Help on Restaining a House Exterior

Pressure Washing Stained Siding

• Before restaining your home it has to be cleaned and prepared for the new coat of stain. Pressure washing is an excellent way to get the job done. When pressure washing the outside of your home, you will notice that your old stain will come off of the siding. New wood will be underneath, which gives you a good basis of applying the new stain once dry. If the pressure washer does not remove all of the old stain, scrape the old stain off until new wood is revealed. This can be the most difficult and laborious task of restaining your home.

Stain on Dry Surface Only

• It is important to make sure you apply the new stain on dry surfaces only. Typically, waiting 48 hours is a good rule of thumb to allow ample drying time. This can also depend on the weather, so make sure that there is not a lot of moisture or rain before staining your home.

Applying the New Stain

• A good rule of thumb is that one gallon of stainer will cover approximately 100 to 200 square feet of wood. This, of course, does depend on the type of wood and density. Before applying the new stain, check the weather to make sure it will not rain within the next 24 hours. By stirring the can of stain before using, it will allow all of the pigments to be mixed together, making the wood absorb the stain more readily. When applying the stain, make sure it is evenly distributed on the wood, and that all areas of the wood are covered. If the wood is really absorbent, you may want to add another coat. To make this determination, check the label of your staining product and follow the directions.

Cleaning Up

• Make sure after staining is completed that you dispose of all waste as necessary. Disposing of your rolls, brushes and other equipment in a sealed container full of water is the safest way of discarding. Finally, sit back and enjoy your ‘new’ home. All of your hard work paid off.