Stress Free Deck Care Guaranteed To Never Peel

Peel-free, stress-free deck care in Ottawa, ON. 100% guaranteed to never peel, or fixed for free. Yes, it does exist. And no, we’ve never had anything peel which makes our guarantee a no-brainer. 

But first, we must dispel all the common mistakes and beliefs about exterior wood maintenance so we’re all on the same page…

8 Common Mistakes & Misconceptions:

• 1) Believing a “one-and-done” exterior wood finish exists and lasts forever

  Sorry to say, but there just isn’t. Believe me, because I’ve looked / tried / continue looking / trying / and there is nothing that exists with this promise. Even the 5 or 10 year promises do not make sense. They might look decent for one season, but by April of the next year, it’s already a disaster with chipping, bubbling, flaking, or peeling. 

• 2) Buying the local department store recommendations

  Their business is to sell products. We don’t know what they make their margins on, or what products earn them a bonus, or what they’re just clearing off their shelves that they don’t intend to order again. Not suggesting they are out to deceive you. I am, however, suggesting that it would behoove you to listen to a company whose business it is to provide you with an outcome and guarantee it. (A peeling product with a guarantee to get more product is not an offer you’d want to take up anyways…) 

• 3) DIY's trying to save time / money by doing it the wrong ways / buying the wrong things

  There’s only 3 reasons your deck / exterior wood finish will fail: improper prep, improper product, and lack of maintenance. I’ve seen all variations of this. It is critical to get the prep, product, and regular maintenance right to get desirable results. Keep reading to the next section to learn how we do it, the one way that actually works backed by a 100% guarantee. Here’s an article about prepping and true penetrating oil stains that never peel.

• 4) Believing solid / opaque stain protects the wood better

  I understand it sounds simple and believable. Unfortunately, it only takes one application of a solid / opaque / paint product to ruin the exterior wood finish. When wood is completely sealed, it does not allow it to breathe, and the moisture inside the wood has no place to go, and the finish gets pushed off of the surface of the wood, or worse: the wood begins to rot from the inside where the moisture is trapped. Here’s an article dedicated to solid / opaque stains / paints.

• 5) Underestimating the predictability of a methodology like ours

  What we do is extremely simple. What people don’t always realize is this restoration process can be a one time thing so long as the maintenance is consistent. You can, however, hire us to do both restoration and ongoing maintenance services so you don’t have to worry about it ever again. Here’s an article to consider while comparing quotes.

• 6) Hiring painters / contractors / anyone who doesn't know exterior wood species and wood finishes

  Painters are great at painting. Staining and exterior wood (re)finishing is not the same thing. I agree the skillset can be transferable. The knowledge, however, is not. If you haven’t seen the origin story of how I founded this company, it was to solve the problem of why the painting franchise I ran did not teach us anything about exterior wood care. They are very different.

• 7) Not understanding the difference between film forming and penetrating oil stain  

  You need to understand the difference between film forming coatings versus true penetrating oil stains. Film forming coatings create a coating on top of the surface. Penetrating formulas absorb into the wood and protect from within. (Flashback to department stores and solid / opaque products mentioned above…) And just because the product says “penetrating” or “absorbs” on the can, does not mean that it actually does. Trust me on this.

• 8) Inadequate or improper prepping processes  

  • Most companies use power washing / pressure washing to prep their deck wood. We’re strongly opposed to this and never recommend using a pressure washer on wood. You can read an article about that here.

  • Alternatively, some contractors say they sand the wood, but it is a light “scuff sand” and does not remove all the previous stain or all the faded gray from the wood. When applying a thin, transparent penetrating oil stain to ensure no peeling, any mistakes in the sanding will be amplified. If a company delivers a low quote and says they will sand everywhere, make sure there is an understanding of the difference between passing a sander over all areas to check the box, and sanding with a purpose to get a perfect restoration that won’t need sanding again in the future. Here’s an article all about sanding exterior cedar wood.

Those are the most common mistakes I see happening. Perhaps you’re guilty of one or more over the years. To take a positive turn, let’s dive into what actually works, and the proof to back it up.

The solution is a simple process that protects your exterior wood and looks great every year—not just one season until the first winter. And yes, this solution works even in the brutal humidity of Ottawa summers and harsh ice, snow, and extreme cold of Ottawa winters.

