Painted Cedar Shake Siding Maintenance

Even species of wood that have a natural resistance to rot such as redwood cypress and cedar may decay if not properly protected from the elements.

Painted cedar shake siding maintenance.

We chose a darker shade of grey. How do you maintain or stain cedar shake siding. Left untreated cedar shakes individual planks of one of several varieties of cedar will discolor and begin to soften with a possibility of rot after about five years depending on your climate. If the caulk separates and fails to keep out moisture water can seep in and rot the siding.

Like most wooden shingles however especially when painted they require care and maintenance over the course of time. The surfaces of finished western red cedar decks siding and trim boards exposed outdoors inevitably become dirty and can also be discolored by mildew algae and moss. The painter that we hired had his crew use brushes to paint the shakes. Left unprotected paint will chip and crack putting stress on caulked seams around windows and doors.

A mild non phosphate detergent is recommended. The paint will begin to peel and the shingles may become stained and they will need to be repainted. Genuine cedar siding is going to require washing and staining sealing or painting on a regular basis. This summer a sundeleaf painting crew has been pouring love and sweat into this spectacular portland home.

What does that care look like. From the outside the cedar siding is a major part of the aesthetics. Cedar shakes are cedar shingles that naturally weather and are resistant to decay. These natural elements slowly erode the finishes and as a result all finishes applied to cedar require regular cleaning and maintenance to perform.

The original color was a light grey. You have several options for covering cedar siding including stain a clear treatment or paint. We have a house that has cedar shake siding. While this material is beautiful long lasting and tough like all other types of wood you must be up to date with the care and cleaning of cedar siding.

Dusty climates will require more frequent washing. Your climate and landscape will determine how often these processes are required. With proper care cedar siding should last many decades. Power wash every two to four years.

It was painted probably 15 20 years ago so we decided to paint it. This will avoid problems such as mold mildew rot and water damage. Cedar shingles can also grow moss and algae or develop iron staining which requires periodic cleaning. 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.