Why your last deck stain peeled within a year

Three reasons usually, in this order: wrong product, wrong application, wrong prep.

Wrong product means a film-forming stain sold at a big-box store. It coats the surface instead of penetrating the wood. The first thaw or heat wave breaks the bond and the finish lifts off.

Wrong application means spraying without back-brushing. Spraying alone leaves the product sitting on top of the grain. Without a brush worked into the wood, there is no real bond with the fiber underneath.

Wrong prep means staining on top of old finish, dirt, mildew, or wood that was never cleaned. The new stain bonds to the old layer, not the wood. When the old layer fails, the new stain comes off with it.

Fixing it usually means stripping back to clean wood, sanding to a fresh surface, then applying a professional-grade product the right way. That is the work we do.