I’ve got a customer that wants his master closet lined with Tennessee aromatic cedar. No problem there. My question is should it be sealed with a sealer after it’s installed or would that defeat its purpose? I’m thinking that if you don’t seal it it will eventually dry out and crack and check and turn into an ugly mess and he’s a pretty particular architect/owner/customer.
Anybody have any experience with this?
Just need an answer so I can throw a number in the estimate for finishing/sealing.
Thanks
BjR
Replies
I was always under the impression that if you put a finish on cedar, you eliminated the scent. Which is obviously the whole reason for having the cedar in the first place.
That's what I'm thinking too but wanted to see if anybody's had any experience with this.
BjR
Well, if you can get all the board stock in the house to "season" first, generally, it stays the way it comes out of the box and onto the wall.
All I've ever done was a good, thorough, but light sanding, afte getting it in.
If the closet is more than 3x4' or so, it can be better to only "do" one big wall, or a couple of smaller walls, and use a similar t&g or sheet product elsewhere). This is particularly true of shallow closets--the ends are a little useless to cover in expensive cedar when they'll be covered in clothes more often than not.
But, that's just my experience (maybe 3 dozen customer closets, maybe 8 with cedar); others may differ.
I wouldn't seal it with anything. They do sell aromatic cedar oil to "refresh" the scent when it's no longer smelling so aromatic but you can do the same thing with a basket full of cedar chips.
If you put anything on the cedar, you will seal in the scent. Conversely, to rejuvinate aromatic cedar, lightly sand it. This will uncover whole new cedar aromtic scent glands, creating a need for cedar anti-aromatic spray, which is a coat of sealant. Sorry. Long day.
Seriously, if you want the scent, leave the dog alone.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.