Decks & fences
Cleaned, sanded, repaired where needed, and stained or painted in dry weather so the finish lasts more than one Ontario winter. Written quote after a walkthrough, across Halton, the GTA and Hamilton.
Outdoor wood needs a finish that can take the weather
A deck sits in sun, rain, snow and road salt all year. The finish is what stands between the boards and the weather. Houston’s Painting Plus puts it on the way it should go on: clean, dry, sanded wood, a clear forecast, and the loose bits fixed first.
Most decks I look at have the same story: stained once, good for a season, then grey, patchy and lifting. That’s rarely the stain’s fault; it’s prep that got skipped, or a coat on wet wood. Prep is most of the job, and the part you can’t see in a photo.
Get a free quoteStain or paint?
Stain soaks in and shows the wood. Paint sits on top and hides it. Which belongs on yours depends on how the wood looks now and how much upkeep you want.
Transparent stain
Clear or lightly tinted. Shows all the grain.
- New or near-new wood, cedar especially
- Wears instead of peeling, so a recoat is a clean and a coat
- Hides nothing: grey or patched wood shows through
Semi-transparent stain
Adds colour, still shows grain. The usual deck pick.
- Decks and fences in decent shape that have gone grey
Solid stain
Looks like flat paint, behaves like stain.
- Older decks with mixed boards, repairs or an old solid finish
- Can peel where it can’t bond, so the old finish comes off first
Paint
A film on top. Full colour, no grain.
- Porch floors, railings, trim and fences that were painted before
- Not for deck boards: it traps water and peels underfoot
Prep is the job
The finish is the last afternoon. Everything before it decides how long it lasts.
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Clean or strip
A wash takes off dirt, mildew and loose finish. A failing coat gets stripped, not just washed. Grey wood gets a brightener to open the grain.
the grey comes off here -
Let it dry
Wet wood won’t take stain. After the wash the deck sits until it’s dry all the way through. If that means another day, I come back another day.
no shortcuts -
Sand
Raised grain, splinters and the last of the old finish come off, rails and spindles by hand. It’s the step people skip, and it shows within a season.
smooth means it soaks in -
Repair boards & rails
Split boards, popped nails, a wobbly rail, a dragging gate. That’s the Plus: while I’m there, I fix what a coat of stain would hide.
the plus -
Stain or paint, in dry weather
The coat goes on when the forecast is clear before and after, and warm enough to cure. Stain gets brushed into the grain, not sprayed across the top.
then I walk it with you
Ontario winters
Freeze, thaw, snow on flat boards, salt tracked in from the driveway. Outdoor wood here works hard, and no finish lasts forever.
A deck doesn’t fail all at once. Boards and flat rail tops go first, because that’s where water sits; fences last longer because water runs off. So the question isn’t whether it needs another coat, it’s when, and that depends on the finish, the sun, and the prep it had last time.
Stain that went on properly wears instead of peeling, so keeping it up is a clean and a coat, not a strip-down. Catch it early and it’s a small job; wait and it’s a big one. If I finished your deck, I’ll come back and tell you honestly whether it’s ready.
Is it time for a coat?
- Pour water on a board. If it beads, the finish is working. If it soaks in, the wood is bare.
- The colour has gone grey or silver, especially on boards and rail tops.
- The finish is lifting, flaking or peeling.
Things people ask about decks
When is deck season in Ontario?
Late spring to early fall, whenever the wood is dry and the forecast is clear for a few days. Outdoor work stops for winter, so get in touch in spring; the dry weeks fill up.
My deck was stained before. Can you go over it?
Sometimes. If the old finish is the same type and worn rather than peeling, a clean and a fresh coat is enough. If it’s peeling, or you want to see the grain again, it has to come off first.
Will you fix loose boards and wobbly rails first?
Yes, within reason. Swapping a split board, tightening a rail, fixing a gate that drags: that’s the Plus, and it happens before the finish goes on. If the frame is rotten or the posts have moved, that’s a rebuild, and I’ll say so.
Send me a photo of your deck
Two phone photos and a rough size are enough for me to say stain or paint, clean or strip. Then I’ll set a date while the weather holds.