Cedar siding repair

[tim birr]

I built a small cedar shed last fall out of cedar siding -- this stuff if you care:

I was getting ready to put stain on it this weekend when I noticed a small "knothole" sort of hole in one of the siding pieces. It is about the side of a dime or maybe slightly larger, with the white Tyvek lining underneath clearly visible. If it makes any difference, the inside of the shed is finished with plywood -- so cedar, Tyvek, studs and then plywood.

So, how do I repair this -- a bunch of acrylic caulk? Wood putty? It's on the side of the shed and while the shed is a nice looking structure the side with the hole faces a bare bank of dirt and doesn't get much or any of my wife's glances, so it doesn't have to be picture perfect. But I would like it to be weatherproof, more or less and "attractive as possible" without going to a lot of hassle.

[cshenk]

"tim birr" wrote

I gather the hole wasnt there when you built it or you'd have noticed right?

Wood boring beetles or that Bee type that likes wood. You may want to treat the area for that before you get more holes if that is the causitive factor.

[tim birr]

There was a knot there where the "hole" is now. It just looks like the knot fell out of the hole, so to speak --;>0

I'm not much of a carpenter, and it's possible the hole was there when I put it on, but more than likely "fell out" as I was pounding nails. At any rate, it's not insect or bird damage.

So, again...best fix??

[HeyBub]

The BEST fix is to look around for the missing piece and glue it back in place. Next best is to carve a plug from similar material then glue IT into place.

The usual fix advocated by architects for this and similar "mistakes" is to plant ivy. Following this strategy, can you cover the hole with something? Ivy, a bird feeder, faux mailbox, Marilyn Monroe calendar?

[tim birr]

:>>The BEST fix is to look around for the missing piece and glue it back in

Well, I'm not carving up some cedar, so I guess I'll just wood putty it with some minwax cedar wood putty....

[cshenk]

"tim birr" wrote

Sorry, several fixes. Forgot to add that. I'd use a simple exterior wood putty which is sold in colors (use one that either seems to match, or a little lighter then dab stain on it to match rest).

Although i've not done that particular job, I imagine stipliling it a bit with an old toothbrush would make the looks match a bit better. You could probably make it look pretty much like a 'knot' with that tactic.