Sanding Cedar Siding Before Staining

If the wood gets wet after it s been sanded but not.

Sanding cedar siding before staining.

If the wood has weathered some you may have to do some surface preparation such as sanding before you can apply stain. Cedar siding has a warm natural look. Dealing with surface contaminants. 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.

A stiff non ferrous bristle brush may be used to remove surface dirt dust and loose wood fibers before applying the stain. Solid color stains have solid particles but not nearly as many as paint. Before staining replace rotting or decayed wood and remove loose stain and eroded wood fibers by sanding scraping or power washing the problem surfaces. Power sanders remove material fast almost too fast for finish work.

The next step is sanding but make sure there is no chance of rain. Cleaning and sanding is the best way to prepare the cedar siding for a new finish. One of the most thorough methods when staining is to use a thick natural bristle brush. The upside is that solid color stains will block most damaging ultraviolet light.

Staining cedar with a solid color stain. What you get is a very uniform opaque color. After you have washed it wait for it to dry before applying any stain to the cedar. 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.

After it s been washed let the wood dry for at least a couple of days. Cedar siding can last decades and it requires little maintenance to retain its natural beauty. Excessive scraping or sanding is not required. Once the surface is in good condition re inspect for dirt mildew stains cedar bleed chalkiness and other foreign substances.

Work in the shade while staining. Use a 15 degree nozzle on. 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.

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. A palm sander a lightweight rotary sander is more suitable for refinishing. Prepare your cedar siding by washing it with soapy water to remove any dirt or dust if any has accumulated. 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.

If you do need to sand it with a power sander use an orbital sander with 100 grit sandpaper. Thus solid color stains let some of the cedar s grain show through but none of the color.