Cleaning Wood Siding Before Staining

Even after pressure washing you may still find that a thin layer of dirt remains on the siding.

Cleaning wood siding before staining.

Dry the siding first if you notice signs of mold growth. Mist a lint free cleaning rag with the spray. Manual cleaning is preferred. It wasn t so long ago that trisodium phosphate tsp was a go to choice for tough cleaning jobs especially on exteriors.

You can dry wood siding using a dehumidifier or a space heater. If you re looking to stain a piece with any paint residue on its surface start by using a paint stripping agent to loosen. Before staining replace rotting or decayed wood and remove loose stain and eroded wood fibers by sanding scraping or power washing the problem surfaces. Work down from the roofline taking on one 10 foot square section at a time.

Don t use paper towels as this will leave behind. Fill a spray bottle with 2 cups water. The technique of wetting the wood down before staining is called popping the grain. Diluted in water and applied often with a stiff scrub brush it can remove.

Dealing with surface contaminants once the surface is in good condition re inspect for dirt mildew stains cedar bleed chalkiness and other foreign substances. For moldy siding wait until the weather is also dry to effectively take. When you water pop wood you won t have to do multiple coats of stain either. As an experiment rub a clean white cloth across the unwashed siding.

How to clean wood before staining. At 46 inches in. Point your pivotpro hit the trigger and start spraying cleansing water against your dirty wood siding. The wood grain is so open that in one coat you should be able to get the look you want.

White vinegar for heavily soiled unfinished wood that has sticky residue or similar. The cloth will likely come up dark gray with a layer of fine soot. After spot cleaning the affected areas with a nylon scrub brush thoroughly wipe and rinse away any remaining acid to prevent damage to the wood.