This is my first post here at pressure wash resource. I’ve been following for some time learning as much as I can. I have a cedar shake house wash coming up and am looking for advice on my processes. The house was never sealed to begin with as the customer preferred to see the weathered look. I visited the home a few days ago and cleaned a sample area using a pump sprayer and garden hose. My process was as follows:
1.Sodium Percarbonate (F10 from Pressuretek.com) – 6 ounces to one gallon of warm water. Mixed well with a touch of surfactant – Applied with a pump sprayer – dwelled 15-20 minutes
2. Complete rinse
3. Application of Oxalic Acid – Chemical obtained from Florida Labs – 6-8 ounce per gallon – Applied with a pump sprayer – Immediate rinse after section was covered due to results being nearly instantaneous.
4. Final Rinse of the entire section
The first image shows half of the surface with Oxalic applied and half just cleaned with Percarbonate. In left section you can clearly see the Oxalic brightened the wood drastically.
The third image shows the cedar shake approximately 3 days after cleaning and it appears to be very light. In fact, the customer is a little concerned that it may be too light.
Was there anything about the initial cleaning and neutralizing process that I should have done differently to prevent the lightening of the wood? I did not have my washer available to apply a mild 500-800 psi fan. Maybe just wash with Sodium Percarbonate? Like I said, I chose not to use a hydroxide because the cedar was never stained or sealed after initial installation.
Does the wood only appear this light because of years of having the original cedar oils baked out? I am thinking if I even just apply an oil to recondition the material, it may look 100 times better and restore that rich cedar look they are looking for.
3.Last question: What oil do you guys recommend as a final application? My recommendation to the customer was at a minimum at least apply an oil to restore what has left over the years.
Thanks again for any advice you can provide. I also attached one final picture of the project.
Ok, the 1st pic is with Sh snd surfactant, sorry no ried pic, but you can easily imagine it woukd look the same as what you show.
The 2nd and 3rd is with percarbonate and rinsed,(jydroxide too) then neutralized with citrus cleaner. Then dry finish sealer removed. Not a whole lot different, and needs restaining.
Thank you for your reply. So it is safe to say my process was fine. It’s just a matter of re-staining/oiling to bring back the more natural color?
My reasoning for choosing percarbonate was primarily to minimize additional furring or strain SH could place on the material and also because there was never a sealer applied to the home to begin with. So to continue, I’ve been looking at Nova ExoShield Tung Oil/Stain (Exterior Wood Stain | Tung Oil Wood Finish | ExoShield) as a choice for restoring oil and preserving the siding. Have you had any experience with this product, or do does anybody personally have a recommendation for a wood stain or sealer?
My last question… would my 12v system be the only real way to apply these two chemicals, or could I mix percarbonate and oxalic mix strong enough that it could be applied with an x-jet and bucket? I know there are saturation points for each that would render an X-jet application process useless if I can’t get the bucket mix strong enough that when applied with the x-jet it still produces desirable results. I thought about doubling the chemical to 16 ounces per gallon for each and then running it through the x-jet with no proportioner. I have a 5 gpm machine, so that would get me somewhere close to the mixes I used for my test. Just didn’t know if the chemical would dissolve appropriately at double the amount.
Thanks again to everyone for your knowledge and responses. It is greatly appreciated!
Hey @DJPWS, please refrain from giving advice on things you are not experienced with, I’ve been seeing it a lot lately. I understand you may be trying to help but you’re not as you may get someone else into a bad situation.
How is that bad advice ? You can use a pump up sprayer filled with water and dilute the oxalic Acid powder in it properly or figure out the dilution ratio of the x jet and how much it’s diluted in a bucket and x jet it with a wide fan. That’s not bad advice. That’s advice I gained here with support to back it up?
Ofcourse i’m not saying to be a cowboy with an X jet and sling it all over the place on areas that those chemicals don’t belong. You have to be responsible with where you apply it. Is an x jet the best way to apply a chemical to a small specific area ? No but you absolutely can If you are careful and watch your spray. X jet is what I use for large areas and a pump sprayer for tighter delicate areas.
Also I do have experience with cedar wood and other wood types…
Personally I’ve used this method dozens of times and never had an issue. No call backs, no damage done, beautiful wood turnout. So I’m curious on the best way.
If people can x jet sodium hydroxide on an entire wood barn, how does x jetting oxalic differ ?
I haven’t and don’t wash cedar siding. Your advice saying apply oxalic or SM doesn’t make much sense as they are 2 completely different chems with different uses. You saying you have tried this method (that you didn’t explain what that actually was) dozens of times although you just got in to business this year is definitely exaggerated if not completely false. Seriously, work on gaining advice and not on trying to give it. From what I’ve been seeing you shouldn’t be doing so yet.
That all being said, I’m sure you’re doing fine if not great with your business. Just take in to consideration what I’m saying about giving such advice.
He said he applied precarb then oxalic on that wood … I use SM then oxalic on my wood… you can use like 4 different chems to “clean wood” before you apply oxalic to balance the ph of the wood back to normal.
I got into official business this year but have been washing since 2016. Official meaning I now pay taxes and do it legally.
I respect your advice to… not give advice… but if I have experience on something, being 1 year or 20, it’s still experience. I have cleaned wood like this, he asked if he could use a 12v or be fine with an x jet. I told him I use an x jet and he would be fine… thats it man.
I called you out on giving poor/misleading advice and on how many times you claimed to have done it. In the mean time you still haven’t even explained the process you use, only the chems you claim to use… While trying to back up your poor/misleading advice you’ve also admitted to working illegally and most likely without insurance. Nice to see that you just edited what you said above but I still seen it… In case you want to continue to try to deny it, here’s what I am referring to:
I changed it because I figured I would try to calm the thread down since this forum is meant to teach not to bicker…
My process ? It’s the same process we all use to clean wood. Cedar isn’t much different. I wet the wood, spray either Sodium hypochlorite, Sodium precarb, Sodium hydroxide, or sodium metasilicate (whichever best fits) mixed to the correct dilution for each chem and let dwell. Then rinse. Then apply oxalic acid or citric acid at the correct dilution and let dwell. Then rinse.
Yeah, I didn’t start out with the advice from this forum. I was the $99 guy until I joined the military, found this forum, and corrected my business methods. Have to start from somewhere.
who says I don’t clean wood? I said
