Backyard Deck Maintenance Coat

About This Project

A big ground-level deck off a brick-and-siding home in Fort Erie, with a raised corner under a hardtop gazebo, black aluminum spindle railings, a wood privacy screen, and box steps down to the lawn. We restored and finished Lorie's deck back in 2024, and she had us return for a maintenance coat. That visit keeps a finished deck protected and looking new instead of letting it slide back to grey, and it costs a fraction of a full restoration. We cleaned off a season of dirt and surface weathering, sanded the floor boards back to a fresh open surface, let everything dry, and re-applied Benjamin Moore Woodluxe oil in Natural.

The Challenge

A maintenance coat works by doing less, and that only holds up when the first job was done right. We had to clean off dirt and weathering without cutting into the sound finish on the railings and screens, then lay the new oil evenly over previously coated wood so it absorbed the same everywhere, with no dark laps or blotches. We cut in by hand around the gazebo, the black spindles and post caps, and the privacy screen, keeping the finish on the wood and off everything else.

Before & After

BEFORE

AFTER

Drag the slider to compare before and after restoration.

Project Video

Project Photos