Refinishing Painted Cedar Siding

Choose the correct type of paint for the cedar.

Refinishing painted cedar siding.

Finishes can be removed by sanding wet sandblasting pressurized water spray electrically heated paint removers and chemicals. Do not soak the wood. Reach the high areas or apply cleaner to the less dirty areas using a roller with an extension pole which doesn t allow you to apply as much pressure or elbow grease as a paint brush. The upside is that solid color stains will block most damaging ultraviolet light.

Apply this to the entire surface of cedar siding making sure that the wood is completely saturated with it. Use a paint scraper to remove any peelings or coatings so that the paint will adhere to the surface of the cedar more easily. Watch this quick tutorial on what you need to do to prepare wood house siding for refinishing. Although quick and easy sandblasting and pressurized water spray are not recommended unless extreme care is taken to avoid damage to the wood s surface.

It is not all about protection. What you get is a very uniform opaque color. Staining cedar with a solid color stain. Clean the siding with a mixture of 1 part bleach and 4 parts water.

Remove any old caulking as well and replace it with new caulking. Exterior western red cedar surfaces only need to be refinished when the old coating has worn thin and no longer affords the wood protection. Apply the wood cleaner to the cedar siding using a paint brush or roller. Exterior grade acrylic latex paint is the most dependable finish in terms of protecting cedar.

First painting freshly milled cedar requires a paint stain unless a 100 acrylic exterior primer is used first thereby allowing a 100 solid acrylic paint to be used as final finish coats. Wash the entire surface with a dampened cloth removing any traces of dirt and revealing the wood finish. If your siding is already stained painted or treated with a water repellent you must scrape off any of the coatings before you can paint over it. In refinishing painted or solid color stained siding and trim removal of the old coating may be required.

Use the wood cleaner according to instructions on the product s packaging. What you do before the finish goes on makes the most differenc. Thus solid color stains let some of the cedar s grain show through but none of the color. Rinse the surface with a second damp cloth and pat the siding dry with a dry cloth.

Step 4 let the cleaner sit on the cedar siding for 15 to 30 minutes. The type of finish selected is driven by style preference. This is necessary if for example the old finish is severely cracked or is peeling. For many owners painted cedar siding is a particular style.