Cleaning Wood Siding Before Staining

How to clean stained cedar siding.

Cleaning wood siding before staining.

Tack cloth is a cheesecloth like piece of fabric that s coated in a layer of sticky adhesive. If cedar is aged having grey weathered and or ugly black mildew all over the best cedar cleaner by far is oxi clean laundry detergent saving time and money and is also a must before staining. Diluted in water and applied often with a stiff scrub brush it can. Staining dramatically and permanently changes the appearance of wood so it is recommended that you test it first before applying it to furniture.

Clean wood siding your home s exterior really takes a beating. Scrub every square foot of the siding by hand. This means you have to use a type of cleaning solution that gets rid of buildup without leaving any residue behind as the stain won t properly absorb otherwise. Clean unfinished wood with a damp rag before staining.

Brushes bucket hose and tsp. Give it an occasional cleaning to brighten up its appearance get rid of mildew and prevent discoloration. Dealing with surface contaminants once the surface is in good condition re inspect for dirt mildew stains cedar bleed chalkiness and other foreign substances. Before staining replace rotting or decayed wood and remove loose stain and eroded wood fibers by sanding scraping or power washing the problem surfaces.

It wasn t so long ago that trisodium phosphate tsp was a go to choice for tough cleaning jobs especially on exteriors. Important tips painting or staining cedar wood for worker safety. Only difference between cleaning new. The black coloring or darkening of the cedar siding is caused by mold growth.

Get ready to stain once the wood is free of contaminants and the surface has been properly prepped you re ready to begin staining. They ll help you get pro like results you can be proud of. This is considered the best way to clean your siding since hand rubbing with a brush can scour off dirt better than water pressure alone. Test stain on an area of the piece that won t show like the back or the bottom of a wooden dress.

Also this gives you a chance to inspect and repair. Purchase or rent a power washer and spray the house down thoroughly. But before you dip your brush into the can of stain take a few minutes to read our articles on staining.