How to Clean a Cedar Fence?
If you want to keep your cedar fence looking fresh and beautiful, you will need to make sure that it is cleaned regularly. Cedar wood is resistant to warping, rot, and insects, but over time, the weather and dirt can cause it to become gray and look dull. You can stain your fence to make it more attractive or leave it in its natural color.
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Power washing your cedar fence is a great way to get rid of dust and dirt that can be clinging to the wood and make it look dingy. The key is to not use too much pressure when power washing your fence, as this can damage the wood or cause it to become brittle and weak. It is a good idea to buy or rent a pressure washer with a 15 or 25-degree nozzle, and start spraying the fence at about 18 inches from the surface.
After the fence is clean, it is a good idea to seal the wood so that it can retain its natural moisture and resist the sun’s damaging UV rays. There are several different types of sealants, but oil-based ones will give you the most protection against water and the elements.
You can also choose to use a semi-transparent stain, which will show off the grain and color of the cedar but offers less protection against the elements than transparent stains. You will need to reapply these types of stains about every two to three years.
Mold and mildew are other common problems with cedar fences. They can be a big headache to clean, but thankfully they are easily treated with some simple, inexpensive, and safe chemicals.
Mildew is a fungal growth that grows on wood and it can be easily removed with a bleach solution. It is important to not use full-strength bleach, as this will completely bleach the wood, but a diluted version can be used as well.
Apply the diluted bleach to the entire fence using a sprayer. Then, scrub it with a brush to remove any mildew spores that may be on the fence boards.
If the mildew is still present, then you will need to apply some more vinegar or use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda, which will help the mildew to break down and be rinsed away. This process will take some time, but it is an easy and cost-effective way to keep your cedar fence looking fresh.
Tannin stains are also common with cedar and can be removed by applying oxalic acid to the wood. This is usually a light stain that fades quickly, but it can sometimes be very stubborn and require a lot of work to remove.
You can remove tannin stains from your fence with oxalic acid or another type of scrubbing solution, but if the stains are very dark then you will need to invest in a good bleaching product that is made specifically for this purpose. There are many types of bleaching products available, so shop around to find one that works best for your specific fence and will not harm the wood.
