How to Reduce the Smell of a Cedar Fence
- 1). Dry the wood with activated charcoal before you construct the fence. Set the boards along the wall of your basement or garage and distribute trays of charcoal throughout the room. Let the wood cure this way for two weeks to a month.
- 2). Spray an existing fence with a solution of baking soda and water or vinegar and water. Fill a pump sprayer used for plants and thoroughly soak the fence. If the smell is still present after the wood has dried, spray again. You may get better results if you alternate spraying with a baking soda solution and then a vinegar solution, finishing the spray cycle with vinegar to wash off any baking soda crystals that may collect on the wood.
- 3). Apply a clear, waterproofing wood sealer to the fence with a paintbrush, or spray it on with a paint sprayer. Let it dry and reapply if the smell is still present.
- 4). Stain the fence with a natural or pigmented stain. Spray the stain on with a paint sprayer or use a paintbrush.
- 5). Paint the fence with clear polyurethane or varnish. Use a paintbrush to seal all cracks and areas between the fence boards and the railing where water might collect.
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