Affordable Exterior Painting Updates, Update Your Garage Door
Update Your Garage Door
Another focus should be your garage door. Depending on your home’s layout, a garage door can be a prominent feature of your home, and updating it can have a huge impact. ABOUT
For color, you could choose one solid color for the entire project. Another option is to use lighter and darker shades of your chosen paint color to highlight details in construction.
If you can’t decide, simply use a different shade of the color of your house or something that coordinates with your other accent colors. From the street, this will help create a nice cohesive color palette on your home. manuelzpaintinghomeimprovementinc.com


Natural Cedar Restoration (Deck, Siding, Fence)
Here’s a professional, step-by-step process to restore cedar and bring back its natural color while protecting the wood long-term.
1. Inspection & Prep
- Check for rot, loose boards, popped nails, splinters
- Replace damaged cedar before cleaning
- Protect plants, windows, and nearby surfaces
2. Cleaning (Key Step)
Goal: Remove dirt, mildew, old stain, and gray oxidation
Best method
- Use a cedar-safe wood cleaner or stripper (oxygenated or sodium percarbonate)
- Apply with pump sprayer
- Let dwell 10–15 minutes (don’t let it dry)
- Light pressure wash
- 500–800 PSI for siding
- 800–1,000 PSI for decks
- Always follow the wood grain
⚠️ Avoid high pressure — it will fuzz and scar cedar
3. Brightening (Restores Natural Color)
- Apply a wood brightener (oxalic acid)
- Neutralizes the cleaner
- Restores warm cedar tone
- Opens pores for better stain absorption
- Rinse thoroughly
4. Drying Time
- Let cedar dry 48–72 hours
- Moisture content should be below 15%
5. Sanding (If Needed)
- Light sanding for:
- Fuzzy wood
- Raised grain
- Heavy weathering
- Use 80–100 grit (don’t over-sand)
6. Natural Finish Protection
For a true natural look, use:
- Clear or Natural-tone penetrating oil
- Semi-transparent cedar oil
- UV inhibitors are a must
Application
- Brush or stain pad (best control)
- Back-brush for even penetration
- One coat usually enough (follow manufacturer)
7. Maintenance Schedule
- Clean yearly
- Re-oil every 12–24 months
- Avoid film-forming stains (they peel on cedar)
Best Products (Professional Grade)
- Cleaners: Restore-A-Deck, Armstrong-Clark, DEFY
- Brighteners: Oxalic acid-based
- Finishes: Penetrating oil, semi-transparent cedar tone


