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Deck and fence staining in York (Toronto)
Parking is on the street and halls are tight, so the crew carries in ladders and a plank for the stairwell and works around tenants or a family in the house. 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. 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.
Concept imageryYork (Toronto), on the ground.
York runs from Junction semis to Weston and Mount Dennis detached houses, mostly early last century, with plaster walls, tall narrow stair halls and finished basement suites. 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. Full interior repaints, stairwells, basement suite turnovers, trim and doors, and porch and exterior trim are the usual York jobs.
Older houses in York have moved since they were built, so cracked plaster is filled and primed before colour rather than painted over and hoped for.
Read more about painters in York (Toronto) 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 York
How early can you stain a deck in York?
Once York 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 York fence on both sides?
Yes, with your neighbour's agreement for their side. It is the most common fence request in York because the colour and finish match from either yard. We mask their plantings the same as yours.
Our stair hall is narrow and two storeys tall. Can it be painted without scaffolding the whole thing?
Yes. The crew sets a plank between a ladder on the landing and an adjustable ladder on the stair, secured and levelled, and works the tall wall in sections. The railing and treads are masked and padded first. It is the most awkward wall in a semi of this age, so it is listed on the quote as its own item rather than folded into a room count.
The front porch on our Junction house has peeling paint on the wood columns and floor. Can you fix that?
Yes. Porch wood is scraped to a sound edge, sanded, primed with an exterior primer and painted with a porch and floor enamel built for foot traffic, with two coats on the deck boards. Soft or rotten wood gets pointed out before painting, because paint will not hold on a board that is failing. Porch work is booked for the warmer months.