Cedar Siding Maintenance Painting

The key to a successful application of paint is surface preparation.

Cedar siding maintenance painting.

Cedar siding maintenance must be a regular task so that you can avoid permanent damage to your home s exterior. Cedar siding comes in a wide array of styles such as bevel channel tongue groove and board and batten so careful maintenance protects the look and properties. A garden hose may be sufficient. Experts suggest the following routine maintenance for cedar siding.

Staining cedar with a solid color stain. Solid color stains have solid particles but not nearly as many as paint. Before applying stain or paint secure loose shakes replace rotten or damaged ones and fill blemishes with putty or caulk. Allowing fresh siding to weather for as little as two weeks negatively affects coating adhesion.

Power wash every two to four years. What you get is a very uniform opaque color. Check periodically for damaged or loose boards. Nail down or replace as needed.

Genuine cedar siding is going to require washing and staining sealing or painting on a regular basis. If you d like to avoid repairs that could cost thousands of dollars and you d like to keep your clapboard shingles or board and batten lasting for decades regular upkeep and maintenance is critical. When left to its own devices cedar weathers well to a silvery gray a common siding material used for beach homes and mountain cabins. Thus solid color stains let some of the cedar s grain show through but none of the color.

Wash once a year. Dusty climates will require more frequent washing. Your freshly painted cedar siding looked so good after it was completed. Test results from the forest products testing lab run by the usda for the forest service show that after 12 weeks of exposure to sunlight cedar siding has lost half of its ability to hold a film forming coating system like primer and paint.

The upside is that solid color stains will block most damaging ultraviolet light. The friendly staff at longhouse specialty forest products can assist you in finding the best cedar siding to suit your needs and lifestyle. Certain areas are peeling and lifting and the color has faded. Your climate and landscape will determine how often these processes are required.

But over time the elements have taken their toll and the finish is starting to look weathered. A mild non phosphate detergent is recommended. Wood siding is one of the most beautiful of all types of siding and one of the most expensive.