Cedar Shake Siding Maintenance

Department of agriculture forest service forest products labora tory.

Cedar shake siding maintenance.

But a little maintenance can keep them looking great and extend their life even further. Installation care and maintenance of wood shake and shingle siding. Impervious to bugs and woodpeckers it allows you to express your own individual style. These natural elements slowly erode the finishes and as a result all finishes applied to cedar require regular cleaning and maintenance to perform.

Before you give in and paint your shingles realize that cedar shingles can last decades with virtually no maintenance. Many siding pros recommend power washing. Cedar siding maintenance must be a regular task so that you can avoid permanent damage to your home s exterior. The cedar shake shingle bureau a nonprofit trade organization warns that an experienced washer should assess a cedar siding job individually since high pressure water jets can damage wood.

You re better off using a clear coat product or a transparent or opaque water based stain. A limited number of free copies of this publication are available to the. Learning how to care for cedar shingles whether they are installed as siding or roofing is not particularly difficult. Older siding should be cleaned and allowed to dry thoroughly enough that it can absorb sprinkled water.

Cedar siding comes in a wide array of styles such as bevel channel tongue groove and board and batten so careful maintenance protects the look and properties. 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. As peeling paint will be hard to remove from the individual cedar shakes. Cedar maintenance you don t have to do much to cedar shingle siding if you prefer its weathered gray look.

General technical report fpl gtr 202. For information regarding the installation and maintenance of your cedar shake or shingle application visit our website for a complete list of resources. 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. Shakes and shingles can be used to cover the entire exterior or be installed in gables and other areas to complement wood or stone siding.

Our premium cedar shake siding is the industry s leading alternative to natural painted cedar it s beautiful customizable and low maintenance. Step 1 clean. This will avoid problems such as mold mildew rot and water damage. Once the house is dry you can apply a clear coat product or a stain.