Deck and fence staining in Scugog
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. Sunrooms and bright lakeside rooms, winterized cottage repairs, heritage trim and exteriors, whole-house interiors and cabinet refinishing are the common Scugog jobs.
Concept imageryScugog, on the ground.
Scugog centres on Port Perry's heritage streets, with plaster and painted wood, and the houses ringing Lake Scugog, many of them winterized cottages and additions with sunrooms. 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. Narrow halls in the older village houses and sloping lakeside driveways decide where the crew parks and how the ladders come in. 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.
Lakeside rooms in Scugog are lit from three sides, so the walls are prepped flat and painted in a low sheen that does not broadcast every roller mark.
Read more about painters in Scugog 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 Scugog
How early can you stain a deck in Scugog?
Once Scugog 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 Scugog fence on both sides?
Yes, with your neighbour's agreement for their side. It is the most common fence request in Scugog because the colour and finish match from either yard. We mask their plantings the same as yours.
Our Port Perry house is on a heritage street. Do you paint the exterior wood?
Yes. Wood siding, trim and porches are washed, scraped to a firm edge, feather-sanded, primed on bare wood and painted with two coats of exterior acrylic in colours that suit the age of the house. [If the property is designated or in a heritage area, check with the Township about exterior colour before the paint is ordered.] Exterior work is booked for warm, dry weather.
Our sunroom has windows on three sides and the walls look blotchy in daylight. How do you avoid that?
By prepping the wall flat and choosing the sheen carefully. The crew sands and skims any uneven filler, primes the whole wall so the surface is uniform, and rolls the finish in full-height passes with a wet edge so there are no laps. A matte or low-sheen eggshell hides small flaws that a satin would broadcast in that much light. We paint a sample patch so you see it in the actual room.