cleaning and staining cedar

[chug chug]

Would anyone have any information on how to clean aged cedar that has been outdoors?

I have wooden trestles on my outside railway and would like to preserve them.  Does anyone have a formula on how to mix stain so it can be used in a hand spray bottle?  

[ttrigg]

chug chug

Would anyone have any information on how to clean aged cedar that has been outdoors?

I have wooden trestles on my outside railway and would like to preserve them. Does anyone have a formula on how to mix stain so it can be used in a hand spray bottle?

Chug:

What do you mean "clean aged cedar"?

1 Dirt or mud – just wash it off with a garden hose let dry and start working.

2 Dried old fading paint – If it is latex paint just get some sandpaper and get busy. If old lead base paint then I would suggest disposal and get a new board.

3 If you mean the natural graying that is normal oxidation of the wood that many of us use artificial means to duplicate just run it through the saw and start building.

Using a spray bottle can be very hazardous to health or very convenient depending upon the type of stain used. Read the back of the can, in particular the "Clean up instructions".

1 If your stain requires water and soap for clean up then fill your bottle with water and start mixing in your stain and go for it.

2 Some stains require denatured alcohol for clean up, use of these in a spray bottle can be flammable (no smoking allowed) and can kill nearby plants. Use only when plenty of air flow away from your work site, breath too much you can get dizzy and faint.

3 Some stains require mineral spirits for clean up. These have a 5~10% chance of eating up the pump mechanism, especially the little rubber seals inside. These will kill nearby plants. These will cause breathing problems. I do not recommend spraying them. This is the type I use, 1 part stain to 10 parts mineral spirits and apply with large soft artist style paint brush. It flows off the brush very easy and it needs to be done only once a year.

4 A very few will require paint thinner for clean up. I would highly recommend leaving these in the store and let someone else have the headache. They can be deadly to breathe, deadly to plants, even at a distance as the ground contamination will "plume" away from your bridge site and sterilize the ground.

Hope this helps a bit. Still curious about "clean aged cedar".

[ttrigg]

Addendum to #3 above.

18 feet of timber trestle bridge took me just over 10 minutes with the soft brush.

[altterrain]

 Just brush off the dirt and use a spray on preservative like Thompson's or brush on like Olympic Maximum sold at Lowes. If you want to stain it buy a semi solid or transparent stain/preservative made for decks and fences. DO NOT!!! ever use a pressure washer on cedar. Its too soft and will disintegrate.

To spray on preservatives buy a one gallon pump sprayer in the garden section for about 10-15 bucks.

-Brian

[ttrigg]

altterrain

To spray on preservatives buy a one gallon pump sprayer in the garden section for about 10-15 bucks.

-Brian

Execelent call Brian!