Paint Or Stain Cedar Shake Siding

Be careful when painting very old cedar siding.

Paint or stain cedar shake siding. The siding must be free from mold mildew and dirt. The best way to prevent extractive bleed is to select a paint or stain that forms a seal over the cedar. Oil or water based stains make an ideal stain for your cedar shingles as long as they don t have a high solid particulate nature. Both stain and paint protect your siding from moisture and sunlight but they differ in how much protection they offer.

While extremely old cedar can be painted it requires heavy preparation. Even then the paint is not expected to last long. Best stains covers preserves better these best stains are also are easy to apply by spray method. Those extractives can even bleed through many types of paint.

Siding that has been primed and coated with two coats of paint can offer up. Do not let it dry. Hiring a professional to paint or stain cedar siding will cost 2 500 to 4 000 or more depending on your home s size and the labor required. Paint or stain dimensional cedar wood siding having cedar lumber wood siding such as 1 x 6 1 x 8 1 x 12 or two inch thickness can be painted with a solid paint stain not requiring primer but still not recommended painting cedar if you can help it.

Cedar siding shingles provide beauty for any home but they must be properly coated to ensure a long life. A stain or clear coating needs one or two finish coats depending on the cedar shake grade and whether you re applying a solid or semi transparent product. First remove any mill glaze a hard shiny surface on one side of the siding by sanding. Staining cedar siding differs from application of paint and other finishes.

Mix the cleaner according to the instruction and apply it to the stained cedar siding with a brush or roller. Using a pump sprayer and a 4 or 5 paint brush you can cover a wide area by spraying and then back brushing the surface to work the stain into the wood. Surface preparation is the key to success when dealing with weathered wood. Paint vs stain best stains seals and protects wood shingles leaving no paint mil to chip crack or peel.

Cedar shingles contain extractives that bleed to the surface when the wood becomes wet and then darken as the wood dries. Stains dry rapidly and fresh stain applied over dried stain will show lap marks. This is necessary if for example the old finish is severely cracked or is peeling. Loosened photodegraded surface fibers and any loosened remaining finish must be removed prior to re finishing.

Give it at least 24 hrs drying time before further handling. Exterior western red cedar surfaces only need to be refinished when the old coating has worn thin and no longer affords the wood protection. If possible stain all sides of the siding before installation.