Deck Painting & staining in Quincy, MA.

A deck is the most exposed painted or stained surface on a house. Rain sits on horizontal boards, sun hits them directly, and foot traffic grinds grit into the finish. Here, where the city's hazard plan lists more than 27 miles of shoreline and singles out nor'easters as the main coastal threat, a deck close to open water also takes wind-driven rain and spray during storms.

That exposure shapes the choice of coating more than color does. A penetrating stain soaks into the wood and wears away gradually, so recoating means a wash and a fresh coat. A solid paint or solid stain forms a film that hides worn wood well but can peel when water gets under it, and peeling film has to be scraped before the next coat. Our paint versus stain comparison goes through the trade-offs.

Decks near beaches and marshes

The 2019 hazard plan describes Squantum as lined mainly by beaches and the Houghs Neck and Germantown area as surrounded by salt marshes, and it places 26% of developed parcels in the Squantum Point/Marina Bay planning area and 29% in the Houghs Neck/Germantown planning area within coastal flood hazard zones. On lots like those, a deck may stay damp longer after storms, and low framing close to grade may be wetted by flooding.

Before any stain goes on, check for the damage moisture leaves behind: soft board ends, rot at the ledger where the deck meets the house, popped nails and gray, fibrous wood. Salt residue and mildew are washed off with a deck cleaner and a rinse, and the boards are allowed to dry thoroughly. Stain applied to wet or salty wood will not soak in evenly and tends to fail first on the boards that stay wettest.

• Probe board ends, stair stringers and the ledger for soft wood
• Wash off mildew, dirt and salt, then let the deck dry for several days
• Replace failed boards before staining so the color can be matched once

Pressure-treated, cedar and older lumber

New pressure-treated pine is wet from the treatment and usually needs weeks to dry before it accepts stain; a few drops of water that bead instead of soaking in mean it is not ready. Cedar takes a penetrating oil or semi-transparent stain well and weathers to gray if left bare. Composite decking generally needs cleaning, not stain.

Decks built before 2004 may be framed or floored with CCA-treated lumber, which manufacturers stopped producing for homeowner uses in December 2003. EPA advises goggles and a dust mask when sawing it and says not to burn the scraps. Cleaning and staining it is fine; heavy sanding and cutting deserve the same caution as sawing.

Painted porches on older houses

With 68.5% of local housing units built before 1980, a painted front porch, railing or set of stairs may carry lead in its older coats. Massachusetts lead-safe rules apply to paid work on a pre-1978 home that disturbs more than 20 square feet of exterior paint, and a porch floor plus railings passes that quickly. That means ground cover, wet scraping and careful chip cleanup, especially where children use the steps. The lead-safe painting page explains the requirements, and the Norwood porch steps project shows a repainted set of steps.

Timing a deck job

Stain needs dry wood, dry weather for a day or two after application and temperatures within the product's range, which rules out most of winter. Late spring and early fall work well because the sun is less harsh than midsummer and the boards dry between showers. The post on deck stain and New England winters covers how freeze-thaw cycles wear a finish.