St. Catharines decks and pergolas, the rest of the wood.

The fence is rarely the only thing going grey out back. Decks, pergolas, gates, and gazebos need the same prep-first clean and stain, and the approach differs from fence staining in a few ways that matter. A deck takes more abuse than a fence because it sits flat and holds water and sun all day, then takes foot traffic on top.

Deck staining

A deck gets the full clean, brighten, and dry, then a stain chosen for horizontal, walked-on wood. The right finish for a deck surface is one that grips underfoot and sheds water rather than a glossy film that wears through in the traffic lanes. The gaps between deck boards and the end-grain at cut ends deserve particular attention: end-grain is where deck rot actually starts, because cut wood ends absorb water far more readily than the face grain. Sealing those ends properly is a meaningful difference between a deck staining job that holds and one that leaves the most vulnerable part unprotected.

Pergolas and overhead structures

• Pergolas and arbours. Overhead and angled wood needs the tops done properly since that is where sun and water sit. The technique for overhead surfaces is a slightly thicker application to compensate for the wood facing upward, and the cleaning step matters more since debris and moisture collect on horizontal overhead members.
• Gates. Stained on both faces with hardware protected, so the most-touched piece of the fence looks the part and weathers evenly.
• Gazebos and larger structures. Larger backyard wood handled with the same prep-first approach, quoted by the project.

Why bundle with the fence

Most of the cost of a small job is mobilizing: getting the crew, the gear, and the materials on site. Once set up for a fence, adding the deck or pergola the same day skips a second mobilization and a second trip charge, so the whole backyard gets done as one project for less than the sum of two. Tell a contractor everything that is wood out back and ask for the combined price before deciding what to include.

What it costs

No verified Niagara or Ontario figure for what this work costs exists in any government, association, or other authoritative source, so this guide publishes none. The way to learn what your job costs is a written, itemized quote from a local contractor, and a second one itemized the same way so the two can be compared line by line.