Deck Restoration

Every 2–3 years for most stains; semi-transparent stains on horizontal boards usually need refreshing every 1–3 years, and solid stains every 4–5. In Northeast Ohio, freeze-thaw cycles, snow load, and intense summer UV push reapplication toward the shorter end. The simple test: sprinkle water on the boards — if it soaks in instead of beading, it's time.

Yes — but only with the right pressure, tip, distance, and technique. Wood decks should be cleaned at no more than ~800–1,200 PSI with a 30–40° fan tip held 8–12 inches off the boards and moved with the grain. Too close, too narrow, or too long in one spot causes "tiger striping," fuzzing, and splintering. Wet Jet uses low-pressure soft-wash techniques and a deck-specific cleaner — most lifting is done by the chemistry, not the wand.

Sealers are clear and protect against moisture but offer little UV defense — wood underneath still grays. Stains contain pigment, which both colors the wood and blocks UV, so they last longer on horizontal surfaces and look better season after season. Most modern products are stain-and-sealer combos. For full-sun Northeast Ohio decks, we almost always recommend a pigmented stain over a clear sealer.

48–72 hours is the industry standard. Wood needs to drop below ~15% moisture before stain will absorb evenly; staining damp boards causes peeling, blotching, and mildew trapped under the finish. In Northeast Ohio's humid summers, plan on 72 hours after a wash; in dry, breezy spring weather, 48 is usually enough. The bead test works: drop water on the boards — if it beads, wait longer; if it soaks in within seconds, you're ready.

Late spring through early fall, with daytime temperatures consistently between 50°F and 90°F and no rain forecast for 24–48 hours. In Northeast Ohio, that's roughly mid-May through mid-June and again in September — warm enough for the stain to cure properly, before the worst summer heat and humidity, and well clear of the first hard frost. Schedules fill fast in those windows, so book early.

Clear sealers last 1–2 years. Semi-transparent stains last 2–3 years on horizontal surfaces (deck floor, steps) and 4–6 years on vertical surfaces (railings, posts). Solid-color stains can last 4–5 years on the deck floor and longer on rails. The biggest factor is pigment — more color equals more UV protection equals longer life. Northeast Ohio winters typically shave a year off published averages.

Usually yes for wood decks — even after a thorough wash. Sanding opens the wood grain so stain absorbs evenly, knocks down splinters and fuzzed-up fibers from years of weathering, and removes any glossy spots where old stain hasn't fully broken down. We typically use 60–80 grit on a power sander for the floor and a finer grit on rails. Composite decks don't need sanding.

A soft-wash treatment kills algae, mold, and mildew at the root rather than just blasting the surface. We apply a deck-safe cleaner (sodium percarbonate-based for wood, a milder soap-based mix for composite), let it dwell, then rinse with low pressure. Skip the household bleach — it discolors wood, corrodes metal fasteners, and doesn't kill spores, so the green is back within weeks.

Graying is UV breaking down the lignin in your wood — totally natural, but it means the surface is unprotected. The good news: it's almost always cosmetic. A wood brightener (oxalic acid) wash followed by sanding and a fresh pigmented stain restores the original color and adds 2–3 years of protection. We do this restore-from-gray sequence on a lot of Northeast Ohio decks every spring.

For most wood decks, stain. Paint sits on top of the wood as a film — it looks great year one, but freeze-thaw and foot traffic cause it to chip, crack, and peel, and stripping failed paint is a much bigger job than refreshing stain. Stain penetrates the wood, fades gradually rather than peeling, and recoats cleanly. We only recommend paint when a deck is too far gone for stain to look right and the homeowner wants a uniform color.