How Often To Stain Cedar Siding

There will be no difficulty in determining when it is time to do the job.

How often to stain cedar siding.

How to restain cedar siding. A good maintenance coating is one coat of stain of the same color every five years. When properly applied cedar stain should last for five to seven years or longer if weather conditions are mild. Paint cedar for a more formal look.

A solid color stain or paint tends to give cedar a more formal appearance while a transparent stain or clear. Two coats are always recommended when you want to maintain the natural look of western red cedar. There again if you are looking to do a color change or you had prolonged maintenance you re probably looking at two coats of stain every eight years. Leave the stain in a shaded spot sheltered from wind and rain for six to eight hours after putting on the first coat.

The service life of a stain also varies depending on the quality of the stain and the texture of the siding. Remove the existing finish with a power sander and 220 grit sandpaper. How well the siding has weathered the elements determines how often to restain. Two coats of penetrating oil based stain on textured western red cedar will provide a longer service life than one coat but only if the wood will accept the second coat.

Cedar treatments should last 5 7 years. Stir the stain thoroughly during application to prevent settling and color change. If the cedar siding only has a stain the wood will need to be restained fairly frequently as stains do not provide the same longevity as paint. Let s go over to the solid body stain.

Work in small circular motions to remove. After that the color will rapidly change from red to gray. However if the stain used on the cedar siding has a clear coat a professional may only need to maintain the clear coat. If you do decide to color your wood there are several options.

Most cedar treatments are much like house paint in that they are composed of pigments and solids. Make sure your cedar shake siding is properly treated stained or painted. After installing your exterior cedar you have about a two week grace period until the wood starts to discolor. Stain offers homeowners a number of advantages over paint for cedar siding.

Clean the siding with a mixture of 1 part bleach and 4 parts water. Apply a second coat right afterward so the wood will accept it. Let s look at probably two coats of stain every five years. Nail down loose cedar shakes.

After you have put the first coat on it is recommended that you wait 6 to 8 hours for it to dry before placing a second coat on. Bare cedar requires immediate staining.