How To Sand And Refinish Cedar Siding

Cleaning and sanding is the best way to prepare the cedar siding for a new finish.

How to sand and refinish cedar siding.

Surface preparation is not necessary for textured cedar. Semi transparent water proof oil based stain will adequately seal. Refinish the rough cedar every year or two. Keep the cleaner wet to ensure its effectiveness.

Don t use polyurethane on rough cedar as the wood s coarse nature will prevent the sealer from bonding properly. 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. Mist it with water if the cleaner starts. Let the cleaner sit on the cedar siding for 15 to 30 minutes.

On flat grained wood the surface should be scuff sanded with 50 60 grit sandpaper. For smooth planed flat grained cedar some surface preparation may be desirable. Prep the cedar siding by cleaning it with a bleach and solution. Leave it on longer than 30 minutes if needed.

This procedure will greatly increase the coatings performance but will not detract from a smooth finish. Cedar siding though durable and able to maintain a good finish for a long period of time does sometimes get damaged and it is certainly not completely immune to rot no matter how well it has been treated and maintained. Check the cleaner every 15 minutes. Over time cedar siding can become discolored and the surface degraded due to weather dirt and various other wear and tear.

The full strength solution should be strong enough to break down and remove failing coatings from the siding. Stop to stir the stain every 10 to 15 minutes or the tannins will settle near the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket. Sand it to remove the loose surface particles. Cover cedar siding with primer to keep any tannic acid or natural red coloring from.