How To Stain Old Cedar Siding

Bring back your cedar siding s beauty with a simple homemade solution.

How to stain old cedar siding.

Semi transparent stains are your best bet when you want the real look of slightly weathered cedar with protection. The four types of stain you can use for your cedar siding. Prep and paint or stain the wood to prolong its life as siding or repurpose it in functional ways. Restaining can be time consuming but it s easily enough done.

Staining cedar siding differs from application of paint and other finishes. Use an oil based stain instead of latex. If you are interested in keeping the natural appearance of cedar then the clear stain is for you. The clear stain does darken the cedar somewhat but otherwise lets the beauty of the wood shine through.

The few solid particles in this mix will not significantly obscure cedar s wood grain. Staining cedar with a semi transparent stain. 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 while you can use household bleach to kill mold and algae it tends to make the cedar shingle s surface. The following outline is intended to prepare you before buying any such products knowing exactly which type fits your final outcome.

Restaining your cedar siding involves removing the old protective coating and applying a new layer of wood stain in the color of your choice then applying more protective coating. First remove any mill glaze a hard shiny surface on one side of the siding by sanding. Cedar shingles can also grow moss and algae or develop iron staining which requires periodic cleaning. Stains dry rapidly and fresh stain applied over dried stain will show lap marks.

However with semi transparent stains you will need to take care with the application. When putting up brand new cedar siding it is recommended that your first stain be oil based alklyd.