Wood Prep (Clean, Strip, Brighten)

Keep your wood looking good with our selection of cleaners, strippers, and brighteners.

Prep decides how well the next coat holds. Which product you need depends on what is on the wall right now.

  • Dirt, pollen, mold and mildew staining: a general log cleaner such as Log Wash.
  • Mill glaze on new logs, or gray oxidized fiber on weathered wood: Wood ReNew. Log Wash is not effective on grayed wood.
  • A finish that is peeling, cracking or flaking: a stripper such as Strip-It or S-100, before any new coat goes on.

Not sure which one you are looking at? How to inspect your log home's finish walks through the checks, including the water bead test that tells dirt apart from real wear.

Once the wall is clean and dry, browse Exterior Stains and Top Coats.