A bad stain job lasts a year. A good one lasts five. The difference is everything you do before the brush ever hits the wood — stripping, sanding, brightening, and letting it dry to the right moisture content.
Wood decks and fences in Florida take more abuse than any other exterior surface. UV graying, mildew, foot traffic, and rain cycling combine to turn cedar and pine into a fuzzy, splintery mess in a couple of seasons. We restore wood properly — strip, sand, neutralize, then stain — so the finish actually grabs.
On bare wood, stain wins almost every time — it penetrates instead of sitting on top, so it doesn't peel. Paint is fine on a fence that's already been painted, but once you paint wood, you're committing to repaints forever.
Semi-transparent shows the wood grain and looks beautiful for 2–4 years. Solid stain is more like paint — covers everything, lasts 4–6 years. We'll talk through trade-offs at the estimate.
24 hours for foot traffic, 72 hours before moving furniture back. Don't rush it — that's how scuffs happen.
Andy Feldman comes out personally, walks the project, and gives you a detailed written quote.
Based in St. Augustine. Serving St. Johns and Flagler counties — with focused expertise in the area's most established communities.