How clean should a fence be before staining?
It is important to clean the wood region first before re-staining your deck or fence. Cleaning the material properly ensures that the stain you add adheres correctly and lasts longer. Proper wood cleaning will also return the fence to life and make it look newer. Over time, soil, mold, moss, grease and other materials may adhere to the fence and without removing these debris first, it is never good to add a new stain.
You can easily clean your fence or deck if you have a pressure washer by placing it on a lighter setting to avoid damaging the wood. However, besides using a pressure washer to clean your fence or deck, there are other choices.
You may be familiar with a product called a 30-second cleaner if you visit stores such as Home Depot or Lowe's. It is a solution of concentrate that is formulated before painting to extract mildew, moss, mold, and dirt from wood. A similar formula would be used by many experienced painters to plan their areas of the painting. 30 Second Cleaner is a fantastic product, but a very high price will come from it. You do not want to pay for so many pre-mixed things if you have a big fence. Alternatively, a 30-second cleaner can just be ideal for you if you need a quick and simple cleanup.
There is a cost-effective way for those of you with larger projects to enjoy the advantages of a 30-second cleaner without having to pay the premium price for the premixed concentrate. A basic combination of household bleach and trisodium phosphate that you can blend together yourself is a 30-second cleaner. Don't you think so? Next time you are in the supermarket, just look at the ingredients. Trisodium phosphate Phosphate, or TSP, is a chemical used by many painters to prepare their work areas and can typically be found in a hardware store's painting section. Ok, you already know where to find household bleach.
Remember, chemical mixing can be very harmful. PROCEED AND ALWAYS WEAR PROPER SAFETY GEAR; SIMPLE GLOVES AND SAFETY GOGGLES WHEN DOING THIS PROCEDURE.
There are several different methods in terms of measurements when it comes to mixing TSP and bleach, but for a great overview of how to do this visit, this good write-up on how to make your own outdoor cleaner. The use of a pressure-operated sprayer is the safest way to administer the cleaning solution. These can normally be picked up for under $15 at a hardware store and are well worth the investment.
The mixture of TSP and Bleach should not cost you more than around $20 and should last you much longer than the huge $30 bottle of 30 Second Cleaner concentrate. When the fence or deck is dry, the cleaner application should be performed. Let the cleaner work for about a minute for the best results, then run a brush over the area and rinse it clean with a garden hose. Now you are able to re-stain your fence or deck!
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