Beautiful cedar fences are highly decorative, thanks to their lovely structure and warm reddish color. Will you seal cedar fence or not is entirely up to you, of course, but here are some very good reasons for you to do it. First, sealing will protect the wood from mildew and weather conditions. Second, this is the only way for preserving this lovely red color.
Thanks to UV rays, cedar wood color is prone to fading. After some time, weather exposed wood will lose its wonderful reddish color and become unappealingly grey. Using a good sealer containing UV filters this can be successfully avoided. You can use transparent or semi-transparent stains, preferably oil-based, because these provide higher level of protection.
Transparent sealants contain less color pigments, while semi-transparent ones contain higher levels of pigments, and provide better UV protection. There are also various clear sealants, that should leave the natural color perfectly intact. Even so, the fact is that all sealants will affect the color in some percentage, even the clear ones. For example, the ones containing linseed oil will make the color slightly darker.
Find a few leftover pieces of wood and take them to your home supply store. This is the best way of checking the appropriate nuance of your choice. Some might look great at first sight, but... In any case, you should understand that a little bit of pigments in might provide far better protection, and would not affect the color too much, maybe it will only emphasize its beauty.
When it comes to an application method, you may use some type of a sprayer or a roller. In both cases you will have to use a brush as well, to brush the sealer into the wood and to make some corrections. It's hard to say which method is better, some prefer using sprayers, while others rather use their rollers. Using sprayers is easier, but you will probably spend more sealer this way.
When it comes to different sprayers, make sure that your chosen sealants can be applied by your sprayer. Some products are designed for particular types of equipment, so, it's good to check this up, just in case. In any case, make sure to use gloves, even if your chosen sealer is clear. These products usually don't have very pleasant smell, and it might be difficult to remove that smell from your hands. Protect the opposite side of the fence if you use a sprayer.
If you have just recently installed a new cedar fence, wait for a while before staining it. The wood needs some time to set first. Six to eight weeks should be quite enough. In any case, don't wait for too long. During hot summer months, the color will fade more quickly. Prevent the fading before your fence becomes grey.
If you have an old cedar fence that became grey, there is a way for renewing its appearance. A good pressure washer will be perfect for this job. Simply use it to remove this grey patina from your cedar fence. Different stains can be removed with mild bleach solution. Wait until dry, and apply two sealant coatings. Make sure the first one is dry before applying the second.
Thanks to UV rays, cedar wood color is prone to fading. After some time, weather exposed wood will lose its wonderful reddish color and become unappealingly grey. Using a good sealer containing UV filters this can be successfully avoided. You can use transparent or semi-transparent stains, preferably oil-based, because these provide higher level of protection.
Transparent sealants contain less color pigments, while semi-transparent ones contain higher levels of pigments, and provide better UV protection. There are also various clear sealants, that should leave the natural color perfectly intact. Even so, the fact is that all sealants will affect the color in some percentage, even the clear ones. For example, the ones containing linseed oil will make the color slightly darker.
Find a few leftover pieces of wood and take them to your home supply store. This is the best way of checking the appropriate nuance of your choice. Some might look great at first sight, but... In any case, you should understand that a little bit of pigments in might provide far better protection, and would not affect the color too much, maybe it will only emphasize its beauty.
When it comes to an application method, you may use some type of a sprayer or a roller. In both cases you will have to use a brush as well, to brush the sealer into the wood and to make some corrections. It's hard to say which method is better, some prefer using sprayers, while others rather use their rollers. Using sprayers is easier, but you will probably spend more sealer this way.
When it comes to different sprayers, make sure that your chosen sealants can be applied by your sprayer. Some products are designed for particular types of equipment, so, it's good to check this up, just in case. In any case, make sure to use gloves, even if your chosen sealer is clear. These products usually don't have very pleasant smell, and it might be difficult to remove that smell from your hands. Protect the opposite side of the fence if you use a sprayer.
If you have just recently installed a new cedar fence, wait for a while before staining it. The wood needs some time to set first. Six to eight weeks should be quite enough. In any case, don't wait for too long. During hot summer months, the color will fade more quickly. Prevent the fading before your fence becomes grey.
If you have an old cedar fence that became grey, there is a way for renewing its appearance. A good pressure washer will be perfect for this job. Simply use it to remove this grey patina from your cedar fence. Different stains can be removed with mild bleach solution. Wait until dry, and apply two sealant coatings. Make sure the first one is dry before applying the second.
About the Author:
Find a summary of the reasons why you should seal cedar fence posts and more info about a reliable provider of fence sealing services at http://www.patriotstainandseal.com/cedar-fence-staining-services today.