Can You Stain Cedar Shake Siding

Cedar siding shingles provide beauty for any home but they must be properly coated to ensure a long life.

Can you stain cedar shake siding.

Cedar shingles can also grow moss and algae or develop iron staining which requires periodic cleaning. Thus solid color stains let some of the cedar s grain show through but none of the color. However you may need to reapply a clear coat stain every two years. Staining cedar shake siding not only offers you the chance to customize the color of your home but when you apply it carefully a good stain helps protect the wood and keep it looking new for.

In fact you can pay extra for pre primed or pre stained shake products. Factory applied finishes of this type are available in most. Second biggest factor is moisture. Cedar shingles contain extractives that bleed to the surface when the wood becomes wet and then darken as the wood dries.

What you get is a very uniform opaque color. Oil based stain is a more durable product that will thoroughly penetrate the cedar when applied but it can be more prone to allowing mold growth if you aren t careful and don t use a solution containing a fungicide. Staining cedar siding differs from application of paint and other finishes. After you have washed it wait for it to dry before applying any stain to.

Staining cedar with a solid color stain. Prepare your cedar siding by washing it with soapy water to remove any dirt or dust if any has accumulated. Those extractives can even bleed through many types of paint. Wash wait for it to dry.

Solid color stains have solid particles but not nearly as many as paint. Stains dry rapidly and fresh stain applied over dried stain will show lap marks. Department of agriculture s forest services laboratory recommends cleaning cedar shingles with an oxidizing bleach as opposed to a household bleach to avoid damaging the wood while you can use household bleach to kill mold and algae it tends to make the cedar shingle s surface. The upside is that solid color stains will block most damaging ultraviolet light.

First remove any mill glaze a hard shiny surface on one side of the siding by sanding. Although cedar is naturally resistant to rot and decay staining your siding promptly will help in the preventing of deterioration. If you have intense sun on cedar wood siding you d be best served using a semi transparent stain not a paint. With a new installation of cedar shake siding which can cost around 5 a square foot you shouldn t need to do any prep work before staining or painting.

If you choose to stain cedar rather than paint it there s a few things you should know.