CEDAR SIDING

[IC_Clearly]

Thanks for the replies.

[Jon S.]

I installed clear 1X6 cedar siding 3 years ago with no finish. Now it's getting dingy

looking. How should I clean the water marks and mold from the surface and what

should treat/coat/protect it with?

[L. M. Rappaport]

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 09:02:52 -0500, "Jon S." wrote (with possible editing):

It all depends what you are looking for. If you want it to weather to it's natural silver-gray color, do nothing. If you want the wood color it was originally, and it is VERTICAL siding, you can try a mild bleach solution, then a thorough rinse followed by TSP (tri-sodium phosphate). Still, I'm guessing the only way you'll be successful will be to sand it down. You need a belt sander with a non-aggressive belt and a light touch. You will still have to sand any grooves by hand. For a finish, the best is Sikkens.

If the siding is horizontal and overlapping, I don't know what you can do.

[m Ransley]

If you want it new again it may be a bit late, I have cedar also. My friend tried all the commercial cleaners out and found Sherwin Williams the best. Mold is its own issue, the straight laundry bleach in a garden sprayer will kill, it also cleans somewhat. I would go learn about Sherwin Williams product, it is im sure 10-15x the price of bleach but might be worth testing a sample area comparing to straight cheap laundry bleach. Don`t dilute the bleach, it already is 97-98% water. On coating it depends on your cleaning results and the look you want. Read Consumer Reports ongoing 8yr? stains testing. If it comes real clean a clear or transparent product will look best. Mid ground Semi transparent. if its blackened its aged to far and solid color is needed. With 3 years and a good clean if it restores itself a clear or clear with slight tint would look great. Mine is real old and black I had to go solid. Try to pick the longest lasting product since they only last a few years. Im pretty sure Consumer Reports has Olympic clear at the top. You will need a power washer. Buying a cheap electric 1300 lb will do, but get a good brand. I went through 18 gallons last fall of bleach on a small moldy house. Im sure the Sherwins product is Sodiun Hypochlorate [ Bleach} and an acid or alkaline cleaner combo.

[trader4]

I think this looks best when stain is applied, either semi-transparent or solid, depending on what yuou like.

[L. M. Rappaport]

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 08:52:04 -0600, [e-mail] (m Ransley) wrote (with possible editing):

Two comments. My home is all cedar - I paid extra for California clear cedar and I want to keep it looking new. Some others have rough cedar and like the silvery gray color it ages to. These comments only apply to smooth cedar.

1. If your cedar is planed, I disagree about the power washer. Cedar is one of the softest woods available and a power washer will raise the grain so much that it will turn it significantly rough. We tried power washing some of ours and on the lightest setting it was way too much. We had to sand. Please, if you try this, try it on a small area. Many painters use power washers to clean the wood prior to regular painting, but I think it is overkill on cedar.
2. We live in northern NH. By FAR the best coating is Sikkens, although Olympic is very highly rated. Sikkens is also the most expensive at about +/gallon in large quantity. However, we found that Sikkens lasts by far the longest between coatings and labor is easily the most expensive part of the job. Sikkens seems to last as long as 4 years on the south side, and quite nicely 6 years on the east and west sides. We recoated everything last year, but I'd guess the north side would last at least 7 years before it needs a recoat.

We recoated with 2 coats. Part of our home was built 4 years ago. We used then a semi-transparent there to bring the color closer to the older part which is now about 15 years old. When we recoated last year we used clear everywhere. You will find that cedar darkens naturally but slowly. You can still see the grain in the older part and it really looks almost as good as the day it was built - a warm honey color.

Good luck,

[m Ransley]

Powerwashing is all in how you use the tool, you can put in a zero degree tip on 3500 lb and cut through a cedar 4x4. Or logicaly use a 35 tip or whatever, keep distance and have no more force then a heavy rain. So to say powerwashing raises grain also means rain does it to. Water will cut steel, with special equipment close up, but is a mist at 10 ft. I didnt mean powerblast, it just tears it up.

[Keith]

The cedar (rough/planed) is all the same hunk of wood. Which surface texture you have depends on which way it's hung; rough side out or planed out. I've replaced about 80% of the original spruce on my house with cedar. I put it up rough side out and stained it with a solid (blue-gray) stain to match the style of the house (NE cape).

(NW Vermont) I use Benjamin Moore on mine. Were I going clear I'd use Sikkens too. It lasts about the same (four years on the South and East, seven or better on the North and West). I gotta do it this summer.

The Sikkens gives it a "wet" look too, doesn't it?

[L. M. Rappaport]

On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 12:36:49 -0500, Keith wrote (with possible editing):

...snip

Sort of. Very similar to a semi-gloss varnish, but not like a full gloss varnish.