Applying Siding Stain Over Old Stain

Look for problems such as rot mildew dust dirt cedar bleed and chalkiness.

Applying siding stain over old stain.

For darker stains work from the top down and always stain your railings before your floor boards no matter what color stain you re applying. Examine the surface for defects. Change your sandpaper often when removing old lacquer. Use a wide paintbrush to apply the stripper to a 2 to 3 foot wide area of the siding.

If you want to lighten up the color of a dark deck consider a lighter solid stain. If stain is uneven or puddles use a roller to even out. Test for cedar bleed with a. Scrape off the old stain with a putty knife or.

Most power washers have a detergent feed feature allowing you to apply detergent and then blast it off with high pressure water. This will be hard to cover with a lighter semi transparent color as the old dark color will come through. Use a scrub brush and detergent some siding and deck washes remove mildew even out the underlying color and clean all in one application for small areas such as decks or rent a power washer for a whole house. Paint has the tendency to crack and peel as it weathers.

Stain fades much more slowly and applying a new coat of stain over an old one will make your home s siding appear good as new. Sanding for the best possible finish lightly sand the whole area to be stained. Apply a similar or darker color of stain with no additional preparation required. Semi transparent dyes and stains don t peel like paint does however those which are thick or solid can peel in a similar manner to paint.

Do a clean job at the joints staying with the wood grain direction. Preparing the siding for staining 1. You can do this by sanding the old stain down thoroughly or you can buy a stain remover that may do the job. When the stain begins to lighten and your sanding is producing stain colored dust you have reached the surface of the stain.

This will eliminate drip marks. When staining on top of the existing stain choose the right type based on the current finish. If there is flaking on your hand or. If your existing deck stain is.

Rebrush the length of the stain with a dry white china bristle brush to soften and even out the staining as needed. Apply the stain in the direction of the woodgrain being careful to observe the joints. Rub your hand or a clean cloth over the wood s surface.