Deck Painting & staining in Charlton, MA.

Detached single-family homes make up 82.5% of Charlton's housing units, and the Census Bureau puts the median construction year at 1985. A deck built with one of those houses, or added later, has gone through years of freeze, thaw and ultraviolet light, and its finish history matters as much as the wood. Boards that have carried solid stain need different prep from boards that only ever got clear sealer, or nothing at all.

Before choosing a product, it helps to know three things: what the decking is, what was put on it last, and how quickly the surface dries after rain.

Shorelines, hollows and open ridges

The Massachusetts Historical Commission names Glenecho Lake, Prindle Pond, Cranberry Meadow Pond and Granite Reservoir among the town's water bodies, and Buffumville Lake, a 200-acre recreation lake, is nearby. Between 1915 and 1940, recreational cottages were built on the southeast shore of Cranberry Meadow Pond (Mystic Grove) and the west shore of Glenecho Lake (Glen Grove). A deck close to water or over low, damp ground dries slowly, which invites mildew and algae, so its posts and lower framing deserve a probe for soft wood where they meet the soil.

Higher up, the commission's 1984 report described suburban development in this hill town of drumlins as dispersed, with a clear preference for scenic ridge sites. A deck on an open ridge with no trees nearby can sit in sun for most of the day. Ultraviolet light grays and checks the wood and wears stain off the tops of the boards first, while rails and the shaded side of the stairs hold their color longer.

Penetrating stain or a film coating

Clear, toned and semi-transparent stains soak into the wood and fade by weathering, so a recoat is mostly cleaning and reapplying. Solid stains and deck paints sit on top as a film. They hide gray, blotchy or mismatched boards, but once water gets under the film on a horizontal surface it lifts and flakes, and the next job means scraping or stripping.

One workable split is a penetrating stain on the floor boards, where foot traffic and standing water are hardest on a finish, and a solid color on rails, balusters, fascia and skirting.

Know the wood first

Unless it is labeled kiln-dried after treatment, pressure-treated lumber can arrive wet. The manufacturer's instructions say how long to wait before finishing, and water drops that bead on the surface instead of soaking in mean the board is not ready. Cedar and redwood take semi-transparent stains well, but their tannins can bleed through light solid colors unless a stain-blocking primer goes first. Dense tropical hardwoods such as ipe need oils made for them, because ordinary deck stain may not penetrate. Composite and PVC boards are cleaned rather than stained, and only some manufacturers allow painting them.

• Clean with a deck wash, rinse, and let boards dry completely
• Strip failed coatings or brighten grayed wood before sanding
• Reset raised nails and screws; replace soft or split boards
• Apply thin coats and back-brush stain into the grain and board ends

Older painted rails and the estimate

Forty percent of the town's housing units date from before 1980. If a porch rail, step or deck railing on your house was painted before 1978, test it before sanding; the lead-safe painting page explains how that work is contained.

Board area, railing length, stairs, height off the ground, repairs and product type shape the price. Our deck staining cost guide explains each factor from Massachusetts market data. For your deck, book the free on-site visit and get a written estimate: (508) 258-4325, Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 6 PM.