Great video. So much said in short video. People overthink their washing projects and chemical industry is just confusing us. Follow these steps and you will be golden. Great work and thanks for sharing. 👍💪
I watched watched watched your EXCELLENT video! I just completed a wall of my cedar sided house here in the coastal Pacific Northwest. Wow, what a significant difference! It was previously stained with Cetol in the early 1990s and it is holding up well. Thanks for sharing!
Gday Nate, really enjoying your content down here in NZ. You convey your message very clearly. Great work, keep it up. Quick question- When you say you turn your washer right down to reduce pressure output, what's your method? Are you lowering it by the throttle? Or loosening the pressure valve at the unloader? Personally I have been using a 40deg size 15 nozzle (biggest orifice I could find locally), which on my 5.5gpm 3000psi machine reduces to around 500-600psi... That's running at full throttle and unloader set for 3000psi. Thanks again for sharing
gDay! Thanks for watching. Your question is an excellent one and points to a topic I've avoided addressing here on this TH-cam channel. See, I generally adjust the pressure via the unloader, which I acknowledge is the Wrong Way to do it... but it's worked for me and my equipment for all these years. The technically correct way to tone down the pressure would be to put on a tip with an oversized orifice, as you describe. The reason I don't do that is because on a typical cedar job, I'll adjust my unloader several times before I find the "right" pressure for that combo of siding/condition/temp/contamination/etc. So, either I adjust my unloader and go with it, or I carry a dozen white 40-degree tips, each identical in appearance except for their tiny itty bitty numbers which I can only read with a magnifying glass.
@@OutsideCleaners Copy that, makes sense. Whatever works bro. I'm currently starting my own little side hustle washing exteriors, hoping to make it a full-time hustle. Yes, I've got a lot of tips as you say... lucky my eye sight is 20/20 to read those itty bitty numbers lol. Might give the unloader a go, as you do. All the best to your Mrs, hope the recovery is speedy.
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise! Just wondering, would you do anything differently (or additionally) for prep if there is old stain already on the siding and I want to restain. I am not sure what was on there before so I will test a few different samples after cleaning but probably go with something darker and semi-transparent or solid. I know that you aren't a painter but perhaps you have done prep for a paint crew or homeowner that intended on staining?
Some stains will readily wash off from Step #1 showed here. Other stains will only really get washed off via chemical stripping, which is totally different than I illustrate here. I'd probably start with what I show here in Step #1, and if that removes the old stain, I'd likely skip the "brightening" part of this video as I'm not aware that it would make any difference as to how well the new stain takes hold. If Step #1 here doesn't remove the old stain at all, then I'd consider chemically stripping. Again, that's a different (and far more dangerous) process...
Wow, incredible! I used your method on my redwood deck. The oxalic acid applied while still wet works wonders. Now, do I leave it or stain it? I would love to leave it and observe deck life without stain . However, it has been stained twice before and so, I will probably do that again. I am using a new stain called Penofin; it contains a mildewcide. We'll see what results I get. Live and learn, it's a glorious thing,
@@hokimocus thanks for watching and I’m glad you had good success on your redwood deck. Stain brands are constantly changing their formulations and so we might not be talking about the same exact thing, but I deal with penofin a lot out here in Eastern Massachusetts and in general, I’m not impressed by its long-term performance.
@@OutsideCleaners I just watched a video on applying Penofin and in the comments, many people expressed the same opinion. They said it didn't last long and turned grey within a year or less. So now the question is, why do it? Answer; my wife likes the stained look.
@@rachael618 glad you found it helpful. I love trying home projects myself, but sometimes the learning curve is long and expensive and in those cases sometimes it makes sense to just hire someone who has been there and done that.
I have a house that I put white cedar clapboard siding on in 2004, at the time I put Olympic Weathering Stain on it, I haven't done anything since. One section on the south side has turned dark recently I am planning to wash it as you suggested in your video. I see that you don't suggest sealing or staining it, just keeping it washed, is that correct? How often should I wash it?
