Wash
Cedar House Washing in Wanaka
A soft chemical wash that lifts mould and grime without blasting the timber. The single cheapest thing you can do for your cedar.
Never water blast cedar
Cedar is a soft timber. A high pressure washer will tear the soft grain out from between the growth rings and leave a furry, fibrous surface that no coating sits on properly. We have seen plenty of houses where the water blaster did more damage than ten years of sun.
The right way is a soft chemical wash. Low pressure, the chemistry does the work, mould and algae are killed rather than knocked off, and the timber surface is left intact.
An annual wash buys you years
Mould and grime hold moisture against the timber and dull the finish. Getting the house washed once a year, usually in spring, keeps the coating working and stretches the gap between re-stains.
It is cheap, it takes a day, and it is the easiest money you will ever save on cedar.
Low pressure only
No water blasting on cedar. Ever.
Mould treated, not just rinsed
Proper treatment kills spores so it does not come straight back.
Gardens protected
Plants covered and rinsed, joinery and fittings looked after.
Great value on its own
You do not need to book a stain to book a wash.
How it runs
The cedar house washing process
The same person who quotes your job runs it, from the first walk around to the last one. No handovers, nothing lost in between.
- Step 01
Protect
Cover gardens, close up joinery, check for gaps where water could get in.
- Step 02
Apply
Soft wash solution applied to cladding, soffits and joinery.
- Step 03
Dwell and agitate
Let the chemistry work, brush stubborn areas by hand.
- Step 04
Rinse
Low pressure rinse from the top down, gardens rinsed off as we go.
- Step 05
Report
If we spot coating failure or damaged boards while we are up close, you will hear about it.
Seen it in the flesh
Cedar oil refresh in Northlake
Caught at exactly the right time. The cedar was dry and starting to grey but the surface was still sound, so this was a wash and refresh coat rather than a restoration.
- Chemical wash to cladding, soffits and joinery
- Three days drying before any oil went on
- Scaffold to the rear gable for safe access
- Single refresh coat of penetrating oil, two coats on the north wall
Reviews
What people say once we have left
Bradley and his partner were excellent to work with. So obliging and did such a fantastic job. So easy to recommend and I will be using for any further work I need done. They did exterior staining on my property.
Bradley and team were reliable, easy to communicate with, and did a great job.
Thanks to Brad for doing such an amazing job on our Wanaka house. The newly stained cedar looks beautiful and the whole house has had a lift. It was very easy to work with Brad as out-of-town home owners. Highly recommended!
Answers
Cedar House Washing questions
How often should cedar be washed?
Once a year is ideal, usually spring. Houses under trees or on shaded sites can need it more often.
Will washing remove the grey?
It will remove dirt and mould, which sometimes looks like grey. True UV greying is in the timber surface and only comes off with sanding.
Do you wash the whole house or just the cedar?
Whole house. There is no point cleaning the cladding and leaving the soffits and joinery grubby.
Get in touch
Not sure what your cedar needs?
Send three photos: the whole house, the sunniest wall, and a close up of the worst boards. We will tell you straight whether it wants a wash, a recoat or the full job.