# Bleaching Oil?



## HomeGuardPaints (Jan 17, 2008)

I had this estimate today. The house is sided with cedar shakes. Customer applied bleaching oil 10-12 years ago. He wants it redone. I thought that this only to be applied to new wood... am I wrong? Also Is spray application ok? how should the surface be preped? Thanks.(we don't have many houses with cedar in my area)


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## painttofish (Aug 28, 2007)

Yes this is an ideal product for new cedar to accelerate the aging process. It can be re-applied but what I like to use is a 50-50 mix with weathering stain. These are cabots products by the way. The weathering stain can be used alone to achieve a silver gray weathered look or mixed to the customers liking with bleaching oil. The 50-50 ratio gives a more finished look than just re using bleaching oil. As for application I will spray it on using a garden sprayer and back brush it in. An airless over atomizes the spray into a foggy sticky cloud. We do a lot of cedar homes here in Northern Michigan. Happy staining:whistling2:


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

I would pressure wash first...


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## painttofish (Aug 28, 2007)

Careful with the pressure as to much will make fine splinters and damage the wood. light wash recommended.


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## Tonyg (Dec 9, 2007)

It's essentially staining the wood for a natural patina look. Ya know, wood is just not supposed to be grey!  

10-12 yrs, it needs to be restored by cleaning, brightening, and re-stained (or with bleaching oil if you can't talk them out of it)


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

Tony, amen. I cannot for the life of me figure out why someone would want their house to look like a neglected shack.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I have done an old cedar shake Lake Michigan cottage with the bleaching oil and weathering stain combo. It give a really nice look to the appropriate home. Not a look for every building, but it looked great on this cottage set on the dunes with beach grass all around.


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## Tonyg (Dec 9, 2007)

I believe that look is more popular in the North or in a Cape Cod type setting. The beaches in the south are moving more towards color but you are right, it could look OK in a "distessed" motif. I guess.


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

*Welcome To My World*



HomeGuardPaints said:


> The house is sided with cedar shakes.
> Customer applied bleaching oil 10-12 years ago.
> He wants it redone.
> I thought that this only to be applied to new wood... am I wrong?


Yes, you are wrong


HomeGuardPaints said:


> Also Is spray application ok?


Ummmm....not really
You will find many painters that do it, but I'm telling you, the customers are pissed because it doesn't last, and call me because I do it with a big fat brush
Spraying does not force the oils into all the nooks and crannies it needs to be in
I strongly recommend NOT spraying
Besides, that stuff is nasty


HomeGuardPaints said:


> how should the surface be preped?


I'd clean any mold/mildew with Jomax or sim if needed, powerwash depending on how bad it is and how comfortable you are with the machine (keeping in mind you can destroy that siding pretty darn quick with that machine)


HomeGuardPaints said:


> (we don't have many houses with cedar in my area)


In most neighbor hoods around here, 90% of the houses must have cedar shingles on three sides, and white trim
If not, the neighborhood gets bulldozed to put up a Dunkin Donuts and a CVS Parmacy


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## HomeGuardPaints (Jan 17, 2008)

slickshift said:


> In most neighbor hoods around here, 90% of the houses must have cedar shingles on three sides, and white trim
> If not, the neighborhood gets bulldozed to put up a Dunkin Donuts and a CVS Parmacy


Or a walmart:blink:


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## HomeGuardPaints (Jan 17, 2008)

I wanted to bring this back up for some further advise, 
UNFORTUNATLEY i ended up with this job, thought I had over bid it enough to lose.

So cabots weathering stain was on 3 week back order and we decided to use the straight bleaching oil. Pressure washed the home and used a brightener/cleaner. the sides of the home that take on less of the daily sun look great(for a weathered grey) but the sides that take on more sun area very blotchy. the crew kept the bleaching oil mixed well and applied by brush. some areas look as if nothing was applied at all. Will this weathered look appear after time(6-12 months per the label) or will it continue to be this spotty? I'm talking to her about possible using a semi transparent silver grey tinted for a more uniform appearance but don't know if that will fly.

tell me what is the matter.


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

Hard to say w/o seeing it
Not sure if it's normal blotchy or too blotchy
If the (possibly sitting on the shelf since last fall) oil was well shaken, and well mixed while applying, and the surface was cleaned and brightened, then I'll have to go with normal blotchy
That stuff does look like that sometimes
Generally it weathers ("bleaches") out more even

I wouldn't put a semi-trans over it at this point
That will defeat the bleaching oil, and it could look pretty goofy in 6 months

Pics would help


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

...man just reading about it and I can smell it...that stuff is nasty


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## NEPS.US (Feb 6, 2008)

HomeGuardPaints said:


> I wanted to bring this back up for some further advise,
> UNFORTUNATLEY i ended up with this job, thought I had over bid it enough to lose.
> 
> So cabots weathering stain was on 3 week back order and we decided to use the straight bleaching oil. Pressure washed the home and used a brightener/cleaner. the sides of the home that take on less of the daily sun look great(for a weathered grey) but the sides that take on more sun area very blotchy. the crew kept the bleaching oil mixed well and applied by brush. some areas look as if nothing was applied at all. Will this weathered look appear after time(6-12 months per the label) or will it continue to be this spotty? I'm talking to her about possible using a semi transparent silver grey tinted for a more uniform appearance but don't know if that will fly.
> ...


Thats the problem with using Bleaching Oil over shakes that old. Too inconsistant. You might want to try using a garden sprayer and back brushing again to even out the shakes. Tough call. I agree with Slick...NO Semi Trans!


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## HomeGuardPaints (Jan 17, 2008)

basically we have agreed to let the oil do its thing for 6 months or so and see if it will even out some.


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

I think that's a wise move

:thumbsup:


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## painttofish (Aug 28, 2007)

Hey I remember this thread. Gray, for some reason, is very popular here in the north. It is not my favorite either. As for the blotchy, it could be an uneven cleaner/brightener application. Looks good from my house.


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