Deck Refinished & New Aluminum Railings in Woodbridge

The deck: peeling floor, tired railings

This raised deck in Woodbridge runs across the whole back of the house, a full storey above the patio. The floor had been coated in a brown solid stain that was now peeling in sheets, with bare grey wood showing through across the walking areas. The old wood railings were sound but dated, and the owners were ready for something that would not need refinishing every few years. So the job had two parts: bring the deck boards back properly, and replace the railings with maintenance-free aluminum.

Sanding the solid stain off completely

A peeling solid stain cannot be recoated; the new finish only holds as well as the failing layer beneath it. We removed the old railings first, which left the floor completely open, then sanded every board back to clean bare wood — no film left in the grain, no grey. The during photo shows the deck at that stage: the whole platform and the wraparound section at a uniform pale colour, ready to take stain evenly. On a deck restoration this step decides whether the finish lasts.

Oil-based stain on the floor, posts and beams

The floor was finished in an oil-based penetrating stain in a warm brown, and the support posts, beams and stair stringers were done to match. Oil soaks into the wood and cures inside the board instead of forming a film on top, so it wears gradually and takes a maintenance coat without stripping — the opposite of the coating that failed. The after photo of the floor shows the grain and knots through the colour and the deck reading as one continuous surface from the house to the far corner.

New black aluminum railings and stairs

With the floor finished we installed a new black powder-coated aluminum railing system around the deck, and a matching aluminum rail down the new staircase to the yard. Aluminum never needs sanding or staining, the slim black pickets keep the view open, and the colour sits well against the warm oiled wood and the brick. From the yard the result is a deck that looks rebuilt: dark railings, stained posts and beams, and a clean run of stairs to the lawn.

The result

One visit, two problems solved: a deck floor that will not peel again, and railings that will never need finishing. Maintenance from here is a wash and a fresh coat of oil on the wood when the colour softens, and nothing at all for the railings.

Deck staining and aluminum railings in Woodbridge and Vaughan

UCO Construction Group restores and stains decks and installs aluminum, glass and wood railings across Woodbridge, Vaughan, Kleinburg, Maple, Bolton and the rest of the GTA. If your deck stain is peeling or your railings are past their best, see our deck staining service and our railings page, and get in touch for a free on-site estimate.