Do you recommend sealing the wood after this clean? Or just leaving it? I'm also in the northeast with a 1980s built cedar clap board and losing my mind about it 😂
We have a 185 year old cedar clad house down here in the south near the gulf coast. It is currently close to 100 degrees, with insane humidity, so I won't be washing it for a few months. The cedar on this house has not been cared for (it was a rental for 10 years, and then sat empty for a year before we bought it). We hired someone 2 years ago (right when we bought the house) to clean the siding. He cleaned it but didn't use a brightener and now it is dingy again. I want to do it myself this time (I work for a company that sells power washing equipment) but want to make sure I use the correct chemicals. Did you use a softwash chemical injector to apply the sodium percarbonate? Did you do the same for the oxalic acid? You ever use Southeast Softwash Wood Wizard instead of the sodium percarbonate? I'd rather just go with powdered chemicals and mix, it's a decent sized house and i don't want to break the bank buying bottled solutions when chemical do well.
@@ReneeHaden-Knost cool. Old cedar is the best cedar. I wish I could participate in cleaning that building. No, I don’t downstream this stuff. You really can’t, because it will become too diluted if you start from a powdered form and then make a big solution and then run it through a downstream injector. I apply straight from a bulk tank with a 17 GPM chemical resistant air diaphragm pump through 200 feet of 5/8 inch chemical hose. A “regular” residential house might take 50 or 80 or 120 gallons of solution to apply to the siding. I’m not a fan of the southeast soft Wash chemicals in general and their “Wood wizard” in particular. In my view, it’s massively overpriced for the basic chemical it is and in my view it’s a mistake to rely so heavily upon sodium medicate to clean cedar. Case in point: just talked to a guy yesterday in Maine, who was really bummed with how his project came out after he had used that type of sodium metasilicate-rich solution to clean cedar. I think it’s far too alkaline. But Southeast Soft Wash appears to have a lot of fans so it may be that I’m an oddball for not liking their stuff. HOW TO: Pumps I've Used for Exterior Cleaning th-cam.com/video/dSF740tX9yg/w-d-xo.html
@@OutsideCleaners thanks for the fast reply and honest feedback. I'm thinking I'll just stick with buying the chemicals and creating a solution I can work on ratios to get the best results for my house. I have one side that gets all day sun, and another side that gets no direct sun, so the wood has weathered differently, which will be interesting. Waiting for a cloudy, cooler day! My company also sells battery powered tanks that work on diaphragm pumps. Largest is 12 gallons but the cost is good so I will just have to refill! Thanks so much for your help and insight.
Wish I could upvote you more than once for this! What kind of area would a gallon usually cover please? I'm currently working out how much s/p and oxalic is needed.
Hi, I'm not familiar with that product. However, I'm not a fan of "sealing" cedar. Where to buy chemicals: it depends how much you're using. For the most part, homeowners working on homeowner-seize projects will do fine to support their local hardware or paint store. For exterior cleaning contractors, I recommend getting to know your regional chemical supply companies. I'm generally turned off by the unjustifiable markups and costs seen at the power washing supply companies and web sites. The markup there for commodity chemicals is unreal.
I'm interested in your pump set up. I hope to clean some cedar siding soon, I use a 12volt system. I'm thinking I need to have a couple tanks on my trailer, one for the Sodium percarbonate, one for the oxalic acid, ect. Since you do one wall at the time, are you moving a hose from one tank to another and then back again?
I have multiple hoses drawing from different sources but you can to it a thousand different ways. Just obviously dont mix chems. HOW TO: Pumps I've Used for Exterior Cleaning th-cam.com/video/dSF740tX9yg/w-d-xo.html
What made you choose sodium percarbonate for the red cedar? How do you determine what chemical (sodium percarbonate, sodium metasilicate, sodium hypochlorite, and sodium hydroxide) you use for different woods / projects? I’ve used a chemical called cleansol BC and it’s worked great on cedar shingles.
