Project Spotlight

Power wash and stain on a Newmarket back deck

June 6, 20255 min readBy VOL Handyman Team

This Newmarket homeowner has a beautiful two tier cedar deck with a covered gazebo, a slat privacy screen, and a built in step down to the yard. Years of sun, rain, and pollen had left the wood grey, fuzzy, and tired. They wanted it looking warm and rich again before the summer entertaining season.

Day one: full power wash

We started with a top to bottom rinse, then worked the deck in sections with a fan tip kept moving at a steady distance. Power washing cedar is all about pressure control. Too close or too high and you carve grooves into the soft grain. Too far and you barely lift the dirt.

Privacy screen and slat wall washed first so dirty runoff went down onto the deck, not back up onto clean wood
Followed the grain on every board to avoid fuzzing or feathering the surface
Lower deck rinsed last so debris washed off the edge and onto the lawn
Gazebo posts and trim wiped down by hand where the wand could not safely reach

Power washing a wooden privacy screen on a Newmarket back deck under a covered gazebo — Working the slat privacy screen first so runoff stayed on the deck instead of dirtying clean boards.

Pressure washer on a Newmarket back deck mid clean with a clear contrast between washed and unwashed boards — Halfway through the wash. The contrast between cleaned and untouched boards shows how much grey had built up.

Drying and prep

Cedar holds water deep in the grain. We gave the deck a full 48 hours of dry sunny weather before opening a single can of stain. Staining wet wood is the fastest way to get peeling and blotchy patches a few months down the road.

Before stain went on, we walked the whole deck again. Tightened a few loose screws, knocked down a couple of raised splinters, and taped off the brick and gazebo posts so nothing got speckled.

Day two: two coats of stain

We used a semi transparent oil based deck stain in a warm walnut tone. Semi transparent lets the cedar grain show through, which is exactly what this deck deserved. Two thin coats with a brush and roller, working three boards at a time so we always kept a wet edge and never lapped onto dry stain.

Stain cut in by brush along the railings, posts, and gazebo base first
Field of the deck rolled with a 1/4 inch nap, then back brushed into the grain
Second coat applied once the first was dry to the touch but not fully cured, for an even uptake
Step treads and the lower step down got an extra pass since they take the most foot traffic

Newmarket cedar deck with gazebo after staining, rich warm brown tone with railings and steps freshly coated — After: rich warm walnut on the railings, gazebo posts, step down, and the full main deck.

Close up of freshly stained cedar deck boards under a covered gazebo against a red brick wall — Under the gazebo: even coverage, clean lines along the brick, and grain still visible through the stain.

"A power wash and stain is one of the highest return jobs you can do on a deck. A weekend of work can buy you another five to seven years before you have to think about replacing boards."

Want the same for your deck?

VOL Handyman does deck cleaning, sanding, and staining across Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, and the rest of the GTA. Send us a few photos of your deck and we will quote it back the same day.