Cedar Privacy Walls, Fence & Garden Box Wash, Sand & Stain in Des Plaines, IL

Cedar weathers fast in the Chicago suburbs, and the privacy walls, garden boxes, and access fence at this Des Plaines home had reached the point where the existing brown finish needed a full refresh before the wood beneath started paying for it. The scope here was more involved than a straightforward fence stain — multiple cedar assemblies, newly installed treated pine framing in the deck apron area, and a two-tone color scheme that required careful planning to execute cleanly. Everything on the list was rough-sawn cedar or raw pine, which meant surfaces that would absorb a solid coating differently depending on age and cut, something we accounted for from the start.

We began with a controlled power wash across all included components — privacy wall assemblies on both accessible sides, the garden boxes, the access fence inside and out, and the new pine apron framing — adjusting pressure to suit new lumber that didn't need aggressive treatment, just clean preparation. Light sanding followed: finish sanding on the privacy walls, garden boxes, and pine framing to knock down raised grain and loose fibers, and a quick buzz sand on the access fence to settle the heavier roughness before coating. Then came the two-tone Benjamin Moore Woodluxe Solid Stain application. White in Standard 0-1 went onto the perimeter framing around the decorative metal inserts and the cap boards on the garden boxes; Mahogany ES-60 covered the remaining cedar wall panels, the top rail, the garden box verticals, the access fence, and the treated pine framing. The color transitions required masking and deliberate detailing to keep the lines clean between the two finishes. Client handled payment by check and received the standard discount applied at close.