, Sikkens ProLuxe, Cabot, Messmer's, Ready Seal and Defy — matched to your deck's wood type and sun exposure.

New cedar or pressure-treated decking should weather for at least 30 days before its first stain, and should be sealed before its first Michigan winter. After that, plan on resealing roughly every two years to keep the finish protecting the wood.

Hand-brushed application, never sprayed
Proper strip & brighten prep before staining
Olympic, TWP, Sikkens, Cabot, Messmer's, Ready Seal, Defy
Color-matching for existing decks & fences
New-deck timing guidance (30-day cure, pre-winter sealing)

Request a Free Estimate Call 1-800-965-2405

Common Questions

Staining & Sealing Questions We Hear a Lot

Good stain on a badly prepped deck still fails early. Here's what we tell clients before every staining job.

Why does my stain keep peeling within a year or two?

Almost always it comes down to prep, not the product. If the old finish wasn't fully stripped, or the wood wasn't brightened and completely dry before staining, the new coat can't bond properly and starts failing fast. Box-store stains rated for ‘3-5 years’ also tend to underperform that promise in Michigan's freeze-thaw winters.

How long should I wait before staining a brand-new deck?

Let new cedar or pressure-treated decking weather for at least 30 days before the first stain application. That gives the wood time to release excess moisture and mill glaze so the stain can actually penetrate instead of sitting on the surface.

How often do I need to reseal my deck?

Roughly every two years for most wood decks, though heavily shaded decks or ones facing direct south- or west-facing sun may need attention sooner. We'll give you a specific timeline based on the stain and wood type on your deck.

What's the difference between transparent, semi-transparent and solid stain?

Transparent and semi-transparent stains let the wood grain show through while adding UV and moisture protection — that's what we recommend for most deck flooring. Solid-color stain hides the wood grain entirely and is mostly used on rails to match a house's trim color; it's more expensive, harder to touch up later, and we generally don't recommend it for deck floors people walk on.

Recent Staining Projects

Hand-Brushed Finishes Across Southeast Michigan

A sample of decks we've cleaned, prepped and hand-brushed — every stain color, railing style and wood species is different, but the process is always the same.