Front Deck Wash, Repair, Sand & Solid Stain in Chicago, IL

A front deck on a Chicago home doesn't get much relief from the elements — winter heaves the fasteners, summer bakes the finish flat, and by the time we arrived this 145-square-foot pressure-treated pine deck was showing all of it. The engineered post casings had deteriorated past the point of refinishing, two sections of staircase railing had given out, and the trim on three support posts and two stair posts needed to come off entirely. The deck floor, stair treads, risers, and skirting were still sound structurally but the surface needed a full reset before any finish would hold.

We started with a power wash and let everything dry down before touching the repairs. The old press-board post casings came off first, and we recased the designated support posts with new 1x6 pressure-treated pine, then pulled the failed staircase railing sections — roughly 12 linear feet total — and rebuilt them in pressure-treated pine to match the original design. Post and stair trim replacement followed. Once the new material was in and the surface prep was done, we sanded all horizontal surfaces and moved into the Benjamin Moore WoodLuxe application: Stock White solid stain on the railing assemblies, custom-matched solid stain on the support posts, beams, floor, treads, risers, fascia, and skirting — a three-tone system that preserved the existing color scheme rather than changing it. The client had also approved refinishing of the oak entry door, which we lightly sanded and finished with a Rymar penetrating oil, working with the door on its hinges. Invoice went out same day.