Deck Painting & staining throughout Princeton, MA.

According to a 2006 state report, most of the town outside two small business districts was zoned Residential-Agricultural, with a two-acre minimum lot size. Zoning may have changed since, but on a lot that size a deck may well face woods or a field rather than a neighbor's house. That makes a real difference for a finish: a deck under tall trees and one in an open yard wear out in different ways.

The Census counts 93.5% of housing units as detached single-family homes and puts zero units in buildings of 20 or more. For a detached house without a condo association, the choice of stain, color and timing usually rests with the owner.

Shade, leaves and slow drying

A Master Plan technical paper on cultural and historic resources, as summarized in the 2006 state report, cited the deciduous and evergreen canopy along parts of Routes 31, 140 and 62, and a house lot can have the same kind of cover. Decks under trees stay damp longer after rain and morning dew. That favors mildew, black spotting and green algae, especially near the house wall and in board gaps where needles and leaves collect.

Shaded decks need more than an occasional sweep. Clearing the gaps between boards so water can drain, washing with a mildew-killing cleaner and choosing a stain that contains a mildewcide all help. Tannin stains from wet oak leaves usually come out with an oxalic-acid brightener after cleaning. Decks in full sun have the opposite problem: ultraviolet light grays the wood and breaks down clear finishes quickly, so a stain with more pigment lasts longer there.

Older pressure-treated lumber

Census figures show 330 housing units built in the 1980s, 78 in the 1990s and 153 from 2000 through 2009. A deck original to a house from the 1980s or 1990s would be well past its first finish, and the wood itself may be near the end of its life. The EPA notes that makers stopped producing chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood for household use in December 2003, so a deck built earlier may be CCA lumber, and sanding dust from those boards should be controlled and collected rather than left in the yard.

Before any coating, check the structure: posts at the ground, joists, stair stringers and the ledger where the deck attaches to the house. Soft or split boards are replaced, popped nails are reset or swapped for screws, and loose railings are tightened. Stain will not fix a deck that is failing underneath.

• Inspect framing, stairs and railings, and replace bad boards
• Wash with a deck cleaner and a gentle rinse, not a high-pressure blast
• Brighten the wood and let it dry for at least a day or two
• Stain in thin coats and back-brush so it soaks in

Stain or paint

Penetrating and semi-transparent stains soak into the wood and fade gradually. When they wear, a cleaning and a fresh coat bring them back without scraping. Solid stain and porch paint hide mismatched or patched boards, but they form a film that can peel where people walk, and once peeling starts, the old film has to come off before recoating.

A common compromise is a penetrating stain on the floor and stairs, with solid color on railings, balusters and skirting, which get far less foot traffic. If the deck sits on a house built before 1978 and has old painted parts, such as a porch rail or lattice, those are scraped using the steps on our lead-safe painting page.

When to schedule

Stain needs dry wood, temperatures within the label range and a rain-free stretch while it cures. Late spring through early fall gives the most workable days; our post on deck stain and New England winters explains why a deck that goes into winter well sealed comes out of spring in better shape.

AJ Painting Services is based in Ashland, licensed and insured, and the on-site look and written estimate are free. For siding and trim on the same house, see exterior painting in Princeton.