Fence and deck staining are different jobs with different challenges — but the prep standards are the same. Cleaning, brightening, and moisture testing before any stain goes on. Skip that and even good product fails early.
Fence staining — 3–5 years on vertical surfaces
Vertical fence boards shed water rather than pooling it, which is why a properly stained fence outlasts a deck in Colorado conditions. With penetrating oil-based stain and correct prep, cedar fences hold colour and water-repellency for 3–5 years. New fences need time to dry first — we check moisture content before scheduling and won't stain new lumber above 15%.
Deck staining — 2–4 years on horizontal surfaces
Horizontal deck surfaces take the full force of Colorado's UV, summer rainstorms, and foot traffic. Film-forming products — sold as 'deck stain' at big-box stores — blister and peel within 12–18 months here. Penetrating oil-based stain absorbs into the wood grain, has no surface film to fail, and holds 2–4 years on properly prepped boards.
Prep is 80% of both jobs
Stain bonds to the first thing it contacts. On dirty, mildewed, or UV-oxidized wood, the bond is with the contamination — not the grain. We wash with a mildewcide solution, apply a wood brightener to restore pH and open the grain, check moisture content with a pin-type meter, then apply stain once the surface is ready. The prep day and stain day are usually scheduled separately with 24–48 hours between.
Before you book
If your deck or fence has thick, peeling solid stain or old paint from a previous application, we can't stain over it — that surface needs stripping first. We'll identify it during the on-site estimate and tell you what's actually needed rather than quote a stain job that's going to fail inside a season. Stripping is a separate scope at a separate price.