Need Advice: Removing Deep Grey Layer Under Exterior Cedar Paint

last year

last modified: last year

I’ve been working on restoring the cedar tongue & groove siding on my house. My goal is to strip the existing white paint and refinish the planks with stain and a clear top coat for a natural wood look.

The white paint layer came off fairly easily with a scraper. But underneath it, there’s a stubborn grey layer that appears to have soaked deeply into the wood (see photo #1). I suspect it’s either an old primer or possibly a stain.

This layer has been incredibly difficult to remove. I’ve tried sanding with a 40-grit disc on a heavy-duty sander, but progress is painfully slow. Even after ~10 hours of sanding, many boards still have uneven color and grey showing through (see the last photo).

I do have a PaintShaver Pro, but I’m hesitant to use it aggressively since I’m worried about gouging the wood or damaging the surface.

Question: If you were in my shoes, how would you approach this? Any tools, techniques, or product suggestions that might help break through this grey layer without ruining the wood?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

cat_ky
last year
I would sand it all as smooth as you can and buy solid color stain and use that to stain it. Its going to be impossible to get all that good enough to use a regular type stain, and could even take you many years, to do it all. Sometimes, we have to compromise on things, and a solid color cedar stain, would be a good compromise for you and your house.
PRO
PPF.
last year
Research using a clear finish on the exterior.

I would experiment with removing the siding from the house.

If that was doable, I'd run it through a planer to remove the finishes and get down to a clean surface.

I would then run them across a shaper (or router table) using a power feeder to cleanup and reform the tongue and groove.

Finish flat.

Then reinstall.
Related Professionals
Middlesboro Cabinets & Cabinetry · McComb Cabinets & Cabinetry · Murrieta Cabinets & Cabinetry · Washington Carpenters · Palm Bay Carpenters · Madison Carpenters · Richmond Flooring Contractors · Great Bend Flooring Contractors · Milwaukee Flooring Contractors · Anderson Interior Designers & Decorators · Lawrence Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Morgan City Furniture & Accessories · Chicago Carpenters · Fall River Carpenters · Trenton Custom Closet Designers
klem1
last year
I've had good results with deck and fence cleaners. Look for the term "brighten" along with "cleans and renews" on container. Although it requires extra steps compared to pressure washer solutions, I like results of those applied then allowed to rest before rinsing off. I use a garden sprayer to apply then low pressure setting on pressure washer for rinse. The better solutions actually remove a bit of wood surface in the process.
PRO
PPF.
last year
Deck that I stripped using stain remover, then brightened with another for decks product, sanded and stained.