Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 16, 2000 09:03pm | #1

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   Usually I buy preprimed cedar from Skookum Lumber. However, if you're going to clear finish, I'd rent or buy a big sprayer, and then have at it with at least two coats of an oil-based clear primer (they sell something like that here which is heavy in the linseed oil). I know that a lot of guys actually make a little tank out of a tarp and then dip the siding. Whatever you do, don't forget to prime the ends of your cuts.

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   Guest_ | Apr 16, 2000 09:12pm | #2

   *...i like to set up my longest lengths on two horses with 6 ft 2x extensionsand a paint plank , say a 2x10 right next to it , lay down two or three pieces at a time and coat them with a 4inch roller...flip em over and do the backs..set em up on your drying rack flat..sticker them and keep building your layers..you need a lot of stickers, usually we buy a couple bundles of wood lath... coating front and back will help to keep the face clean.. and you can put the final coat on in place..keep a couple coffee cans with the plastic top slit and a chip brush (throw away ) for the applicators to coat all cut ends... we make all our splices with a bevel cut.. and the Hollywood side away from the normal viewing angle..

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   Guest_ | Apr 16, 2000 09:43pm | #3

   *What I want to know is how you determine which side was closest to hollywood when it was still a tree.

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   Guest_ | Apr 16, 2000 09:45pm | #4

   *mox nix...it only matters which side is going to be closest to hollywood after u nail it up..got ur hat on?

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   Guest_ | Apr 16, 2000 09:49pm | #5

   *I dunno if I wanna go to Pete's. Yer gunna make me wear that durn hat the whole time I'm there....

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   Guest_ | Apr 16, 2000 10:01pm | #6

   *i wudn't ..... but pete might

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   Guest_ | Apr 16, 2000 10:05pm | #7

   *See, the way I figured it... Yer still workin full time and I'm not. That means yer probably in better shape than I am.Kinda like the older brother I always hated....

4. 
   Guest_ | Apr 16, 2000 11:56pm | #8

   *When I did my house in redwood with a clear finish I built a trough out of plywood, caulked the joints and lined it with 6mil poly. Trough was about 22 feet long to accomodate my longest piece of siding. I set it up in my backyard on sawhorses, filled with my finish material and starting dipping. This way I was sure the finish penetrated both the front and back side of the siding. I made some drying racks out of 2x material and some 20d nails, and used my picket fence as well. Only drawback is that the finish evetually ate trough the poly and I got leaks. It also did a number on the grass...but hey it grew back.If I did this again I wouldnt make the trough as long. I found I could just do the longer pieces in sections. 16 feet would probably be sufficient. Good Luck.Dave.

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   Mark_Brewer | Apr 18, 2000 03:20am | #9

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   Can somebody make the case in five paragraphs (don't forget the topic sentence) why we should bother with back priming. I've installed cedar and redwood both ways--primed and not--and have observed no discernible difference in the results,except that my work clothes tend to get only a little less paint on them if I don't prime. This conflict holds for exterior handrail parts of various degrees of complexity and overlay, all of which I do indeed carefully back prime but earns me a frown (yes, only a frown) from my boss. Biscutting miters gets similar results.

3. 
   Guest_ | Apr 18, 2000 02:25pm | #10

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   I'm not sure that backpriming is a necessity for clear finish, but it is for paint in my opinion. The reason is that moisture behind the clapboards will eventually pass throught to the backside of the unpainted siding and the backside of the paint film, causing it to lose its grip.

   Clapboards for paint need to be lightly sanded before priming too, to remove the mill 'glaze' from cutting machinery that tends to seal the surface of the wood.

   I'm not sure that David's clear finish would warrant backpriming since the final product doesn't contain a film building binder, one of the primary differences between clear / stain finishes and paint. His main concern will be UV degradation of the finish and greying of the cedar, which is hard to prevent.

   Would I backprime anyway? Probably.

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   Guest_ | Apr 19, 2000 06:30pm | #12

   *Of course, rustic means rustic ....

4. 
   David_MN | Apr 19, 2000 06:30pm | #11

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   What is the best application method for back priming cedar siding. I didn't realize this was a necessary step and plan to side my house with rustic cedar siding. we plan to use a clear finish Any and all tips would be appreciated. If I missed something in my archives search please let me know. thanks for your assistance. David