Cleansol BC is a sodium hydroxide - based cleaner. Yes that'll clean red cedar but on a job such as this, where the stuff is raining down on me as I clean tall walls, I much prefer a weaker chemical such as sodium percarbonate solution. Also, in my opinion, that stuff is massively expensive for what it is and what you get. Par for the course for chems labeled for the power cleaning industry. Experience helps a great deal in chemical selection. When I don't know, I tend to start with a gentler chemical and work my way up as needed. After a while, it's "Oh, that needs X" at a glance..
To my knowledge, "granulated" and "powdered" are interchangeable terms in this context. So, either works, but the best sodium percarbonate I know of is un-coated (versus coated). They make a coated version which is supposed to not absorb moisture while in storage, but the coated version is noticeably harder to mix with water. So, I make a point of using un-coated sodium percarbonate. You can buy it in bulk at great pricing here: www.outsidecleaners.com/pro-shop
if there are pieces of cedar that need to be replaced - would you replace the old wood first - before washing? Same with caulk - the whole house needs re-caulking - would you caulk first and then wash - or vice versa? thanks
Great video. So much said in short video. People overthink their washing projects and chemical industry is just confusing us. Follow these steps and you will be golden. Great work and thanks for sharing. 👍💪
Thanks and I agree about the chemical industry. Not only confusing people, but marking stuff up beyond all reason...
I watched watched watched your EXCELLENT video! I just completed a wall of my cedar sided house here in the coastal Pacific Northwest. Wow, what a significant difference! It was previously stained with Cetol in the early 1990s and it is holding up well. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching and glad you got results you're happy with 👍
Thanks for sharing your professionalism.
Thanks for watching.
Gday Nate, really enjoying your content down here in NZ. You convey your message very clearly. Great work, keep it up.
Quick question- When you say you turn your washer right down to reduce pressure output, what's your method? Are you lowering it by the throttle? Or loosening the pressure valve at the unloader?
Personally I have been using a 40deg size 15 nozzle (biggest orifice I could find locally), which on my 5.5gpm 3000psi machine reduces to around 500-600psi... That's running at full throttle and unloader set for 3000psi.
Thanks again for sharing
gDay! Thanks for watching.
Your question is an excellent one and points to a topic I've avoided addressing here on this TH-cam channel. See, I generally adjust the pressure via the unloader, which I acknowledge is the Wrong Way to do it... but it's worked for me and my equipment for all these years. The technically correct way to tone down the pressure would be to put on a tip with an oversized orifice, as you describe. The reason I don't do that is because on a typical cedar job, I'll adjust my unloader several times before I find the "right" pressure for that combo of siding/condition/temp/contamination/etc. So, either I adjust my unloader and go with it, or I carry a dozen white 40-degree tips, each identical in appearance except for their tiny itty bitty numbers which I can only read with a magnifying glass.
@@OutsideCleaners Copy that, makes sense. Whatever works bro. I'm currently starting my own little side hustle washing exteriors, hoping to make it a full-time hustle. Yes, I've got a lot of tips as you say... lucky my eye sight is 20/20 to read those itty bitty numbers lol. Might give the unloader a go, as you do.
All the best to your Mrs, hope the recovery is speedy.
Great short videos! Top notch work!
Thanks for watching
Wicked Video🔥
Nice work Nate🤙🏻
Appreciate it!
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise! Just wondering, would you do anything differently (or additionally) for prep if there is old stain already on the siding and I want to restain. I am not sure what was on there before so I will test a few different samples after cleaning but probably go with something darker and semi-transparent or solid. I know that you aren't a painter but perhaps you have done prep for a paint crew or homeowner that intended on staining?
Some stains will readily wash off from Step #1 showed here. Other stains will only really get washed off via chemical stripping, which is totally different than I illustrate here.
