In Portland it is essential that a wood deck be refinished regularly or you can get a very unsafe deck. In Oregon your deck will need refinished every 12-24 months.  You will be able to go longer between re-finishing if the deck is completely covered.  Here are some checks you can do to determine if you deck needs refinished: 

1. Go out on your deck and look at the wood and railing, especially the top rail and places that it gets the most use. 

2. Can you see the previous stain/finish? If all you see is graying wood you definitely need to refinish it as soon as possible, to prevent further damage. This deck needs partially rebuilt because of having never been refinished: 

3. If you see stain peeling, or cracking even minor cracks in the finish, this means that water and harmful UV rays can get to your deck, and it is time to refinish it. (Picture coming soon!)

4.  If your deck needs refinished call us 503-713-5335 or request a free quote.

5. Choose a stain and finish that matches the surroundings and will last a long time:

Depending on the condition of your deck we will either strip off the old sealant, or do a light sanding to remove the sealer and give the wood a smooth finish.  We then apply a high quality transparent stain and sealer which will make your deck beautiful for a long time.   Here are some color samples.  We use high-quality stains and sealers.  We do not recommend that you purchase a stain from a large home improvement warehouse--some of these finishes don't even last six months.  

Below is a finished deck we refinished.  It had an ugly black stain--the homeowner tried to remove it with his pressure washer and ended up almost ruining half of the deck.  We were able to sand it down, replace part of the railing and stain it with a soft red cedar.

Gaco Shield: The Long Lasting Solution

Often many people find themselves frustrated with the Oregon weather and having to re-finish their decks every couple years, as a result they often postpone it, resulting in a deteriorating deck.  That doesn't have to be the case.  There is a commercial product called Gaco Shield that has been manufactured in some application for many years that is now making its way to the residential market.  

Gaco Shield is characterized by two key ingredients; tough elastomeric coatings, and texture granules that won’t scuff out. This coating basically gives your deck the look of a composite deck.  It comes in three attractive colors, and is durable beyond almost anything else on the market.  Gaco Shield has a 50 year warranty and only needs to be re-coated every 8-10 years versus the 1-2 years of a regular stain.  

If you would like more information about a long term solution for your deck please contact us and we will come to your home with samples.