Deck restoration · Olney, MD
Deck Restoration
Gray, neglected decks stripped, washed and re-stained back to something worth stepping out onto.
Chapter 01
Gray boards are old finish and UV burnt fiber, not dead wood
A deck that has gone the color of driftwood usually is not ruined, it is carrying a layer of UV burnt surface fiber sitting on top of a finish that stopped doing its job years ago. Kurt strips that failing finish off first, because staining over a deck that has not been stripped just seals the problem underneath a new coat.
Once the old finish is off, the wood gets washed with earth friendly detergents to lift the mold, mildew and grime that has been building in the grain. That is the same product Kurt uses on retaining walls and brick, and it does the same job here: clean the surface without tearing up the wood underneath it.
Three stages of a deck restoration: gray weathered boards, stripped bare cedar, then boards stained red-orange
Letting it dry before the new finish goes on
Wood that is still holding moisture will not take a stain and sealer properly, so the deck gets time to dry out fully before anything new goes back on. Rushing that step is how a restoration ends up peeling or blotching within a season, which defeats the point of stripping it in the first place.
Once it is dry, stain and sealer go on to bring the color back and protect the wood against the next round of Maryland weather. This is the same sequence whether the deck is a small platform off a kitchen door or, per one recent job, a rather large deck that took real time just to clean and seal properly.
Chapter 03
Telling a good restoration from one that is already fading
A deck that is graying and losing its sheen again a couple of seasons after a restoration is not a sign the work was done wrong, it is the finish wearing the way any exterior finish eventually does. Catching it early, before the wood underneath starts weathering again, keeps the next job a re-stain instead of a full strip.
Kurt specializes in restoring old, neglected decks specifically. Whether the deck is in Olney or elsewhere in Montgomery County, the first step is always the same: call 240-372-7267 for a free consultation and he will tell you honestly whether it needs a full strip or just a fresh coat.
“A 27-28 year old deck brought back to life. Old school way of restoring wood.”