I'd probably start with what I show here in Step #1, and if that removes the old stain, I'd likely skip the "brightening" part of this video as I'm not aware that it would make any difference as to how well the new stain takes hold.
If Step #1 here doesn't remove the old stain at all, then I'd consider chemically stripping. Again, that's a different (and far more dangerous) process...
Very nice work. Looks great
Thank you very much
Looks brand new in the sun 👌
I does!
Wow, incredible! I used your method on my redwood deck. The oxalic acid applied while still wet works wonders. Now, do I leave it or stain it? I would love to leave it and observe deck life without stain . However, it has been stained twice before and so, I will probably do that again. I am using a new stain called Penofin; it contains a mildewcide. We'll see what results I get. Live and learn, it's a glorious thing,
@@hokimocus thanks for watching and I’m glad you had good success on your redwood deck. Stain brands are constantly changing their formulations and so we might not be talking about the same exact thing, but I deal with penofin a lot out here in Eastern Massachusetts and in general, I’m not impressed by its long-term performance.
@@OutsideCleaners I just watched a video on applying Penofin and in the comments, many people expressed the same opinion. They said it didn't last long and turned grey within a year or less. So now the question is, why do it? Answer; my wife likes the stained look.
Nate, as usual nice job!
I appreciate that
This is a really great video! Thank you so much! I know for sure we need a professional now lol
@@rachael618 glad you found it helpful. I love trying home projects myself, but sometimes the learning curve is long and expensive and in those cases sometimes it makes sense to just hire someone who has been there and done that.
I have a house that I put white cedar clapboard siding on in 2004, at the time I put Olympic Weathering Stain on it, I haven't done anything since. One section on the south side has turned dark recently I am planning to wash it as you suggested in your video. I see that you don't suggest sealing or staining it, just keeping it washed, is that correct? How often should I wash it?
Great video. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Real nice work, I charge double because it's a 2 part application for those wood sided homes
Wow that hadn't occurred to me ..
Do you recommend sealing the wood after this clean? Or just leaving it? I'm also in the northeast with a 1980s built cedar clap board and losing my mind about it 😂
We have a 185 year old cedar clad house down here in the south near the gulf coast. It is currently close to 100 degrees, with insane humidity, so I won't be washing it for a few months. The cedar on this house has not been cared for (it was a rental for 10 years, and then sat empty for a year before we bought it). We hired someone 2 years ago (right when we bought the house) to clean the siding. He cleaned it but didn't use a brightener and now it is dingy again. I want to do it myself this time (I work for a company that sells power washing equipment) but want to make sure I use the correct chemicals. Did you use a softwash chemical injector to apply the sodium percarbonate? Did you do the same for the oxalic acid? You ever use Southeast Softwash Wood Wizard instead of the sodium percarbonate? I'd rather just go with powdered chemicals and mix, it's a decent sized house and i don't want to break the bank buying bottled solutions when chemical do well.
@@ReneeHaden-Knost cool. Old cedar is the best cedar. I wish I could participate in cleaning that building.
No, I don’t downstream this stuff. You really can’t, because it will become too diluted if you start from a powdered form and then make a big solution and
then run it through a downstream injector. I apply straight from a bulk tank with a 17 GPM chemical resistant air diaphragm pump through 200 feet of 5/8 inch chemical hose. A “regular” residential house might take 50 or 80 or 120 gallons of solution to apply to the siding.
I’m not a fan of the southeast soft Wash chemicals in general and their “Wood wizard” in particular. In my view, it’s massively overpriced for the basic chemical it is and in my view it’s a mistake to rely so heavily upon sodium medicate to clean cedar. Case in point: just talked to a guy yesterday in Maine, who was really bummed with how his project came out after he had used that type of sodium metasilicate-rich solution to clean cedar. I think it’s far too alkaline. But Southeast Soft Wash appears to have a lot of fans so it may be that I’m an oddball for not liking their stuff.
