Keeping natural cedar siding looking new
My guess is I’m not the first to ask this…..
I just saw one of those ads in FH for nice looking exterior natural cedar siding….and it reminded me to inquire to this forum. I installed 8″ rabbited rough saw knotty cedar 8 years ago, using the technique in a FH article (built a long trough, dipped all pieces in Cedar Marine Penofin, let dry, nail w/ SS nails, etc. All was well for a few years until the east, south, and west faces started to go dark from sun exposure/breakdown of the product. I have tried Renew on a couple of faces of my house, and recoated a couple years ago using the new red can Penofin (at $40/gal..yeow!), but even that is starting to darken and lose the nice rich appearance. I am about ready to give in and paint my house…..refinishing every 3-5 years is getting old, and it has never looked the same as day 1 anyway.
Before I give in to paint, anyone have any suggestions? And if I give in, does anyone have suggestions on products or techniques for painting over previously stained rough cedar?
thanks,
Replies
Greetings bestdaddy,
As a first time poster Welcome to Breaktime.
This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again.
Perhaps it will catch someones attention that can help you with advice.
Cheers
We all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper. - Albert Einstein
Fugidaboudit. Either stain the wood or let it go black, then grey. No way you can keep it "natural", and the "cleaners" that "refresh" the wood are really acids that eat away the surface.
No electrons were harmed in the making of this post.
I think that you have to get used to the idea that since this wood is exposed to the elements it will weather. Although there are products that slow this, I don't think that anything can work more than a couple of years between aplications. My front porch still looks practically new, but it doesn't get sun, and it has a roof over it. If you are considering painting, you should also consider a pigmented stain. They offer nearly the protection of paint, but allow some of the woods appearance to show through. Or, you could learn to like the aged wood look.
As for clear penetrant coatings, I did some research for deck coatings when I did my front porch. Some people swore by the Penafin brand, but I also found many complaints about Penafin on cedar siding. There were several complaints about severe darkening with age. It sounded like it is due to mildew growth. Most of these type of protectants use an oil to penetrate and protect. The oil also will support mildew growth without anti-mildew ingredients. It sounds like the anti-mildew ingredient can break down with time. I ended up opting for the Sikkens Cetol DEK coating. It is not suitable for siding, and has potential for peeling since it is film forming. My porch is fits it's ideal appliaction though so it has held up wonderfully, and it still looks like it belongs indoors.
Don't know that there's any way known to mankind to keep cedar in that just-milled state. Remember, the "natural" look you want only occurs when cedar is zipped up inside its bark. When it's exposed to the elements, its natural state is silver, if it's kept fairly dry, or black, if it's wet.
I live at 7000' elevation where the UV alone will go right through ANY finish in a year. Someone inthis subdivision, apparently from elsewhere, built a house of smooth-finish cedar, and every builder in the area just snickered. Didn't last a year.
Better you learn to like that mellowed, aged look.
Bruce
The High Desert Group LLC
"Fine homes done right, one at a time"
Hi Bruce,
I live in Reno at about 5500 ft., and was thinking about re-siding my house in stone and cedar for a "Tahoe-style" look. I am new to the area, so what coatings do you recommend for a reasonably durable finish on the cedar? I was thinking of a semi-transparent stain in a natural color, but I don't want to end up with gray in a couple of years.
Thanks!
Go with a darker color than you'd be first inclined to -- darker colors block UV better.--------------
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