Clean Cedar Siding Before Staining

Now the cleaned and brightened cedar wood siding is ready to stain.

Clean cedar siding before staining.

After you have washed it wait for it to dry before applying any stain to the cedar. 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. Use a thick brush when staining. 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.

Only difference between cleaning new and old wood is new wood does not require much cleaning as old discolored wood sometimes does. Dealing with surface contaminants once the surface is in good condition re inspect for dirt mildew stains cedar bleed chalkiness and other foreign substances. Power washing can damage the wood and bleach can damage a power washer. 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.

Do not attempt to power wash your cedar siding. Cedar shingles can also grow moss and algae or develop iron staining which requires periodic cleaning. Staining the restored cedar siding. Though it may be more time consuming always clean your cedar siding by hand.

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. In the past he had used oil based wood stain products but found the mold and mildew returning within a few years each time. Cedar siding after mold removal cleaning and brightening.