Deck staining in Baltimore.
Decks cleaned, prepped and stained, priced by the square foot, by a Maryland company here since 2016.
122 Google reviews, 5.0 average.
What does deck staining in Baltimore involve?
Deck staining in Baltimore is how a wood deck gets cleaned, dried out, fixed where it needs fixing and stained across the boards, railings and stairs, so the wood is protected from water and sun and the color is even again.
Baltimore is where Rise and Prime Painting started, before Houston. In Maryland the company is licensed (MHIC #120401) and fully insured, Ray Gomez has over 20 years of experience in the trade, and the first call can be in Spanish if that's easier for you.
On a lot of rowhouses the deck off the back of the kitchen is most of the outdoor space there is, and all of the outdoor living space. Out in the county decks get bigger, with stairs down to a yard. Both are priced the same way, by the square foot. The house, the rooms inside and the kitchen cabinets are covered on our page for Baltimore painting contractors. How a stain holds up outdoors in humid weather is covered in our guide to outdoor coatings in humidity.
- Priced by the square foot
- Sherwin-Williams WoodScapes for exterior wood
- Rot found and flagged before stain
- Spanish spoken on the first call
Text us a photo of the deck.
One photo of the whole deck and one up close of any damaged boards show us how big it is and what shape the wood is in, and both of those move the price.
Or request the free estimate onlineWhat gets stained on a Baltimore deck.
The railings, the stairs and the edges take more of the hours than the floor does.
Cleaning the wood
Picked to suit the boards.
Most decks get pressure washing or another cleaning method before stain, chosen by the condition of the wood and what's on it. Graying, dirt, mold and mildew, and loose old finish come off, and then the boards are left to dry out.
The deck boards
The square footage the price starts from.
The walking surface takes UV rays, standing water and foot traffic all at once. Its area in square feet is the base of the price, and the gaps between boards are kept clear so water can still drain through.
Railings and balusters
Small area, slow work.
Every baluster has four faces and two ends. That's why a deck with a lot of railing takes more time than its floor area suggests, and why railings are looked at on their own when the deck is measured.
Stairs
Treads, risers and stringers.
Stairs down to the yard have more edges and end grain than any other part of a deck, and the end grain soaks up stain fast. The treads also take the most wear and tear, so every step gets looked at closely before anything goes on.
Skirting and fascia
The boards around the edge.
The trim board around the deck's edge and any skirting or lattice that closes in the underside are part of the job if you want them in. When they are, they're named on the proposal.
Fences and other exterior wood
Same stain family, measured differently.
A fence or other exterior wood near the deck can go in the same scope. Fences are measured by the linear foot, decks by the square foot.
Is your deck ready for stain?
What's already on the wood and the shape the boards are in change the job more than the deck's size does.
- Bare or gray boards take stain once they are cleaned
- An old coat is a different job, and a peeling film comes off first
- Soft boards, looked for while the deck is measured
- Full sun and tree shade dry at different speeds after rain
A deck plan, the house along the top. Not to scale.
Bare, gray or already coated
Bare or weathered gray wood takes stain well once it's cleaned, including the pressure treated lumber most wood decks are built from. A new deck may need time to dry out first. An old deck still carrying stain or paint is a different job, because the new coat needs something to grip, and a peeling film usually has to come off first.
Soft or rotten boards
Rot is never guessed at, and the soft boards are looked for while the deck is being measured. Deck repair and deck building are carpentry, and a deck with soft framing needs that work before it's worth staining.
What the warranty covers
Rise and Prime's 3-Year Workmanship Warranty covers qualifying painting projects, and deck stain sits outside it. Stain is a different system from paint, and a deck takes foot traffic, standing water and full sun on a flat surface, so the warranty doesn't extend to it.
When to stain in Maryland
Stain goes on dry wood, in weather inside the range printed on the can. In Baltimore that makes spring and fall the easiest seasons for staining your deck, and a wet week moves the start date. A deck in full sun and one under trees dry out at different speeds after rain.
