Two-Tone Wash, Sand & Stain Deck Restoration in Downers Grove, IL

A 215-square-foot deck in Downers Grove had reached the point where a fresh coat of stain alone wasn't going to cut it. The wood surfaces — floor, railings, stairs, skirting, beams, and posts — had weathered to the kind of flat, thirsty finish that soaks up moisture and holds it, especially on a deck with this much structure underneath. The homeowner wanted a two-tone refinish, a specific look that called for careful planning before a brush ever touched the wood.

We started with a power wash and thorough wood cleaning to pull the old finish and grime out of the grain, then ran power sanders across all the horizontal surfaces to open them up evenly for the new product. The vertical elements — railing assemblies, skirting, and stair risers — got Benjamin Moore Woodluxe solid stain in Stock White. The deck floor, stair treads, support beams, and posts were finished in Rymar semi-transparent oil-based stain, Hickory Bark, which let some of the wood character come through. Where the two finishes met, we masked and cut in carefully to keep the transition between white and Hickory Bark clean and defined rather than blurred. The homeowner paid by check and received the standard five-percent discount applied to the final invoice.