Before you book a stain job

Most decks take three to four working days from wash to final walk-through, with a drying day between the wash and the stain. Weather moves it, and we give you the plan before we start.

The surfaces and their size, the repairs, the prep, the number of coats, the product and finish type, the color, the cleanup, the schedule, the payment schedule and the warranty terms. If a line is missing, ask for it.

Boards, posts or logs that turn out to be soft once the old finish is off, and any color beyond the ones written down. We price anything we find in writing before we do it.

Federal rules, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, cover paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes and child-occupied buildings built before 1978. Staining bare or stained wood usually doesn't disturb paint; scraping or sanding painted trim or siding can. We ask the year your home was built at the walk-through and tell you what the rule means for your job. Our firm's EPA number is in the footer and on the About page.

Transparent shows the most grain and wears away fastest on sun-facing boards. Semi-transparent adds color and keeps some grain. Solid hides the grain, like a thin paint. We brush samples on your own wood so you choose in daylight.

We buy it. The estimate names the product and finish type, and we hand you the product data sheet on request.

We don't stain wet wood or ahead of rain. A rain delay moves the dates; it doesn't add a charge. We text you the new plan the same day.

Washing, light sanding and masking are in every estimate. Replacing boards, setting popped nails, rebuilding railings and stripping an old solid coat are written as separate lines.

Yes. We cover plants, stone, glass and siding next to the work, and we wash the area when we leave. Please move planters, grills and furniture off a deck beforehand, or tell us and we will.

It depends on the stain, the sun and the wall. South and west walls wear first. At the walk-through we look at each side and tell you what we see rather than a number of years.

Yes, and many second-home owners do. We text photos at each step, you approve color by text, and we agree how we get in and out. Nobody needs to be on site.

A deposit books your slot. The rest is due on the payment schedule in your written estimate. We take check, card or bank transfer.

Our written warranty covers our workmanship. Terms, limits and exclusions are in your written warranty. Stain on exposed wood wears with sun and snow, and no warranty covers ordinary wear.

Yes. Send daylight photos of the wood, and we bring two or three samples to brush on a hidden board. For a log home we try them on the wall that gets the most sun.

Many Gallatin Valley subdivisions set stain colors in their covenants. Ask your board before you choose. We give you a color sheet with the product and finish to hand in.

Winter is when the summer calendar is open. Send photos from January on, and we pencil in a walk-through for when the snow leaves.

We tell you the day at the final walk-through, based on the product and the weather. Keep kids and pets off the stained area until we say, and read the product data sheet.