Staining the deck and some basement painting was exactly the touch we needed to add value to our home.
Ray Bush, Google review
I had Rise and Prime do my decking around the house. From the start, they were professional, honest, and had great communication.
drrad, Google review
From the measurement to the last board.
Professional deck staining puts stain only on clean, dry wood, so the cleaning and the drying each get a step of their own.
Looked at and measured
Someone looks at the deck with you, measures it in square feet, notes what's on the wood and any soft boards, and writes the scope, the price and the Sherwin-Williams product.
Cleaned, then dried
Deck cleaning by pressure washing or another method, decided by the condition of the wood, and then time for the boards to dry before any stain goes near them.
Repairs and prep
Raised fasteners set, rough spots sanded, and anything soft or rotten flagged early, so it isn't a surprise halfway through.
Stained
Stain worked into the boards, railings and stairs, with extra attention on the end grain and the edges where water sits longest.
Walked with you
A final walkthrough before the project closes out, with any touch-ups handled then. A deposit schedules the work, and the final balance is due after completion and that walkthrough.
Wood finishing from recent jobs.
Wood and prep from recent jobs: painted porch posts, a pressure washer set up beside a house and a stained rail. None of these is a deck.
Take it from the people who've hired us.
Deck staining questions.
What is the average cost to have someone stain a deck in Baltimore?
The cost to have someone stain a deck in Baltimore depends on the deck's square footage, how much railing and how many stairs it has, the condition of the wood and what's already on it. Rise and Prime prices decks by the square foot and writes the figure down after someone has seen the deck, because a bare gray deck and one with peeling solid stain are two different jobs at the same size. A text with a photo of the deck is a good place to start.
Should I pressure wash my wood deck before staining it?
A wood deck should be cleaned before it's stained, and pressure washing (some companies call it power washing) is one common way to do it, as long as the pressure suits the wood. Too much pressure raises the grain and leaves the boards fuzzy, so some decks do better with a deck cleaner and a gentler rinse. Either way, the wood has to dry out completely before stain goes on.
What stain do you use on decks?
Rise and Prime uses Sherwin-Williams coatings, and on decks, fences and other exterior wood that's usually the WoodScapes line, one of the Professional Coating Systems We Trust. Which product and how much color it carries depend on the type of wood and what's already on it. The product is named on your proposal before you sign, so you can look it up.
Why is my deck stain peeling?
Deck stain peels when it forms a film on top of the wood that loses its grip, which happens when a solid or heavy stain goes over an old coating, over wood that was wet or dirty, or on boards where water sits. A penetrating stain that soaks into the wood fades and wears thin over time without lifting in sheets, which keeps deck maintenance to cleaning and restaining. Once a deck is peeling, the loose finish has to come off before a new stain will hold.
Does the 3-Year Workmanship Warranty cover deck staining?
The 3-Year Workmanship Warranty doesn't cover deck staining. It covers qualifying painting projects, and stain is kept separate because a deck takes foot traffic, standing water and full sun on a flat surface in a way a painted wall doesn't. If part of your job is paint, ask at the estimate how that part is treated.
Do you stain decks across Baltimore County?
Rise and Prime stains decks across Baltimore City and Baltimore County, including Towson, Overlea, Rosedale, Parkville, Nottingham, White Marsh, Middle River, Glen Arm and Joppatowne, plus Ellicott City and Harford County. The estimate is free anywhere in that area.
Have someone measure the deck.
Send the deck's rough size, whether it has stairs and railings and what's on the wood now, and the price comes back written by the square foot.
- 122 Google reviews, 5.0 average
- Licensed in Maryland, MHIC #120401
- Fully insured
Start with the deck's size and what's on it.
Tell us roughly how big the deck is, whether it has stairs and railings, and what's on the wood now. We'll set up a free estimate, with the price written by the square foot and the stain named.
The house itself is exterior painting in Baltimore, and the deck and the house can be priced on one free painting estimate.