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.
Staining a darker cedar siding wood lighter.
Jeff jewitt author of great wood finishes replies.
When staining on top of the existing stain choose the right type based on the current finish.
The stain is a deep red stain and it is rather dark.
First the oil tones the wood with a light gray pigment to fix and stabilize the color.
Otherwise lightly sand the surface of the wood then apply a thick coat of stain with a cloth or foam.
Basically conditioner will stabilize the wood to allow stain to penetrate more evenly.
Once you have removed the original finish from the wood you can add a lighter color stain.
If you want to stain over an existing stain on wood choose a shade that is darker than the original stain.
If you are thinking about using a rolling brush.
This will be hard to cover with a lighter semi transparent color as the old dark color will come through.
We have a home that has stained wood siding.
Quickly brush or wipe on the conditioner let it penetrate and wipe it off just like stain.
To reduce blotching you need to apply a wood conditioner or sanding sealer before applying stain.
The process that causes wood to change color when exposed to light is called photooxidation and in some species such as cedar and cherry it takes place quickly and it doesn t take a lot of light to make cedar change color.
Liquid coatings are well suited for softwoods but tend to dry unevenly on most hardwoods.
A gray ish tint would give the cedar an aged patina and a sage green or turquoise wash a copper look.
Applying bleaching oil is a two step process.
To completely alter the color of the wood s finish remove the existing paint using an oil based solvent.
One of the most thorough methods when staining is to use a thick natural bristle brush.
Brush or roll on and wipe off excess until it looks how you want.
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.
Once you ve lightened the wood you may add a lighter color of stain.
Work in the shade while staining.
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.
If you want to lighten up the color of a dark deck consider a.
Apply a similar or darker color of stain with no additional preparation required.
It is best to apply the stain to the cedar while working the shade.
While runny liquid stains are well suited for softwoods they tend to dry unevenly on most types of hardwood.
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.
We would like to change the color of the siding to a lighter more neutral color like gray or beige.
Stain manufacturers will recommend their own conditioners.
