rabela 14 Report post Posted August 10, 2006 After over a year of research, I need to make a decision on what to apply on my bungalow's cedar/redwood sidding once the contractor has stripped and conditioned the wood. The contractor will most likely apply the initial coat, but I'd like to keep the option open for doing the maintenance coats myself down the road as the contractor has quoted me $6000 for a 5 year mainteance program with ATO (this quote does not include the initial strip/coat job). My understanding is that WoodTux may last longer than ATO and works well on older wood, but that Ready Seal is easier to apply than either of them. Looks, durability in Canadian weather (cold winters, humid summers), and resistance to mildew are important features for me. If I were to try out Ready Seal, would it be possible to easily switch to WoodTux or ATO down the road. My reasonning is that since Ready Seal does not create a film/barrier, there is nothing to strip. Would this mean that WoodTux or ATO can simply be applied over aged Ready Seal? I suspect that going in the opposite direction would be much more complicated. What is the mainteance procedure with Ready Seal? Richard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seymore 90 Report post Posted August 10, 2006 You will have to strip any stain to apply a different stain in the future. 6K to do what for 5 yrs? I've stained cedar houses with the Baker's Gray Away i use and most don't have to be touched again for 5 years.:cool: I have a cedar house i stained 8 yrs ago and most of the house looked like i just stained it last week.The only parts of the house close to the ground that rain splashed on it was wearing off.This is the TEXAS heat and humidity by the way. RS may not form a film but it does soak into the wood so if you try appling another stain on top of it would not be good to do.The new stain may not soak into the wood and look blotchy without stripping.If you plan on restoring your cedar make sure it's the stain you are going to keep on using. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
James 625 Report post Posted August 10, 2006 Yes you can switch and go over ready seal. You can use RS as a base coat and use a filmer to seal it in also. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PressurePros 249 Report post Posted August 10, 2006 You'd probably get the best of all world's using both products. The Ready Seal will penetrate and condition and the Wood Tux will lock it in. Your maintenance would be done with Wood Tux. The only issue is Richard, I don't think WT is sold to homeowners. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RPetry 564 Report post Posted August 10, 2006 Rhichard, Of course you want to clean off any dirt, mold, mildew, etc. before applying any stain, whether the wood is already stained or not. You can apply virtually any stain over top of Ready Seal that has cured. The opposite is untrue. You cannot apply Ready Seal over other stains. It might be possible with a few paraffinic oils such as TWP or Baker's Gray Away, but have never had a reason to try it. Maintenance for Ready Seal is a light (1.5-2%) sodium hydroxide mix with a small bit of soap, dwell for 10-20 min. and a very low pressure rinse. A hose and nozzle will do, a pressure washer is not necessary. If the wood is very dirty and/or has a lot of mold/mildew, a light scrub with a brush will dislodge the dirt/mildew. Rinse very well and allow to dry. A single application, as much as the wood will take, is fine for Ready Seal maintenance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seymore 90 Report post Posted August 10, 2006 Yes you can switch and go over ready seal. You can use RS as a base coat and use a filmer to seal it in also. ok i stand corrected by Mr. Foley.:lgbow: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimmyvato 14 Report post Posted May 23, 2011 Hi, Lots of information, great site. I am wondering if Ready seal is available in Canada or even close, Michigan or Illinois if need be? Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites