Peeling Red Deck Refinished Grey-Brown in Thornhill

The deck: red stain letting go everywhere

This Thornhill backyard deck sits off the sliding door, between a grey board fence and a garden bed. It had been finished in a red-brown stain that was now peeling across every board, worn through to pale wood in the walking areas, and lifting along the edges. A few boards near the front had split and softened enough that sanding would not save them. The owners also wanted the colour gone: the red fought with the grey fence and trim around the yard.

Replacing the damaged boards first

Before any sanding we cut out the boards that had split or rotted and fastened new pressure-treated boards to the existing joists. The during photo shows them as the brighter strips across the floor. Doing repairs first means the new boards are sanded and stained with the rest of the deck, so they blend in rather than showing as patches. Most older decks need a few boards like this, and it is a normal part of a deck restoration.

Sanded to bare wood

A peeling stain cannot be covered; anything left on the surface lifts the new finish with it. We sanded the entire floor and the edge boards back to clean bare wood, removing the red completely so the new colour would go on even. At that stage every board, new and old, is the same pale colour, ready to take stain.

Grey-brown semi-transparent stain

The deck was finished in a grey-brown semi-transparent penetrating stain. It soaks into the wood instead of forming a film, so it will wear gradually rather than peel, and the grain and knots show through the colour. The tone was picked to sit with the grey fence and trim, so the deck now reads as part of the yard rather than a red platform in the middle of it. The replaced boards disappear into the finish in the after photo.

The result

From a peeling red deck with a few bad boards to a solid, even grey-brown floor that matches the house. Maintenance from here is a wash and a refresh coat when the colour softens, with no stripping.

Deck repair and staining in Thornhill

UCO Construction Group repairs, sands and stains decks across Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Markham and the rest of the GTA. If your deck stain is peeling or a few boards need replacing, see our deck staining and restoration service and get in touch for a free on-site estimate.