Staining A Darker Cedar Siding Wood Lighter

If you want the gray weathered appearance of naturally aged wood but also want protection you will need to take special unnatural efforts to make it look natural.

Staining a darker cedar siding wood lighter. Jeff jewitt author of great wood finishes replies. To completely alter the color of the wood s finish remove the existing paint using an oil based solvent. The stain is a deep red stain and it is rather dark. One of the most thorough methods when staining is to use a thick natural bristle brush.

It is best to apply the stain to the cedar while working the shade. If you are thinking about using a rolling brush. If you want to lighten up the color of a dark deck consider a. If you want to stain over an existing stain on wood choose a shade that is darker than the original stain.

Otherwise lightly sand the surface of the wood then apply a thick coat of stain with a cloth or foam. We have a home that has stained wood siding. If your existing deck stain is. While runny liquid stains are well suited for softwoods they tend to dry unevenly on most types of hardwood.

This will be hard to cover with a lighter semi transparent color as the old dark color will come through. A solid stain covers the wood showing texture but hiding wood grain and prior colors. First the oil tones the wood with a light gray pigment to fix and stabilize the color. A gray ish tint would give the cedar an aged patina and a sage green or turquoise wash a copper look.

You could use a white wash by mixing 1 part paint with 3 parts water add more water for less color test on a small area. Basically conditioner will stabilize the wood to allow stain to penetrate more evenly. Apply a similar or darker color of stain with no additional preparation required. Once you have removed the original finish from the wood you can add a lighter color stain.

When staining on top of the existing stain choose the right type based on the current finish. To reduce blotching you need to apply a wood conditioner or sanding sealer before applying stain. If you want to stain the wood lighter or if the wood has a lacquered finish you will need to strip or sand away the original finish. Liquid coatings are well suited for softwoods but tend to dry unevenly on most hardwoods.

Once you ve lightened the wood you may add a lighter color of stain. To completely alter the color of the finish strip down the existing stain using a petroleum based solvent. Stain manufacturers will recommend their own conditioners. Applying bleaching oil is a two step process.

Quickly brush or wipe on the conditioner let it penetrate and wipe it off just like stain. The brush bristles will distribute the stain evenly onto the wood as well as helping to reach the undulations on the surface of the cedar. Brush or roll on and wipe off excess until it looks how you want.