Refinishing that actually lasts in Colorado UV.
Strip, sand, repair, and seal with stains formulated for high-altitude conditions.
Most refinishing jobs fail within 18 months because the prep was wrong. Ours don't.
Prep is everything.
The stain you buy at Home Depot isn't the reason your deck looks bad after one winter. The reason is that the prep wasn't done. Old finish wasn't stripped, the surface wasn't sanded, mill glaze wasn't removed.
On a properly prepped deck, even moderate stains last 3–5 years in Colorado. On an improperly prepped deck, the best stain in the world fails in 12 months.
Strip, sand, repair, clean, seal.
Every refinishing job starts with chemically stripping the old finish, then sanding to fresh wood with 60–80 grit. We replace any boards too far gone to refinish, set raised nails or screws, and brighten the wood with an oxalic acid solution.
Only then do we apply stain — usually two coats of penetrating oil, brushed in, not sprayed.
Penofin, Cabot, Sikkens — formulated for altitude.
Big-box stains are formulated for sea level. Colorado UV is 25–35% more intense at our elevation. We use trans-oxide pigment penetrating oils from Penofin (Verde and Blue Label), Cabot Australian Timber Oil, and Sikkens Cetol Maintenance.
These hold their color for years instead of fading to gray in one summer.
From clear-coat to solid: which to pick.
Clear and transparent stains show wood grain but offer the least UV protection — 1–2 years typical life in Colorado. Semi-transparent (our most-recommended) shows grain with real UV pigments — 3–5 year life. Solid stain looks like paint, hides the wood, and lasts 5–7 years but eventually peels.
We bring samples and recommend based on the wood's condition and your maintenance appetite.
Replace what's failed before we seal it.
Sealing a rotted board just locks the rot in. We pull anything structurally compromised or visually unsalvageable, replace it with matching kiln-dried lumber, and let the new wood acclimate before stain.
We're honest about which boards can be saved and which can't.
We refinish the whole system, not just the deck floor.
A freshly stained deck floor with weathered gray rails looks half-finished. We refinish railings, post bases, fascia, and stair stringers as part of every job.
Substructure (joists, beams) only gets attention if it needs repair — those parts are designed to weather.
Spring and fall are best in Colorado.
Stain has to be applied to dry wood, in moderate temperature, with no rain in the forecast for 48 hours. Front Range conditions limit us to roughly mid-April through May and mid-September through October for best results.
We can sometimes refinish through summer but we work around afternoon storms.
What deck refinishing costs.
Strip-and-restain a deck in decent condition: $4–$7 per square foot. Add sanding and board replacement: $6–$10 per square foot. On a typical 400 sq ft deck the all-in cost is $1,800–$3,500.
Cheaper jobs are out there. They are almost universally the no-prep, spray-and-pray work that fails in a year.
A look at the craft.
Answers before you ask.
Don't see your question? Call us or schedule a free site visit and we'll walk through it on your deck.
How often will I need to do this?
With semi-transparent stain properly applied, every 3–5 years. Solid stain stretches to 5–7.
Can you match my existing color?
Usually within a shade or two. Faded existing stain is hard to match exactly — we'll bring samples.
Is power-washing enough prep?
No. Power washing without stripping just embeds old finish deeper. It's the #1 reason refinishing jobs fail.
Often built together.
Deck Repair
Structural fixes, board replacement, and full-system rebuilds — done right the first time.
Custom Design & Build
Multi-level layouts, built-in seating, integrated lighting and shade — drawn, engineered, and built by one team.
Composite Decking
Trex, TimberTech, and Fiberon installed by Colorado's longest-running composite specialist.
Ready to make your deck safe again?
No pressure. No upsell BS. Just an honest look at your deck and what — if anything — it needs.
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
For emergencies, call any time and leave a message.
Pick your own date and time
We'll confirm within one business day and show up when we said we would.
Because your backyard deserves nothing less than the best.