# Stripping Cedar siding



## Gary Smith (May 29, 2010)

Does anyone know how to strip Varnish or Shalac off Cedar Sidng - I think this was a factory applied finish. This siding gives the cabin a log look.
Most of the origanal finish has come off over the years especially the side facing the sun.
Because the surface is not flat it is difficult to get a sander of any kind on it.
Thanks 
Gary


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

The coating is most likely Sikkens Log & Siding.

Have it Cob blasted. That similar to sand blasting but they use ground up corn cobs. It strips the finish without damaging the wood. That would be the absolute best way to strip finishes off of siding and log homes. Sikkens Log & Siding is a great product, but it needs to be maintained. A maintenance coat is required every 3-5 years even if looks like its not needed. 

Cob blasting isnt cheap, and the companies that offer it ( at least in my area ) are few and far between. If you keep up on the maintenance though, it should be a one time expense.


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## Lambrecht (Feb 8, 2010)

Go to www.WASH-SAFE.com. They have a product called painters wash. It will remove the stain, is environmentally safe, and actually works. I used it to remove the stain finish off of my cedar log cabin house. It is easy to use, mix with water, spray it on with pump sprayer, wait 15 min, and rinse with pressure washer on low pressure ( about 100psi). You may have to do some areas twice. I am currently using it on a cedar shake house with excellent results. This is hand down the easiest product I have ever used to remove stain and/or clear coats. Talk to John Redmahn. Hope this helps. Good luck


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## hammerheart14 (May 29, 2010)

Gary Smith said:


> Does anyone know how to strip Varnish or Shalac off Cedar Sidng - I think this was a factory applied finish. This siding gives the cabin a log look.
> Most of the origanal finish has come off over the years especially the side facing the sun.
> Because the surface is not flat it is difficult to get a sander of any kind on it.
> Thanks
> Gary


Yep, it's called a grinder disk!!!!! You get a disk grinder and a few 36 grit disks and go to town. Much faster than using a chemical stripper. Just don't tear a hole into the cabin or anything. remember, keep the sanding even.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

hammerheart14 said:


> Yep, it's called a grinder disk!!!!! You get a disk grinder and a few 36 grit disks and go to town. *Much faster than using a chemical stripper*.


:no: Not at this altitude.


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## hammerheart14 (May 29, 2010)

vermontpainter said:


> :no: Not at this altitude.


what do you mean? i've disk grinded at 7,000 feet. sand blasting is easier, but costs alot. nothing's better than old fashioned sanding.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

hammerheart14 said:


> what do you mean? i've disk grinded at 7,000 feet. sand blasting is easier, but costs alot. nothing's better than old fashioned sanding.


Except for chemically stripping.


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## brushmonkey (Jan 4, 2010)

Ive done alot of both. The chemical stripper method works best for the money especially if its weathered. For the areas that are really hard to get or the stripper wont remove, grab the makita disc grinder & go to town. :thumbsup:


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## hammerheart14 (May 29, 2010)

vermontpainter said:


> Except for chemically stripping.


nope. bad for the soil, takes longer, more labour involved. you know it never works the first go round.......sandblasting is much faster, imo. or even old fashioned sanding.


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## brushmonkey (Jan 4, 2010)

The stuff we use is biodegradable & doesn't harm plants or animals. True it takes longer & a few applications, but it its cheaper than 1000.00 to 1400.00 a day for blasting unless of course you already own a blasting setup. The problem with grinding on soft cedar siding is swirl marks that become pronounced when stained. What ever you grind has to be sanded again with an orbital to get rid of them...talk about time consuming! 
Id rather strip a couple times, sand out the fuzz once & start shooting stain. JMO


hammerheart14 said:


> nope. bad for the soil, takes longer, more labour involved. you know it never works the first go round.......sandblasting is much faster, imo. or even old fashioned sanding.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

hammerheart14 said:


> nope. bad for the soil, takes longer, more labour involved. you know it never works the first go round.......sandblasting is much faster, imo. or even old fashioned sanding.


Sounds like you dont know much about pressure washing. You should definitely stick with grinding, sanding or whatever mechanical method you are comfortable with. Chemicals are a little trickier to deal with.

Obviously you havent heard about the epa's ppm rule for dust containment above the inversion layer. You must be killin it.


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## y.painting (Jul 19, 2009)

vermontpainter said:


> Sounds like you dont know much about pressure washing. You should definitely stick with grinding, sanding or whatever mechanical method you are comfortable with. Chemicals are a little trickier to deal with.
> 
> Obviously you havent heard about the epa's ppm rule for dust containment above the inversion layer. You must be killin it.


hehe:thumbup:

Nowadays, when people bring up the complete strip idea, I am quick to suggest that replacing their old siding is a better alternative in the long run.


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## hammerheart14 (May 29, 2010)

vermontpainter said:


> Sounds like you dont know much about pressure washing. You should definitely stick with grinding, sanding or whatever mechanical method you are comfortable with. Chemicals are a little trickier to deal with.
> 
> Obviously you havent heard about the epa's ppm rule for dust containment above the inversion layer. You must be killin it.


re-reading the post, i saw it was cedar. yep, you gotta be careful with such a softwood. but there are ways. you're damn right i don't know much about pressure washing. only ****ty painters use that method instead of scraping and sanding. oh yeah, i'mm gonna inject water into the house, then i'm gonna seal it with primer and paint, then later on it'll pop the paint off!!!!!! then i'll blame it on the paint.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

hammerheart14 said:


> re-reading the post, i saw it was cedar. yep, you gotta be careful with such a softwood. but there are ways. you're damn right i don't know much about pressure washing. only ****ty painters use that method instead of scraping and sanding. oh yeah, i'mm gonna inject water into the house, then i'm gonna seal it with primer and paint, then later on it'll pop the paint off!!!!!! then i'll blame it on the paint.


 
You need to go to bed and get a life:yes:


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

hammerheart14 said:


> re-reading the post, i saw it was cedar. yep, you gotta be careful with such a softwood. but there are ways. you're damn right i don't know much about pressure washing. only ****ty painters use that method instead of scraping and sanding. oh yeah, i'mm gonna inject water into the house, then i'm gonna seal it with primer and paint, then later on it'll pop the paint off!!!!!! then i'll blame it on the paint.


I suggest you spend a little more time reading here and less time responding. This is a forum for professional painters to share ideas, your references to ****ty painters is getting a little old already.


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