Which finish you choose is mostly an aesthetic choice.
How often do you have to treat wood siding.
How to clean wood siding.
The most damaging element to cedar siding is moisture.
Cedar siding is very durable against the elements but still requires regular maintenance and depending on the climate should be restained every few years.
If you want to enjoy the aroma of varieties such as western red cedar and incense cedar leave the wood unsealed.
Any exposed wood is susceptible to the elements that cause mildew swelling splitting and cracking.
Oil a clear finish is absorbed into the wood filling.
When used indoors cedar is most often used to line.
In fact you can pay extra for.
Unless you have the skills hire a professional carpenter or siding contractor.
To prevent rot and prolong the life of your wood siding you can treat it with oil stain or paint.
Painting requires a base coat of exterior oil based wood primer followed by a latex based exterior wood finish coat.
Cedar is a versatile wood often used in exterior applications such as decking siding and outdoor furniture.
The design of the structure has a lot to do with how often you need to recoat as well.
If you re using cedar for an outdoor project give it a light seal coat to guard against moisture and sunlight.
To prevent leaks use a quality 50 year exterior caulk made from silicone or polyurethane and fill in each of those gaps before you do any painting.
If the overhang is quite wide or you have covered porches the frequency of the maintenance coatings will be less.
Expect to pay 200 300 to replace a damaged siding panel or two.
These materials act as a barrier preventing water from coming into direct contact with the wood.
Cedar offers a durable option for exterior and interior building projects with natural resistance to rot and decay so a protective finish is optional.
Bear in mind also that because the material naturally expands and contracts throughout the year homeowners with wood siding often need to redo the caulking around exterior window and door trim.
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.
You may only need to treat every 3 7 years on more protected area s of the building.
How to treat cedar interiors.
