Cleaning And Sealing Cedar Siding

Special techniques are necessary for cedar and redwood home maintenance because the wood is soft and can easily be damaged.

Cleaning and sealing cedar siding.

Wash part of a wall and allow it to dry thoroughly before applying the sealant. 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. Get rid of that grunge by cleaning your cedar siding with an. The siding must be thoroughly cleaned and old layers of paint or sealer must be removed before you can apply a new coat.

Begin by sweeping off dust and cobwebs. Make sure you use low pressure because high pressure can damage the wood. Then using low pressure power wash your home. The wood cleaner will remove dirt gunk and grime that could be contaminating the surface of the wood.

Have any damaged pieces replaced. If necessary use a paint removing product to remove an old layer of paint. Cedar shingles can also grow moss and algae or develop iron staining which requires periodic cleaning. It is highly toxic to vegetation.

Pressure washing can damage cedar so if possible wash by hand. Inspect the siding for rot or damage. 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. How to seal cedar siding if you re applying sealant to siding that is already installed it is essential to throughly clean the wood surface being sealed.

The side of the house with the least sun exposure can be the worst spot with the cedar developing mildew or mold that looks black. The safe and effective way to clean the wood is oxygen bleach. It is non toxic to trees and vegetation and will not remove natural color from the siding. Removing the the wood mold with oxygen bleach.

It s important that cedar and redwood siding as well as cedar shingles and shakes are cleaned using a two step method prior to sealing the wood with a semitransparent oil based finish.