A Beaver County couple believed they had done everything necessary to prepare their 12-year-old wooden deck, steps and railings for staining in May 2007.

They hired a trusted contractor, a man who had done work for them for 20 years. He agreed the deck was overdue for weatherproofing. He and an assistant cleaned all the surfaces with a power washer, let them dry for 13 days and applied a light gray stain.

A screened-in porch covers about half of the deck. The contractor and his assistant returned two weeks later to apply a second coat of stain to the part of the deck that is exposed to the elements. They charged $1,664 for their labor.

Earlier this year, the couple noticed that the stain applied to the exposed section of the deck was starting to flake. They were surprised, especially since they don't use a shovel to clear it of snow. "We just let it melt," the wife said.

They called the contractor. He reminded them there was a three-year warranty on the stain. He also said he had copies of all of the receipts related to the job.

So did the couple.

The couple contacted the manufacturer, explained the problem and asked to be reimbursed for the labor and $384 in materials for the job.

The manufacturer sent them an unsigned letter from the "Warranty Services Unit" that included a questionnaire to help the company evaluate their claim. It also asked for original receipts, peeling samples, photographs of the areas in question and "any other documentation you feel may help us in our evaluation."

Among other things, the manufacturer wanted to know:

What type of surface was the stain applied to, what was the age and condition of the surface, what products were used to prep the surface, who had done the work, the type of traffic or abrasion that the stain was subjected to, when did the problem first appear, what appeared to be wrong and what did they want the company to do about it.

To their credit, the couple said their contractor hadn't used all of the manufacturer's products, including a stain and finish stripper and a wood conditioner, to prepare the deck prior to applying the stain.

And to its credit, the manufacturer said it would work with them to correct the problem.

The wife, who asked for anonymity because of the sensitive nature of her job, asked me to relay to readers the importance of following all the step-by-step instructions on the label of any weather-proofing stain.

"This process is essential for the penetration of the stain and the removal of loose wood fiber," the manufacturer said in an unsigned letter to the couple from the "Warranty Services Team." It said the "lack of preparation contributed to the problems you are experiencing."

Although the wife pointed out that the manufacturer has made some changes in the instructions on its cans of stain since 2007, she and her husband will ask their contractor to follow them to the letter before applying the new stain.

Good idea.

I am aware that some manufacturers make consumers jump through hoops to comply with their respective warranties, especially when it requires them to buy more prep products for paints and stains. But that's usually the only redress consumers have if one or more of the products don't last as long as they should.

The contractor told me to remind do-it-yourselfers not to use too much pressure when pressure-washing a deck. "They just need to clean it, not sandblast it," he said. "And they always should read the instructions."

Amen.