Every so often the entire deck is stained and sealed. If you have the disposable income, and you have a deck that you want to have last forever and ever, then it should seem reasonable that at least every other year it should be loved up. At least the horizontal boards that comprise the deck. The other parts, may I suggest every so often.
Wood Restoration Santa Cruz County
March 2017, Scotts Valley
Golf Course @ Pasatiempo, Spring 2017, 11am
Way more times than not, the deck boards that I(we) monkey around on, and have been monkey(ing) around on every single year for the past 17 years, have all been built too close to one another.
I don’t claim to know too much about building decks, but I do know a thing or three about how the deck boards should be spaced for optimal maintenance. I’m going to leave it at that for now…
We see this a bunch. A very functional deck that has been cared for in the past with a solid or a semi solid stain. I forget this exact story, but from what I remember, this RED job was done 8-10 years ago. Capitola, New Brighton Beach area deck. Gets tons of sun. That being said, I knew that just by washing the deck, an additional 85% of red would wash away, and it did. In addition to that, all the bare wood you see in the pictures would become very clean and ready to go the transparent route.
Had we tried to convert this deck five years go, there may have been too much existing stain. This company does NOT sand, stain, strip, and/or the like. If a mistake was made in the past with a stain that was TOO dark or TOO solid, or TOO dark AND solid, the silver lining is that the wood is probably being very well protected.
Unfortunately I do not have any additional shots of this particular project. It was all washed, and just the floor and top piece of rail were stained with a redwood tone transparent stain. Water based of course. The white pickets were also washed, and to save a $$$, the client decided to stain them herself.
Soquel Hills Cleaning
Stamped Concrete Driveway
Valentines Day Wash
No project too big or too small, except this one…
Custom Fence Maintenance
cleaningsantacruz@gmail.com
(831) 246 – twentyten
This was supposed to be just a concrete cleaning job in Midtown Santa Cruz. We see these neglected fences and driveway dividers quite often. At the very least we always recommend at least washing the fence down to slow down the infestation of mold. If this sort of maintenance doesn’t appeal to you, at least it will appeal to your curb.
Greens, Blues, Reds, Browns. Our latest project involved an eight year old fence, a telling swatch, a creative client, and fifteen dedicated years working with the most sophisticated water based transparent stains in the industry.
Since 2001. We specialize in the custom maintenance of outdoor wood. Decks, Fences, Arbors, Shingle & Wood-Sided Homes.. We service the entire Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay, East Bay Area, and Glenshire Community in Truckee CA. Tell us what’s on your mind.
More times than not we stain the deck and the rails in their entirety. From time to time, when the vertical posts on railing are close enough together to prevent a small mouse from getting though, we suggest saving a buck and passing on rail staining. The decision was the difference between a $550 job and a $1100 one.
12 year old redwood deck. Valencia Road. Aptos, CA
Shadows on transparent materials are magical. It is the reason why it’s important to stay transparent(pun) and not make or be persuaded into a decision to do otherwise. If you begin the deck journey with a solid stain, or even a low end semi-transparent, you’re going to be sorry. *Just a note about picture on right. The three boards on left side of picture are clean, but do not contain any stain.
The curing process…
A very common initial conversation that takes place between myself and the potential client is a conversation regarding terminology. Terminology regarding “care” for outdoor wood. That would be shingles, siding, arbors, fences, decks, and the like. We typically differentiate between what it means to seal a deck vs. to stain a deck. We talk about sanding a deck vs. preparing a deck.
If you have questions regarding outdoor wood maintenance in and around your home, don’t hesitate to give us a call. One mistake is likely to cost you. If you get persuaded into using a cheap sealant or perhaps a solid stain, when in fact you were after a natural transparent stain, it could be a mistake that lasts a long, long time.
15+ years experience doing business in Santa Cruz
References Galore
It Wasn’t Us!!
These decks shown here in Ben Lomond CA were in serious need. Because it had been ten years since the last bit of maintenance, thankfully a solid stain had been used the last time. The color tone was a flaky pinkish-auburn, and it wasn’t pretty. After the deck was prepared for stain, it was determined that the both decks would easily absorb a fresh coat of transparent material. Transparent material demands a bit more attention and maintenance, and the client bought in after half the results were in. This is a mid morning photo from mid July. We used a high end water based product called Extreme. You be the judge!
Since 2001. Santa Cruz County Deck Maintenance serving all surrounding mountain towns including Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Bonny Doon.
