Use a thick brush when staining.
Sanding cedar siding before staining.
What you get is a very uniform opaque color.
Solid color stains have solid particles but not nearly as many as paint.
Power tools make sanding go faster but heavy duty ones such as belt sanders are designed for heavier carpentry work and could quickly ruin a fine antique.
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.
If the wood has weathered some you may have to do some surface preparation such as sanding before you can apply stain.
Excessive scraping or sanding is not required.
Cedar siding can last decades and it requires little maintenance to retain its natural beauty.
If you do need to sand it with a power sander use an orbital sander with 100 grit sandpaper.
A palm sander a lightweight rotary sander is more suitable for refinishing.
Fine grits such as 220 are frequently used for a final light sanding just before applying stain to the wood.
Unless the cedar has deep scratches gouges or planer marks lines running perpendicular across the grain cedar should be sanded by hand.
Staining cedar with a solid color stain.
The truth about mill glaze western red cedar is classified as a durable wood species dimensionally stable and suitable for a wide variety of coatings and finishes.
After it s been washed let the wood dry for at least a couple of days.
If you work in the shade when applying deep penetrating stain to siding it will dry more slowly enabling the stain to sink more deeply into the wood surface.
Prepare your cedar siding by washing it with soapy water to remove any dirt or dust if any has accumulated.
There is one thing you must do however to hold onto that warm wood glow and that s restaining when your siding starts to look dull.
Dealing with surface contaminants.
The next step is sanding but make sure there is no chance of rain.
If the wood gets wet after it s been sanded but not.
After you have washed it wait for it to dry before applying any stain to the cedar.
Once the surface is in good condition re inspect for dirt mildew stains cedar bleed chalkiness and other foreign substances.
Before staining replace rotting or decayed wood and remove loose stain and eroded wood fibers by sanding scraping or power washing the problem surfaces.
Thus solid color stains let some of the cedar s grain show through but none of the color.
Power sanders remove material fast almost too fast for finish work.
Work in the shade while staining.
Cedar siding has a warm natural look.
A stiff non ferrous bristle brush may be used to remove surface dirt dust and loose wood fibers before applying the stain.
1 connect a pressure washer to a garden hose and pressure wash the siding to be sanded.
One of the most thorough methods when staining is to use a thick natural bristle brush.
