Cleaning Cedar Siding Before Painting

Get rid of that grunge by cleaning your cedar siding with an oxygen bleach and choosing a protectant that doesn t feed future mold growth.

Cleaning cedar siding before painting.

Pound in any protruding nail heads. Cedar shingles can also grow moss and algae or develop iron staining which requires periodic cleaning. Work a paint scraper from every direction keeping the blade flat against the wood so you don t create gouge marks. This prevents dirt from streaking downward on the siding.

Check the cleaner every 15 minutes. While you can use household bleach to kill mold and algae it tends to make the cedar shingle s surface fuzzy because of the excessive pulping reaction when using it. Let dry by itself at least 24 48 hours before painting. The full strength solution should be strong enough to break down and remove failing coatings from the siding.

You ll also need to seal and prime the wood to provide a surface that. Keep the cleaner wet to ensure its effectiveness. Scrub the siding with a long handled squeegee. 7 tips painting or staining cedar wood siding walking into a paint store can be overwhelming trying to decide which paint or stain coating you wish to provide your exterior cedar wood and siding as there are many varieties.

Use a paint scraper to remove any peelings or coatings so that the paint will adhere to the surface of the cedar more easily. Think your siding is already clean. Leave it on longer than 30 minutes if needed. Let the cleaner sit on the cedar siding for 15 to 30 minutes.

Use a scraper to remove loose paint from the siding working from every direction. Mist it with water if the cleaner starts to dry. If your siding is already stained painted or treated with a water repellent you must scrape off any of the coatings before you can paint over it. Avoid using a bristle brush as this can scratch the painted surface.

The following outline is intended to prepare you before buying any such products knowing exactly which type fits your final outcome. Try mixing up fresh tsp water solution again and re scrubbing it. If you decide to paint your cedar siding you ll need to clean it thoroughly to remove as much dirt and residue as possible. Allowing fresh siding to weather for as little as two weeks negatively affects coating adhesion.

When all sections are done spray the entire house side once again. Remove as much filth as possible before continuing. Before sanding scrape loose and flaking paint from the siding. Department of agriculture s forest services laboratory recommends cleaning cedar shingles with an oxidizing bleach as opposed to a household bleach to avoid damaging the wood.

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