Penafin on cedar

[Scott Thompson]

I have a question about Penafin. I just received a call about stripping Penafin from a cedar house to get the house down to the natural wood. I understand that HD-80 should be able to get this done.
This is the first time I am bidding a whole house strip.
1. - Am I getting in over my head for a first time house strip? I have done a few decks, but it doesn't seem like the same thing.
2. - If I do get the job, are there any temperature concerns? Right now it is 12 degrees outside. I know it needs to be above freezing, but I need to know what the minimum temp some of the veterans would set as a limit.

Thanks in advance for any assistance offered. And if any of you want to chime in with other advice, it would be appreciated.

 

[Big Mike]

Scott,
Did the exact same thing last fall. We mix our own stripper, but have used HD80 in the past with good results. The Penofin is an easy strip, but there's a few things to be aware of. First, work in manageable sections, and keep the stripper moist until a scratch test shows the finish is coming off. Downstreaming didn't work on the vertical surface very well, so we ended up using the old Shurflo application with a stronger solution. Be sure to lay down plastic to cover plants etc. Secondly, I would wait until temps are at least in the mid 50's for vertical surface stripping, or you'll be using a lot more stripper keeping it active.

Refinishing a house can be good $$$. The one we did was 5 figures, and took 1 day to strip, and 1 day to stain.

 

[Pete Marentay]

Mike is right on. Chemicals work better the warmer the ambient temperature is. What strips easily on a 75 degree day might take twice as long to strip on a 50 degree day. Mike is also correct to suggest that downstreaming may nopt work as well. Use the dwell method and allow the stripper to sit until the sealer becomes gooey. As soon as you see the wood darkening it will be time to wash.

Whatever you do, neutralize afterwards. Brightener is the professional touch and eliminates a lot of "fuzzies".

If you have any other questions, give me a call.