R. Courtney Painting · San Mateo

Enhance Your Outdoor Space with a Beautifully Stained Wooden Gate

A wooden gate or fence is the first impression of your home — and the fastest project to transform curb appeal. Done right, a stain lasts 5–7 years. Done wrong, you're refinishing in 18 months. Here's how we do it.

We get more calls about gates and fences in spring and fall than any other exterior project. After 20+ years of staining wooden exteriors across San Mateo and the Peninsula, here's what separates a stain that holds for 5+ years from one that's gray and peeling in two.

Prep is 80% of the work. A pressure wash isn't enough on weathered wood. We hand-sand every problem area, neutralize any old finish residue, and let the wood dry to a measurable moisture content before we open a can of stain. Skipping this step is the #1 reason DIY jobs fail.

Pick the right stain for your wood and your weather. Cedar fences in Hillsborough or Atherton often want a semi-transparent stain that lets the wood grain show. Redwood gates that get full sun typically need a heavier-bodied stain with UV inhibitors. The wrong product on the right wood is a guaranteed two-year refinish.

Two coats — but only if the first one is fully cured. Stain should soak in, not pool. We schedule the second coat 24–48 hours after the first, weather depending. Rushing the second coat is the second-most-common reason a stain peels.

Maintenance check at year three. A 5-minute walk-around at year three tells you if you'll get the full life of the stain or if a touch-up extends it another two years. We tell every client to text us a photo at year three. We'll tell you straight whether you need us back yet or not.

If your gate or fence is gray, splintering, or peeling, send a photo and we'll give you an honest assessment — including whether it needs a refinish or just a good cleaning. We don't sell work that doesn't need to be done.

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