Refinishing Painted Cedar Siding

In refinishing painted or solid color stained siding and trim removal of the old coating may be required.

Refinishing painted cedar siding.

Exterior western red cedar surfaces only need to be refinished when the old coating has worn thin and no longer affords the wood protection. Step 4 let the cleaner sit on the cedar siding for 15 to 30 minutes. This is necessary if for example the old finish is severely cracked or is peeling. The type of finish selected is driven by style preference.

First painting freshly milled cedar requires a paint stain unless a 100 acrylic exterior primer is used first thereby allowing a 100 solid acrylic paint to be used as final finish coats. Do not soak the wood. What you get is a very uniform opaque color. This is a cleaning solution specially designed for removing any stubborn stains or greasy marks on the wood.

Thus solid color stains let some of the cedar s grain show through but none of the color. It is not all about protection. Exterior grade acrylic latex paint is the most dependable finish in terms of protecting cedar. Use the wood cleaner according to instructions on the product s packaging.

Rinse the surface with a second damp cloth and pat the siding dry with a dry cloth. Apply this to the entire surface of cedar siding making sure that the wood is completely saturated with it. Staining cedar with a solid color stain. Although quick and easy sandblasting and pressurized water spray are not recommended unless extreme care is taken to avoid damage to the wood s surface.

What you do before the finish goes on makes the most differenc. Wash the entire surface with a dampened cloth removing any traces of dirt and revealing the wood finish. For many owners painted cedar siding is a particular style. The upside is that solid color stains will block most damaging ultraviolet light.

Watch this quick tutorial on what you need to do to prepare wood house siding for refinishing. Solid color stains have solid particles but not nearly as many as paint. Finishes can be removed by sanding wet sandblasting pressurized water spray electrically heated paint removers and chemicals. Choose the correct type of paint for the cedar.

Use a paint scraper to remove any peelings or coatings so that the paint will adhere to the surface of the cedar more easily. Remove any old caulking as well and replace it with new caulking. 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. Clean the siding with a mixture of 1 part bleach and 4 parts water.