Should i stain redwood

Her education includes marketing and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kansas. By Glenda Taylor. Warning Apply redwood stain only in well-ventilated area or outdoors. References CalRedwood. Wood Zone: Properties of Wood. Use a penetrating waterproof sealer on new redwood to protect the wood's natural look. A redwood structure sheltered from rinsing rains may remain dark throughout its lifetime. Therefore, the site of the structure plays an important part in the decision to leave the redwood unfinished.

In drier climates, unfinished redwood may not darken. Instead, the wood will gradually turn a silvery tan, becoming lighter in color as the natural weathering continues. The effects of natural weathering will not be the same on all sides of a house.

Two boards installed side-by-side may also vary in color because of the infinite variations of color and texture offered by redwood lumber. This is one of the refreshing, inherent qualities of a natural material such as redwood, compared to the artificial uniformity of synthetic products.

These natural color changes, a result of the weathering process, are completely reversible. Color restoration or finishing are options if the natural weathering look is not preferred. Cleaning redwood is simple and easy, no matter the type of project or structure. For day-to-day, surface-level dirt, grime, and debris, all you need for cleaning redwood is a garden hose - simply rinse off the affected area when you notice build-up. In some situations dirt and grime may collect and build up on your redwood structure.

This should clean up most caked-on dirt and grime. Occasionally, mildew will build up on wood, especially in damper climates and where the wood surface remains out of direct sunlight. Mildew is identifiable as dark spots present on the wood surface. More severe cases can appear to be thickly black or gray. To treat milder instances of mildew build-up, simply treat the area as you would a caked-on area of grime, and scrub with warm water and mild detergent.

Follow scrubbing by rinsing the affected area with household bleach, then with clean water. For more severe cases of mildew growth, begin cleaning redwood by scrubbing the area with a stiff-bristled brush and a solution. The solution should include one cup of liquid household bleach and one cup of trisodium phosphate TSP diluted in one gallon of warm water. Increase or reduce this amount as needed, but keep the proportions of the ingredients the same.

Afterwards, rinse thoroughly. It absorbs beautifully into the wood, and there are several stain tints you can choose. Natural used in this example is the lightest one with the least discoloration of the real wood. Natural fibers are always ideal for application, but the polyester bristles worked well with this stain.

And they were much less expensive. They will not last as long as a quality, natural-bristle paintbrush, though. Stain only the length of one board at a time to avoid overlap.

The wood will have a hard time absorbing that much stain, and you will probably be unhappy with the end result. Stain any trim pieces or railings in the same way — one coat, and doing one board or piece at a time. Be sure you are not staining yourself into a corner. In this example, we started at the outer edge so we could finish the staining process at the deck steps toward the house.

Apply some stain onto the tip of your brush, and press it into the cracks between boards to stain those as well. You can see in this no-filter photo the difference between the original, unstained redwood and the redwood after this natural Sikkens stain application. Use the tip of the bristles along the gap between your redwood boards and side trim piece, also.

Last year we had a redwood con heart deck and dock installed. To maintain its natural look the contractor used Penofin transparent penetrating oil finish to seal. He prepped the wood by acid washing and then repeating the process. Do we need to seal again this year or is a good acid wash sufficient. In places the wood is dirty, grimey, with a few dark areas. Can you recommend a good grade acid wash.

You do not acid wash wood or deck. You clean and then brighten wood and you would only do that if you plan on reapplying a new coat of stain. Might want to stay away from the Penofin as it has issues with turning dark or black. Use the Restore A Deck Kits for prep:. Reply frank 7 months ago can a redwood exterior stain be used on a white oak park bench. Is there anything that will lift the stained spots at least to a lighter tone? Have a 40ft deck redwood. I want to bring back the redwood to its natural color like the posts.

Do I sand or just use a brighter and then stain. Just to confirm using a cleaner than a brighter will bring the natural redwood color. No sanding needed. Hello, great information! We have a brand new redwood deck that we have let sit and weather for 4 months.

We live in southern california. We have seen the tannins extracted and discoloring from the weather. I now want to seal with a natural look and tone. I was planning on sanding to work the tannins and grime away then seal.

Would it be best to use a cleaner then brightener for new deck installation? Also, can you recommend any clear natural sealer for redwood? Yes, clean and brighten for prep. Clear sealers will not work for UV. Must be tinted to prevent graying. I had a majority of my deck replaced this summer. I used redwood and have to use solid color stain to match the part we did not replace because it has a covered roof.

I read that if you are doing a semi solid or solid stain you should wait 12 mo this before staining. Is that correct? I have an insect question. Is it recommended to treat a new redwood deck with insecticide while waiting for it to dry out before sealing it? Im worried about termites and carpenter ants. No need.

Redwood is already naturally resistant to insects and termites. They will burrow into your house before they touch the deck. Hello, We are building a shaded area on our deck with redwood 4x4s.

Our deck has ipe railing. Could you recommend a stain for the redwood to match the ipe color better? Sorry, but it is not possible for Redwood to match IPE wood. The Redwood will not be as rich as the IPE and redder in color. We are currently rebuilding our deck and are using redwood posts 4X4 from Home Depot that we would like to keep looking as natural as possible while at the same time protecting them from rain, sun and wind.

Can we treat the wood as soon as we get if from the store? We have sanded the posts. What products should we use?

How often should we reapply products? We live in a desert kind of climate hot summers, cold winters, pretty dry. What transparent or semi-transparent stain would you recommend? Also, can I paint the tops of the lath with white paint to minimize UV and moisture damage to prolong time before restaining? Make sure to prep well first. We would not paint the top white.