Real wood restoration takes three days.
Anyone can stain over a grey deck. Six months later the stain is gone, the wood is grey again, and the homeowner thinks the product was bad. The problem isn’t the product — the problem is that the surface wasn’t ready for it.
A proper deck or wood restoration follows a specific sequence, and skipping any step is why most jobs fail.
The full process.
Day 1 — Strip and brighten.
If the deck has a peeling old finish, we strip first — sodium hydroxide-based stripper, dwell, rinse. Once the old finish is off, we apply a wood brightener (oxalic acid) which restores natural pH, opens the wood pores for penetration, and reverses the grey-out from UV exposure. The wood comes out looking close to fresh-milled.
Day 2 — Sanding (when needed).
Light orbital sanding to knock down any feathered grain or rough spots. Most decks only need spot-sanding at high-traffic areas. Ipé rarely needs sanding at all. Cedar and pressure-treated often need a 60- or 80-grit pass.
Day 3 — Stain or oil application.
Two coats applied wet-on-wet for penetrating oils, or two thin coats with 6-hour cure between for film-forming finishes. Brush, pad and back-brush — never sprayer-only. The back-brush is what gets the product into the pores.
What we use.
- Penofin Marine Oil — gold standard for ipé, mahogany, teak
- Messmer’s UV Plus — hardwoods and high-grade softwoods
- Armstrong Clark — semi-transparent for cedar and pressure-treated
- Cabot Solid Color — for re-staining over previously solid-painted decks
- TWP 100 — when matching an existing finish
We don’t carry big-box-store stains. The film-forming polyurethane products fail catastrophically in South Florida sun — they trap moisture, peel, and require full re-strip every 18 months.
Pricing.
Pricing depends on the scope:
- Cleaning only (no stripping or stain): $0.95/sq ft, min $189
- Clean + brighten (preserve natural look, light maintenance): $1.45/sq ft
- Full restoration with penetrating oil (clean, brighten, sand-as-needed, two coats): $1.95/sq ft
- Full restoration with premium hardwood oil (ipé, mahogany, teak): $2.95/sq ft
- Strip prior finish (add-on when there’s failing stain): +$0.85/sq ft
- Solid color stain (instead of penetrating): −$0.20/sq ft (less product, more hide)
Typical residential deck (250–500 sq ft): $600–1,500 fully restored.
Warranty.
Two-year finish warranty on the premium hardwood oils, one-year on standard penetrating stains. Warranty covers re-application if the finish has failed in normal exposure — not damage from furniture, planters or pet wear.
Frequency.
Penetrating oils in full South Florida sun: re-coat every 18–30 months (just clean + brighten + re-oil, no strip needed if maintained on schedule).
Shaded or screened decks: 3–4 year intervals are reasonable.
Solid stains: re-coat every 4–6 years when properly maintained.