It’s the Sand & Stain System. A reliable, predictable, and low stress process that meets your exterior wood project where it is (new, old, peeling, somewhere in between) and takes it through an immediate transformation, and provides a lasting care program to keep it in its best shape year over year.

Here’s a visual framework for our methodology and process:

Year 1 - Sand & Stain (90% of jobs)

• Except pressure treated lumber that’s never been coated

• Some** brand new cedar never been stained (cedar fence)

• Sanding is more expensive, but if maintained correctly, will only need to be done once

Sand & Stain - Restoration Wood Prep + Finish Application

Process: 

• Step 1: restorative hard sanding to remove all previous coatings and remove any graying / faded wood back to original wood colour

• Step 2: one application of true penetrating oil stain of your desired colour to protect wood from inside out and looking fresh and attractive 

Before / During / After example of a deck Sand & Stain restoration (During) and true penetrating oil stain finish coat (After) in Year 1.

Year 2 Onwards - Scrub & Stain (all jobs)

• Floors & horizontals every year, max 2 years (unless fully enclosed & covered)

• Verticals as needed (typically every 2-3 years unless fully enclosed / covered)

• This is the easy, less expensive part, so stay consistent with it and you’ll have an attractive, well protected deck every year that won’t need sanding again. 

Scrub & Stain - Routine Maintenance Scrub + Finish Application

Process:

• Step 1: gentle deep scrub to remove all dirt, dust and debris and even out the faded and less faded areas

• Step 2: same as year 1, one application of penetrating oil stain to saturate the wood with protective stain and keep the deck looking great every year

Before / After example of a deck Scrub & Stain in Year 2 or later. Notice the previous stain is only fading (not flaking, cracking, or peeling.)

The Importance of Consistency

There it is as promised: a simple system to keep your deck / exterior wood protected and looking its best. 

The trick is to stay consistent with annual maintenance and not “falling off the wagon.” Don’t get fancy looking to “change things up” only to repeat the common errors listed above. 

Ask yourself:

• Do I want a peeling deck that requires constant tedious / expensive restoration prep work? OR, do I want a fading deck that’s easy to easy and inexpensive to maintain? (Especially when there is a local business that takes care of it every year and I don’t need to think about it…)

• Do I want my deck finish to chip, flake, bubble, burst, crack, or peel that I hate to look at / blocks me from hosting? OR, do I want a guaranteed outcome of a worry free / peel free option that is taken care of for me every year?

• Do I want skip out on routine maintenance and risk needing to pay for sanding restoration again? OR, do I want an easy, predictable, inexpensive solution that’s done for me every year?

Once you’ve adopted our Sand & Stain System, just keep going with it. It’s the easiest, most effective, and least expensive path with the least stress and absolutely zero peeling guaranteed.

Because horizontal surfaces experience the most wear from foot traffic, precipitation, and items like shovels and patio furniture, surfaces like deck floors, steps, and tops of handrails are the first to show fading. This is normal, and easy to take care of with our routine maintenance packages.  

Do not quit on the maintenance or try “stretching the maintenance” for longer than recommended. The outcome of veering off the path leads right back to peeling wood coatings, product / process frustration, and never ending trial and error that yield disappointing and frustrating results. 

If left too long, the wood will eventually fade to gray again, and ultimately need sanding again. Our goal for our customers is to only require the sanding restoration once, and only routine scrubbing and maintenance applications beyond that.

With fast, inexpensive, regular annual maintenance, our customers enjoy their deck life without needing to sand restore again.

An example of how your deck can look attractive, desirable, hostable, and protected every single year with the Sand & Stain System.

Recap: 

The Sand & Stain System lifts you away from an undesired outcome. You get: 

• No peeling guaranteed 

• A reliable method year after year

• Peace of mind that your deck / wood is taken care of 
  
  

Year 1 = Sand & Stain

Year 2 onwards = Scrub & Stain

It’s simple. It works. And you’re protected by our zero peel guarantee we’ve had since day one of operations.  

If this message resonates with you, and you (or someone you know) lives in Ottawa, ON with a new or peeling deck, fence, or pergola that needs care, get a free quote now to see how we’re able to help you. 

You’ve got nothing to lose.

(…and a peel-free, stress-free deck to gain.)