Replies

1. 
   NickNukeEm | May 21, 2003 02:41am | #1

   Here's the history on my house.  We bought it in 1985, clad in red cedar.  We live a few miles from the coast along the CT shoreline.

   1985, siding stained with semi-transparent SW stain.

   1989, siding is weathered, restained house using same stain.

   1994, South side cedar curled and eroded.  Stripped and resided with cedar, stained with same semi-transparent stuff.

   1997, restained house using semi-transparent, south side (new) is curling again.

   2002, stained house using solid stain.

   Moral, new cedar ain't the stuff of 200 years ago.  The solid stain better protects the cedar, but allows the charater of the wood to show through, though it looks more like paint.  If you don't protect it in your wet environment, the mildew will make the house fade to black. 

   I'm gonna have to rip off the south side cedar, again, and this time I'm thinking of using cementfiber siding to stop the cycle once and for all.

   I never met a tool I didn't like!
1. 
   CDN_Builder | May 21, 2003 02:58am | #2

   Nick, just curious what grade/grain are you using? Do you have an airspace?

2. 
   munger | May 27, 2003 09:08pm | #3

   Dear Nick:

   Thanks for the response.  Have you heard of anyone achieving decent results with atlantic white cedar and bleaching oil (as in predipped)?  For that matter have you any knowledge of bleaching oil applied to red cedar?

   Thanks again.

1. 
   NickNukeEm | May 27, 2003 10:33pm | #4

   Never heard of bleaching oil.  My siding was/is clear western red cedar, 4" to weather, stained (2 coats) all sides prior to installing smooth side out.  I love the look of cedar clapboards; it's a staple here in New England, but it just doesn't weather as well as the first growth wood did.  Still, the look is traditional and the antithesis of everything vinyl.

   I never met a tool I didn't like!