Roofing & Exterior
Clean It Right, Then Seal It Before the Rain Returns
Deck cleaning, staining, and sealing done the Northwest way: gentle on the wood, hard on the moss, and timed to a dry-enough window so the finish actually bonds. If boards are too far gone to refinish, we'll tell you before you pay for lipstick.
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Signs to watch
Is this you?
The boards have gone gray and dull
Graying is UV and weather stripping the surface fibers — often just cosmetic on sound wood. A proper clean and re-stain brings the color back; the question we answer first is whether the board underneath is still solid or only looks tired.
Moss, algae, or a green-black film
In a climate that stays damp two-thirds of the year, north-facing and shaded boards farm moss and algae in the grain. Blasting it off with high pressure fuzzes the wood and drives water in — we clean it out without wrecking the surface.
Water soaks in instead of beading
When drops soak straight in, the old sealer has worn off and the wood is drinking rain. That's the moisture that feeds rot and cupping through a PNW winter, and it means the deck is overdue for cleaning and a fresh seal.
The last stain peeled or went blotchy
Peeling and blotching almost always trace to a coat applied over a dirty or still-damp deck. Stain can't bond to grime or trapped moisture. Getting the prep and the timing right is most of what makes a finish last here.
Your options
Clean gently, dry fully, seal at the right moment
We clean with low pressure and the right cleaner for the growth — moss, algae, mildew, or ground-in dirt — rather than gouging the wood with a turbo tip. Then we let the deck dry and check it with a moisture meter before any finish goes on, because stain applied over damp wood is stain that peels by spring. On coating: penetrating oil-based stains soak in and weather by fading rather than peeling, which suits our climate; semi-transparent tones show the grain while adding UV and water resistance; solid stains hide age and give the most protection but wear like paint. We'll match the product to your wood, exposure, and how much upkeep you want to sign up for. And if the boards are checked, soft, or splitting past the point a finish can help, we'll show you — refinishing rotten wood only hides the problem until someone steps through it.
The method
How we do it
- 01
Assess, then clean for the growth
We look at the boards' condition and the type of buildup, then clean with low pressure and the matched cleaner — pushing moss and algae out of the grain instead of driving them or the water deeper.
- 02
Dry and moisture-test
Wood needs to dry before it takes a finish. We wait for a dry-enough window and confirm with a moisture meter — no stain goes down over damp boards, which is the number-one reason finishes fail here.
- 03
Stain, seal, and walk it
We apply the stain and sealer matched to your wood and exposure, back-brushing so it penetrates evenly, then walk the finished deck with you and leave the product and re-coat schedule in writing.
Straight numbers
What refinishing a deck runs
Cleaning, staining, and sealing is priced mostly by square footage, the deck's condition, and how much stripping or moss removal the prep demands — a lightly weathered deck is far less than one that's been neglected for years. Solid stains and premium penetrating oils cost more per gallon but buy more seasons between coats. If we find the boards are too far gone to justify refinishing, we'll say so rather than sell you a finish that's hiding rot, and we'll show you the repair-versus-refinish math honestly.
Where we do this work
Deck Cleaning, Staining & Sealing: straight answers
How often does a deck need re-staining in the Northwest?
Figure every two to three years for most stains here, sooner on exposed south-facing boards and horizontal surfaces that take the sun and rain head-on. Penetrating oils that fade instead of peel stretch that interval and are far easier to re-coat than a solid stain that has to be stripped.
Can you pressure-wash my deck?
We clean with low pressure and the right cleaner, not a high-pressure turbo tip. Too much pressure fuzzes the wood grain and drives water into the boards — it looks clean for a week and then weathers faster. Gentle cleaning that actually lifts the moss lasts longer.
Why can't you just stain it the same day you clean it?
Because stain won't bond to a wet board. The deck has to dry after cleaning, and we check it with a moisture meter before finishing. In our climate that sometimes means waiting for the weather, and it's exactly the step skipped by finishes that peel within a season.
My boards are gray and cracked — is it too late to refinish?
Gray is usually just surface weathering that cleans and re-stains fine. Deep cracks, soft spots, and splintering are different — those are the board failing, not fading, and a finish only hides it. We'll check the wood and tell you honestly whether it's a refinish or a board-replacement conversation.
Get the deck cleaning, staining & sealing conversation started.
Free 20-minute inspection. Photo report you keep either way. Zero pressure.