Deck staining in Greenville, SC.

Deck staining in Greenville: what to expect

A deck takes more abuse than anything else made of wood on the property. Sun all afternoon, standing water after every storm, and feet.

Film finishes peel in sheets on Greenville decks within a couple of summers. A penetrating oil stain soaks into the boards and wears down slowly instead, which is why we lean hard toward oil on decks.

Prep is where the price lives. A deck that was stained last cycle and just needs a wash and a fresh coat is the easy end.

A grey deck with a failing solid stain that needs stripping and sanding is the hard end. Rails, balusters, stairs, and skirting all take stain and all take time, so we scope the whole deck, not just the floor.

See our deck staining process, or price it yourself with our deck staining cost calculator. Greyed or peeling wood may need fence and deck restoration first. We are serving Greenville most weeks.

Fence too? See fence staining in Greenville.

What sets the price in Greenville

Greenville decks are often older add-ons with some old product still on the wood. If it is a peeling film that has to come off, that is the hard end of the price.

A deck that only needs a wash and a fresh coat is the easy end. We check before we quote.

How we stain a Greenville deck

• Wash. Grey or mildewed boards get a soft wash and a brightener, not a high-pressure blast that tears up the grain. Gaps packed with leaves and pollen get cleared first so water can drain.
• Check the boards. We meter both ends of the deck, because the shaded end of a Greenville deck stays damp longer than the sunny end. Oil stain wants wood under 13%. If a board is soft or a baluster is loose, you hear about it before we start, since that is a carpenter fix first.
• Sand the high-traffic paths. The lanes from the back door to the steps wear first. We sand those, and anywhere the old finish is failing, so the new stain bonds.
• Stain and seal. One penetrating oil on the floor, rails, and stairs, worked into the end grain where decks fail first. The same coat seals the wood, so there is no separate sealer to buy. Flat-rate quote in writing, 12-month workmanship warranty, licensed RBS 66117 and insured.

Penetrating or solid stain on an older Greenville deck?

Most Greenville decks we see were added to older houses and have been through a few owners and a few products. If what is on the wood now is an oil stain, or the boards are bare and grey, a penetrating oil is the right call. It soaks in, shows some grain, and wears down slowly, so the next coat is a wash and a coat.

If the deck already has a solid or film finish that is holding, staying with a solid color is often cheaper than stripping it all off. A lot of people call that deck painting.

We use solid stain rather than paint for that look, because paint peels under foot traffic. If the old film is peeling, it has to come off before anything goes on, and that is the deck restoration end of the price.

Deck staining around Greenville

Many Greenville decks were added to older houses long after the house was built. In a neighborhood like Alta Vista, where building started in the 1920s and picked up again after World War II, it is common to find a back deck or porch that has been through several owners and several products. We check what is on the wood now before we pick the prep, because oil will not soak through an old film.

City lots put decks close to big trees. Leaves and pollen pack the gaps between boards, the shaded end stays damp, and the sunny end dries out and checks.

We clear the gaps, wash the surface, and meter both ends. Steps and handrails get the same care as the floor, since those are what people grab and walk on every day.

Deck staining nearby: Taylors, Mauldin, Travelers Rest, Piedmont and Five Forks.