Cleaning And Sealing Cedar Siding

The safe and effective way to clean the wood is oxygen bleach.

Cleaning and sealing cedar siding.

It is highly toxic to vegetation. 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. 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. Surface preparation to prepare the surface of rough cut cedar siding wash the siding down with a good wood cleaner and follow that up with an application of wood brightener.

Have any damaged pieces replaced. The wood cleaner will remove dirt gunk and grime that could be contaminating the surface of the wood. It is non toxic to trees and vegetation and will not remove natural color from the siding. Special techniques are necessary for cedar and redwood home maintenance because the wood is soft and can easily be damaged.

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. Then using low pressure power wash your home. The siding must be thoroughly cleaned and old layers of paint or sealer must be removed before you can apply a new coat. 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.

Make sure you use low pressure because high pressure can damage the wood. Removing the the wood mold with oxygen bleach. Wash part of a wall and allow it to dry thoroughly before applying the sealant. Pressure washing can damage cedar so if possible wash by hand.

Cedar shingles can also grow moss and algae or develop iron staining which requires periodic cleaning. The oxygen bleach comes as a granular powder that mixes with water. 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. Inspect the siding for rot or damage.

Get rid of that grunge by cleaning your cedar siding with an.