First coat
Bond and coverage
The first coat is doing a different job from the second. It bonds to what is underneath and it tells us where the substrate is still drinking, which is information you only get once paint is actually on the wall.
What this covers
Deck and Fence Staining, end to end
Horizontal wood outdoors in south Louisiana takes more sun and more wetting than any wall on the same property, so a deck runs on a much shorter clock than the house behind it does.
Decks and steps Fences and gates Pergolas and rails Docks and boathouses
How the work is run
Moisture content decides the start, not the calendar
Wood that still holds water will not take a stain, and stain applied over damp timber sits on the surface and lifts. After rain that means waiting, and how long depends on the lot, not the forecast.
We check the timber with a meter
On a canal lot in Slidell or a riverfront lot in Madisonville the wood is often wet again before it has finished drying. We check instead of assuming.
The old finish comes off or is made sound
A stain over a failing film is a stain that fails on the same schedule the old one did, and on a horizontal surface that schedule is short.
Stain or paint gets decided before anything is opened
Stain penetrates the timber and wears away gradually, which makes recoating in four years a wash and a fresh coat. Paint sits on top looking sharper for longer, then peels and has to be stripped back before anything else can happen. On a deck we usually argue for stain.
Waterside structures are measured on their own
Docks, boathouses and rails take more sun and far more wetting than the walls behind them, which is why they come due sooner and get quoted separately. People leave them off a request more often than not.
Why the quote says two
A coat and a job are different things
Painting a house here is a different job from painting one in a dry climate. Humidity changes how long a coat stays open, and it decides how much film you need on a wall before the weather starts taking it back.
Second coat
Color and film build
The second coat is where the color goes true and the film reaches the thickness printed on the tin. One coat over a sound wall looks fine from the driveway and looks thin on the north side by spring.
Why it is its own quote
A deck is not a small exterior job
A shorter clock
It is horizontal, it holds water and it takes the sun all day, so it comes due far more often than a wall. A waterside deck runs shorter again than one in an inland yard.
Weather, not scheduling
The most common source of failure on this work is starting too soon after rain. The wood has to dry out properly first.
Told apart on the estimate
Folding a deck into an exterior price hides both what it costs and when it will next be due, so it goes on its own line.
How a job runs
Three steps, from the call to the clean up
The same three whether the job is one room or a whole elevation.
- 01
Scheduling
Book your free consultation by phone or through the form. Ask for references at any time.
- 02
Free Consultation
You get a project schedule and an accurate quote, whatever the size of the job.
- 03
Work Starts
Your painter starts, keeps you updated, and tidies up when the job is done.
2,500
Jobs finished
12
Cities covered
2
Coats quoted as standard
$0
Cost of an estimate
Rated by our satisfied customers
Questions we get asked
Before you book the estimate
These are the ones asked about deck and fence staining specifically. If yours is not here, ask it on the call.
Not answered here?
Ask it on the estimate call. No charge, no obligation.
Mon to Fri, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Sat and Sun closed.
How often does a deck need redoing?
Far more often than a wall. It is horizontal, it holds water, and it takes the sun all day. A waterside deck in Slidell or Madisonville runs shorter again than one in an inland yard.
Stain or paint?
Usually stain on a deck. It penetrates and wears gradually, which makes recoating simple, whereas paint sits on the surface and eventually peels and needs stripping. On a fence, either can be right depending on the look you want.
Can you do it right after it rains?
No, and that is the most common source of failure on this work. The wood has to dry out properly first. How long depends on the lot, so we check instead of assuming.
Do you stain docks and boathouses?
Yes, quoted separately from the house or the deck, because they take considerably more weather and come due sooner.
Where we do it
Deck and Fence Staining in all twelve towns
The New Orleans metro, across the lake on the north shore, and up the river as far as Baton Rouge. Which ground you are on changes the schedule more than the size of the job.
Shade keeps moisture on a wall long after the sun has moved off it. Under a heavy oak canopy the recoat window stretches out, and the shaded elevation is the one that sets the schedule for the whole house.
A canal, a levee or a lakefront behind the house holds humidity at ground level. Two ends of one street can be ready to coat at different hours, so the order of the day matters more than the size of the crew.
Old siding, old millwork and old paint mean most of the day goes into preparation. On an older frontage the finish is only ever as good as what was scraped, filled and primed underneath it.
See every townAll twelve towns shown.
Either way
Small room or whole elevation
Whether you have a small interior project or a large-scale exterior makeover in mind, Big Easy Paintings is your partner for the work. Talk to us about the project, get a quote, and we will tell you plainly what it takes.
Free estimate
Tell us where you are and what needs painting
On site or remote, in all twelve towns. No charge and no obligation. If it is quicker to talk, call 504-226-6252 and we will pick up.
- A written quote for two coats, itemized
- The prep spelled out, not assumed
- A start date we can hold
- The same crew from first day to last
Request a free estimate
Or call 504-226-6252
Two coats, quoted up front
No range, no surprise second visit to finish what one coat could not.