22-Year-Old Minnetonka Deck Gets a Safe, Sharp New Railing

Here's the honest truth about a 22-year-old deck - the bones might still be solid, but the railing? That's usually the first thing to go. Peeling wood, loose balusters, and deteriorating posts aren't just ugly. They're a liability. That's exactly what we were dealing with on this Minnetonka deck.

We stripped out the old railing system completely and replaced it with new cedar - top rail, balusters, posts, all of it. Cedar is a great choice for this kind of work. It holds stain well, it's naturally resistant to moisture, and it looks clean and sharp when it's done right. We finished everything with Sherwin Williams water-based solid body stain, which gives the wood that consistent, even color you see and holds up well through Minnesota winters.

We also took care of some fascia patchwork while we were at it. That's the kind of detail that separates a rushed job from a complete one. When you're already on-site doing railing work, walking away without addressing worn fascia boards just means the homeowner is calling someone else in six months. We'd rather handle it all at once and leave the place in better shape than we found it.

The deck itself - composite decking in a clean gray - was already in solid shape, so we worked around it and let the new cedar railing do the heavy lifting visually. The contrast between the warm stained cedar and the gray decking came out really well. Our clients were genuinely excited to use this space again. That reaction never gets old.

Fall get-togethers are right around the corner in Minnesota, and nobody wants to host on a deck that feels sketchy underfoot or unsafe along the edges. If your deck's railing is showing its age, it's worth getting eyes on it sooner rather than later. We work year-round and we know how to get these projects done before the cold sets in.