Deck Wash, Sand & Seal with Rymar Xtreme Weather Sealer in Oak Park, IL

Oak Park's older homes carry their years in the wood, and this backyard deck was no exception. The 360-square-foot surface — floor, stairs, skirting, apron, railing assemblies, a bench, a table and counter, and a garden box — had weathered to the point where the finish was pulling away and the grain had opened up to hold whatever moisture the season sent. The deck sat close to the River Forest border, where the tree canopy keeps things shaded long enough to slow drying after rain and speed the breakdown of any coating that isn't up to the task.

We started with a thorough power wash to lift the old finish and surface grime, then moved into sanding — power sanding all horizontal surfaces to give the Rymar Xtreme Weather Sealer a clean, consistent base to bond to. One handrail had deteriorated past the point of refinishing, so we replaced it with the homeowner's approval before the stain went down. From there, a single coat of oil-based semi-transparent Rymar in Sienna went across every accessible surface: floor boards, stair treads and risers, the railing assemblies, bench, counter, garden box, skirting, and posts. The color settled into the wood evenly, and the homeowner has a maintenance wash available on request within the next eighteen months.