Deck and fence staining in Aurora
Deck and fence staining starts with clean, dry wood and ends with the stain and opacity that suit the species and the weather it takes. Aurora has century houses with plaster front rooms and later drywall additions in the older core, and newer subdivision housing with nine foot ceilings and builder flat paint east and north of it. Older yards carry cedar decks and fences that have greyed and need brightening, and newer subdivisions carry pressure-treated decks that must dry out before a first coat.
Concept imageryAurora, on the ground.
Driveways are deep and garages attached in the newer areas, while the older core has narrower drives and a step up at the back door, and the crew books full days because of the drive. The wood is washed, brightened and left to dry, failing stain is stripped, the surroundings are masked, and the stain goes on by brush and pad with railings done by hand.
Where a Aurora house has a later addition, the plaster and the drywall are prepped differently and finished to the same sheen so the join does not show.
Read more about painters in Aurora or the full deck and fence staining page.
On the quote, from the start.
- 01A moisture check on the wood and a look at the old finish to decide between a refresh and a strip
- 02Wash with a deck cleaner, then a brightener to lift the grey and open the grain
- 03Old stain stripped where it is failing, and smooth boards sanded so the new coat soaks in evenly
- 04Loose boards and popped screws reset, and badly rotted boards flagged for replacement before staining
- 05Stain applied by brush, pad or sprayed and back-brushed, with railings, spindles and stairs done by hand
- 06Plants, siding and patio stone masked, and a final walk around with you once the deck is dry to use
No figures published. The drivers, in order.
| Driver | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Square footage and railing length | The deck surface goes quickly. Spindles, stairs, lattice and the underside of a raised deck are brushed by hand and take most of the time. |
| Condition of the old finish | Bare or lightly weathered wood needs a wash and stain. A peeling solid stain needs stripping and sanding first, which can double the prep. |
| Type of stain | Transparent and semi-transparent stains go on in one coat and show the wood. Solid stains behave like paint and often take two. |
| Fence length and both sides | A fence is measured in linear metres, counted twice if we are doing your neighbour's side too. |
Weather sets the schedule. Stain needs dry wood, a dry forecast for a day or two after, and a surface that is not too hot, so a July heatwave can wait just as a wet May does.
Deck and fence staining questions from Aurora
How early can you stain a deck in Aurora?
Once Aurora has a stretch of dry days with temperatures above the product's minimum and the wood reads dry on the meter, usually from [late May]. We book spring decks over the winter because the window fills quickly.
Can you stain my Aurora fence on both sides?
Yes, with your neighbour's agreement for their side. It is the most common fence request in Aurora because the colour and finish match from either yard. We mask their plantings the same as yours.
The paint on our wood window frames is peeling outside. Can you repaint them without replacing the windows?
Yes, if the wood is sound. Frames and sashes are scraped, sanded, spot-primed on bare wood and painted with two coats of exterior enamel, with loose glazing compound replaced first. Rotten sills are pointed out rather than painted over. Done in the warmer months, it keeps old windows in service for years, and it is far less than replacing them.
How do you paint the upstairs hallway wall that runs down the stairs?
With a plank between a ladder on the upper landing and an adjustable ladder on the stair, levelled and secured, and the railing padded. The crew cuts the ceiling line by hand and rolls the wall in one continuous pass so the sheen does not change halfway down. In a newer Aurora house that wall and the foyer are the two items the quote lists on their own.