My cedar deck looks terrible after last winter, gray, blotchy, and the old stain is peeling off in sheets

[Jonh Newman]

Good afternoon, folks. My cedar deck looks terrible after last winter, gray, blotchy, and the old stain is peeling off in sheets near the steps. I tried power washing it myself last weekend and probably made it worse, now there are fuzzy spots everywhere. I'm in Evanston and I'd like it done before it gets too cold. Is this something worth hiring out, or should I just buy a few gallons of stain and give it another shot? Curious what people paid and whether it actually lasted more than a season.

[Konstantin Volkov]

Fuzzy spots after power washing are pretty common, the pressure lifts the wood fibers and stain won't sit right on top of them. That's mostly why I stopped doing it myself. Last fall I hired Handy Eagle Pro https://handyeaglepro.com/deck-staining-painting/ for our deck in Skokie. They stripped the old finish, sanded down the raised grain, let it dry out properly and then put on two coats. It's been through a full winter now and still looks even, no peeling at the steps, which was always my problem area. It wasn't the cheapest quote I got, but the prep work was clearly better than what the other guys described. One thing to keep in mind is timing: they need a few dry days in a row, so it's worth booking soon if you want it done before the cold sets in.