HOW TO: Pumps I've Used for Exterior Cleaning
th-cam.com/video/dSF740tX9yg/w-d-xo.html
@@OutsideCleaners thanks for the fast reply and honest feedback. I'm thinking I'll just stick with buying the chemicals and creating a solution I can work on ratios to get the best results for my house. I have one side that gets all day sun, and another side that gets no direct sun, so the wood has weathered differently, which will be interesting. Waiting for a cloudy, cooler day! My company also sells battery powered tanks that work on diaphragm pumps. Largest is 12 gallons but the cost is good so I will just have to refill! Thanks so much for your help and insight.
Wish I could upvote you more than once for this!
What kind of area would a gallon usually cover please? I'm currently working out how much s/p and oxalic is needed.
I appreciate it.
One square (10 x 10’) can be treated with a gallon or two.
Hi! Great video!!! have you ever try Stain & Seal Expert's Store? where do you recommend of buying all chemicals
Hi, I'm not familiar with that product. However, I'm not a fan of "sealing" cedar.
Where to buy chemicals: it depends how much you're using. For the most part, homeowners working on homeowner-seize projects will do fine to support their local hardware or paint store. For exterior cleaning contractors, I recommend getting to know your regional chemical supply companies. I'm generally turned off by the unjustifiable markups and costs seen at the power washing supply companies and web sites. The markup there for commodity chemicals is unreal.
I'm interested in your pump set up. I hope to clean some cedar siding soon, I use a 12volt system. I'm thinking I need to have a couple tanks on my trailer, one for the Sodium percarbonate, one for the oxalic acid, ect. Since you do one wall at the time, are you moving a hose from one tank to another and then back again?
I have multiple hoses drawing from different sources but you can to it a thousand different ways. Just obviously dont mix chems.
HOW TO: Pumps I've Used for Exterior Cleaning
th-cam.com/video/dSF740tX9yg/w-d-xo.html
Nate are you using your air pump to apply the oxalic Or do you have a separate system for that?
Air diaphragm pump
What made you choose sodium percarbonate for the red cedar?
How do you determine what chemical (sodium percarbonate, sodium metasilicate, sodium hypochlorite, and sodium hydroxide) you use for different woods / projects?
I’ve used a chemical called cleansol BC and it’s worked great on cedar shingles.
Cleansol BC is a sodium hydroxide - based cleaner. Yes that'll clean red cedar but on a job such as this, where the stuff is raining down on me as I clean tall walls, I much prefer a weaker chemical such as sodium percarbonate solution.
Also, in my opinion, that stuff is massively expensive for what it is and what you get. Par for the course for chems labeled for the power cleaning industry.
Experience helps a great deal in chemical selection. When I don't know, I tend to start with a gentler chemical and work my way up as needed.
After a while, it's "Oh, that needs X" at a glance..
Is powder sodium percaebonate different than granulated percarbonate? Could you use either? How warm does that water have to be
To my knowledge, "granulated" and "powdered" are interchangeable terms in this context. So, either works, but the best sodium percarbonate I know of is un-coated (versus coated). They make a coated version which is supposed to not absorb moisture while in storage, but the coated version is noticeably harder to mix with water. So, I make a point of using un-coated sodium percarbonate. You can buy it in bulk at great pricing here:
www.outsidecleaners.com/pro-shop
So good 👏🏽
thanks for watching
if there are pieces of cedar that need to be replaced - would you replace the old wood first - before washing? Same with caulk - the whole house needs re-caulking - would you caulk first and then wash - or vice versa? thanks
@@DrummEstatesRealEstate I would wash first before replacing anything and before re-caulking.
How much sodium percarbonate per gallon of water for roof moss and lichen removal?
So what percentage of sodium percarbonate in your cleaning solution are you going for with that mixing ratio?
A lot
One more tip- Do this during dry season, not hot humid summer
Here on Cape Cod, humid summer IS dry season.