Cleaning Cedar Siding Before Painting

Allowing fresh siding to weather for as little as two weeks negatively affects coating adhesion.

Cleaning cedar siding before painting.

Work a paint scraper from every direction keeping the blade flat against the wood so you don t create gouge marks. Cedar shingles can also grow moss and algae or develop iron staining which requires periodic cleaning. The full strength solution should be strong enough to break down and remove failing coatings from the siding. Check the cleaner every 15 minutes.

This prevents dirt from streaking downward on the siding. Move on to the next section below that one. When all sections are done spray the entire house side once again. Mist it with water if the cleaner starts to dry.

Pound in any protruding nail heads. Remove as much filth as possible before continuing. Keep the cleaner wet to ensure its effectiveness. Test results from the forest products testing lab run by the usda for the forest service show that after 12 weeks of exposure to sunlight cedar siding has lost half of its ability to hold a film forming coating system like primer and paint.

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. 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. Think your siding is already clean. Let dry by itself at least 24 48 hours 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. If you decide to paint your cedar siding you ll need to clean it thoroughly to remove as much dirt and residue as possible. The following outline is intended to prepare you before buying any such products knowing exactly which type fits your final outcome. 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.

Leave it on longer than 30 minutes if needed. Let the cleaner sit on the cedar siding for 15 to 30 minutes. Use a paint scraper to remove any peelings or coatings so that the paint will adhere to the surface of the cedar more easily. Scrub upward starting at the bottom of the cedar siding.

Before sanding scrape loose and flaking paint from the siding. Use a scraper to remove loose paint from the siding working from every direction. Avoid using a bristle brush as this can scratch the painted surface. You will be surprised at how dirty this second batch of water is.

Scrub the siding with a long handled squeegee.