Two finishes, two different jobs
A deck can be stained or painted. Stain soaks in and lets the wood show; paint forms a film on top. Re-staining a deck that was stained before is usually simpler than repainting a painted deck, because paint on a horizontal surface tends to peel and has to be scraped. Switching from paint back to stain means stripping the paint, which is a bigger job. Knowing which you have and which you want is the first step in understanding the price. This guide quotes no prices.
A local note on decks
The City of South Bend and St. Joseph County Historic Preservation Guidelines say a new deck should be installed only on the rear of the house and built of wood or composite materials painted to blend with the house; decks in front or side yards are listed as not recommended and generally not approved by the Commission. That guidance is about new decks on designated historic properties; it's quoted as written. If your deck was built to blend with the house in color, keep that in mind when choosing a finish.
Size and shape
Deck staining is often priced by area, then adjusted for:
- Railings and balusters. Many small surfaces, each with several sides, take longer than the floor.
- Stairs. Treads, risers and stringers.
- Skirting and lattice. Often forgotten in the scope.
- Built-in benches or planters.
- Height. A second-storey deck needs ladders for the outside face.
Cleaning
Every deck job starts with cleaning: a deck cleaner to remove dirt, mildew and graying, then a rinse. If the old finish is failing, a stripper removes it. A brightener may follow, to restore the wood's color. Pressure washing helps but can damage soft wood if overdone.
A deck that has been left too long between coats usually costs more to bring back than one maintained on a steady rhythm, because gray, checked wood takes more cleaning, brightening and sanding before it will accept stain evenly.
Drying and weather
After washing, the wood must dry before stain goes on. NOAA's engineering weather data for South Bend/St. Joseph lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 3.0 inches per hour and about 54 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year. A deck surface lives with every one of those freeze-thaw cycles, and water in checked boards freezes and widens the cracks. A painter will want dry days for cleaning and finishing. Rain delays move the schedule and sometimes add a second visit.
Sanding and board repair
Raised grain, splinters and rough patches are sanded. Cracked, cupped or rotted boards may need replacing. Popped nails get reset or replaced with screws. Ask whether board replacement is part of the painter's scope or needs a carpenter.
Product choice
- Clear and toner finishes show the most wood and need recoating more often.
- Semi-transparent stains show grain with some color.
- Solid stains look more like paint and hide more.
- Deck paints form a film and can peel on horizontal boards.
Product price differences matter less than the labor of preparation and the number of coats. Our deck and fence staining page compares them.
What changes the price
- Stain to stain, paint to paint, or paint to stain.
- Railing and stair detail.
- Cleaning, stripping and brightening.
- Board replacement.
- Number of coats.
- Weather delays.
The pricing guide shows how painting prices are built.