MetroWest Boston
Deck, porch & fence staining
A deck is the hardest-working horizontal surface on your property. It also gets refinished more often than anything else, so the question that matters is what it costs you over ten years.
- Typical investment
- $1.50 – $4.00 per sq ft, plus stripping where needed — see the full breakdown
- How long it takes
- 2 – 4 days including dry time
- Season
- May – September; the wood has to be genuinely dry
- Warranty
- 3 years, written, on workmanship — terms
Strip, neutralise, brighten and sand — not just a wash and a fresh coat over a failing finish.
Solid, semi-transparent or clear, chosen for how the deck is used and how often you want to redo it.
Railings and balusters priced by linear foot so you can see what the fiddly part costs.
We will talk you out of painting a deck floor. Almost always the wrong call in New England.
One of ours
Before and after
Stain or paint? The honest answer
Paint on a deck floor looks fantastic for one season and then peels, because a horizontal surface holds water and paint forms a film that traps it from below. Stain penetrates instead of filming, so when it wears it fades rather than flakes — which means the next refinish is a wash and a coat, not a strip.
Railings and risers are a different matter — vertical surfaces shed water and paint holds fine there. A painted railing over a stained floor is a common and correct combination in this area.
How often, realistically
| Finish | Look | Redo interval |
|---|---|---|
| Clear / water repellent | Natural wood, greys over time | 1 – 2 years |
| Semi-transparent stain | Grain shows through color | 2 – 3 years |
| Solid / opaque stain | Color, grain texture only | 4 – 6 years |
Full sun and a south exposure sit at the short end of every one of those ranges. A shaded deck under trees gets more years out of the finish but more mildew, so it needs cleaning between coats.
New wood needs to wait
Pressure-treated lumber that has just been installed is still wet with treatment chemicals and will not accept stain properly. Kiln-dried-after-treatment stock can be finished quickly; standard treated lumber usually needs several weeks to months. We will do a sprinkle test on site and tell you honestly if you should wait, even though it means we come back later.
Recent work
Decks & fences photographs
We recently had the exterior of our house painted by Target Painting, and we couldn’t be happier with the result. Alex and Hector did an outstanding job and were extremely careful, skilled, and attentive to detail throughout the project… The quality of the preparation and painting was excellent, and the finished house looks terrific.
Target Painting worked really hard to restore and paint my home. The home needed a lot of carpentry work on the south side. Target replaced/repaired all of the trim that needed attention. Then they cleaned the gutters, power-washed, caulked and prepped all surfaces for painting. The job was done correctly and not rushed. I will have Target back for several other projects I have coming up.
I have used Target painting now for both interior and exterior painting. The exterior was just finished and they did an excellent job. Big shout out to Joe and Matheus for getting my house painted to perfection. I highly recommend this company.
FAQ
Decks & fences — questions we get asked
My deck is grey and rough. Is it too far gone?
Almost certainly not. Grey is UV-damaged surface fibre, and it sands off. If the boards are structurally sound, a strip-brighten-sand cycle takes it back to fresh wood. We only recommend replacement when boards are soft or cupped past sanding.
Can you do it in a weekend?
Cleanly, no. Stripping and washing has to dry fully — usually 24 to 48 hours — before sanding and staining. Rushing that step is the single most common reason a deck finish fails early.
Do you stain fences too?
Yes, and it is usually sprayed and back-brushed for speed and even coverage. We price fences by the linear foot and by height.