How to know when your deck needs to be re-stained

Three signs, in order of urgency.

The color is fading and you do not love it any more. Cosmetic. No structural issue. Schedule a refresh when you are ready, no rush. With a hand-applied finish we usually restain over the existing stain after light prep.

Water no longer beads on the boards. Functional. The finish is no longer protecting the wood. Splashed water soaks in instead of running off. This is the time to schedule before damage shows up.

Boards are graying or turning green. Borderline urgent. Gray means dust is accumulating on bare wood and trapping moisture, which leads to rot. Green means biological growth. Both shorten the life of the deck. Get a quote soon.

If your deck is at the third stage, do not panic, but do not wait through another full season. The longer bare wood sits exposed, the more the boards lose to rot.