Cedar Wood Fence - Staining again

ddave23

Last year, we installed a 425ft Cedar fence around our yard. We stained the fence with Cabot Stain, which we were told to do only 1 coat.

Over the summer the fence started to look more and more like the stain had been absorbed into the wood, thus making the fence look like it was not entirely stained.

We were told to stain it again, that it should have been 2 coats and not 1. So my question is how should I prepare the fence before we stain it again? Some areas of the fence have 'dark spots" or mildew. Should I clean the fence with any solution or water before staining again?

Also, has anyone use a pump sprayer with Cabot stain (oil)? Painting the fence with a roller and brush took 2 days..

Thanks for you help

Bob Mariani

Clean with TSP and a pressure washer. Rinse thoroughly! Rent a sprayer, HVLP or airless will both work fine. Stay away from a pump sprayer or cheap units like a wagner sprayer. Use two coats.

waynech

Make sure you use a product when washing your fence that kills the mildew. I generally use Jomax and Bleach and I run these through my powerwasher. I also agree that 2 coats should then be applied. I would rent an airless.

NinaBird

I'm not too experienced with exterior staining. Someone said that he uses Jomax and bleach to prepare the surface of a fence before staining it. Mixed together???? if so, in what proportion????

Also, can I put it on with a hand-pump sprayer? I plan to start work on the fence ASAP and really could use some input.

Thanks - a little old lady in Colorado.

CaptRandy

You do not need 2 coats of Cabots. How was the fence prepared before you stained it last time? Was it cleaned before you sealed it? How long was the wood aged before you did anything? You MUST clean the fence before you apply any new sealer. Clean it with a deck brightener to kill the mold.
DO NOT USE BLEACH ON THE WOOD.

housepaintingny

I agree with Randy. In general 2 coats is over application which usually leads to failure. Bleach has long term effects on wood, just like it does on clothes. The fence initially should have been cleaned with properly, brightened, let to dry until the appropriate moisture level was met and then stained. I do not know what your fence looks like now, but you do need to clean. I would use a sodium per carbonate deck cleaning product and low pressure, never use high pressure on wood, as it destroys it. You can spray stains on with an airless, hvlp or pump sprayer, but you still need to back brush the sealer- stain into the substrate.

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jsheridan

I tried to push Cabot's Toner Oil through a pump sprayer, yeah right! Never again. Nothing with pigment will go through a pump sprayer.

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NinaBird

Thank you, Gentlemen. I really appreciate your input.

Okay -- I get the message that despite some videos I've seen online, I should NOT use bleach on the fence to brighten it and to kill the mildew. What other products do you recommend that I use to prepare the wood before staining it?

Here are 3 pictures. The one with the mildew is part of the original fence - as it was when I moved in 6 years ago. (Couldn't deal with it sooner). The one called Fence 2 also shows the original fence. I don't know if it was sealed or not, but because it's much lighter than the others, I suspect that it was indeed sealed. The picture called New Fence is about 4 years old. I paid a local fencing company to install 8 sections, which cost me -- are you ready for this ??? -- $1400!!!. Anyway, you can see that this "new" section is already dark and weathered looking.

My goal is to have it all a uniform light gray. Opaque stain is fine -- no need to have wood grain showing through.

To complicate matters, I have rose bushes planted at the base of the light-colored sections and also have some perennials at the base of the "new" fence.

So now, I anxiously await your further input. I'll post some before-and-after pictures when the job is done, hopefully in a few weeks. (It's 182 linear feet x 6' high. I figure that's about 1100 square feet, rounded up). Should be a snap, right?

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CaptRandy

Here is an excellent sodium percarboate cleaner for wood.

http://www.theprosealerstore.com/efc-38-cleaner.htm

for sealer Ben Moore Sea Gull Gray or Cabots Cape Cod Gray. too thick to spray, use a roller and backbrush with a 8" deck brush.

housepaintingny

Nothing for nothing, but you need a commercial grade pump sprayer. I have a couple of back pack sprayers and a couple of pump sprayers that I can spray any stain through, except for solid and also spray other chemicals through with no problem and the sprayers I have put a nice fan out too.

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housepaintingny

We purchase a lot of products from The Sealer Store. They have great products and fast shipping and I have tried other companies and product over the years, but agree The Sealer Store has great product. EFC-38 is a great product.

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sdsester

You shouldn't run bleach, ammonia and such through a powerwasher.

Make sure you wear protective eyewear when spraying any chemicals.

hyunelan2

Agree about the 2 coats. Cabot says only use one. If you get it too thick, it's going to want to bond to itself and not penetrate and hold-to the wood (I think). It's where I went wrong the first time I stained my deck and the whole thing peeled off within a year. After sanding the entire thing (nearly a month long project), one coat of Cabot still looks great a year later. It does lighten up a bit compared to first application, but is still there doing its job. An annual or bi-annual re-coat is usually necessary.

opwdecks

I appreciate the referral from you and Randy!

EFC-38 is a sodium percarbonate blend that contains additional surfactants that are designed to work on wood. Make sure to neutralize with the Citralic Wood Brightener for maximum results. This lightens the wood while setting the pH balance of the wood to neutral. Your stain will perform better when the cleaner is neutralized.