Staining New Cedar Siding

Solid color stains have solid particles but not nearly as many as paint.

Staining new cedar siding.

From cedar siding to redwood deck wood offers a rich warm welcome to any home. Exterior cedar stain is exactly what it implies either in an oil based or water. Stains dry rapidly and fresh stain applied over dried stain will show lap marks. Staining cedar siding differs from application of paint and other finishes.

Today sherwin williams makes a full line of stains for just about every surface. Decide on a texture cedar siding can be specified in one of three surface finishes smooth rough and saw textured. Stain the cedar siding before hanging it if possible. Rough sawn surfaces can add a rustic weathered look to your home.

The fastest and most thorough method to apply stain to cedar siding is with a thick natural bristle brush. A good house stain not only beautifies your home s exterior it preserves and protects exterior wood from nature s harshest elements. This will allow you to coat all sides and edges with no obstacles before hammering up the siding to your home. Thus solid color stains let some of the cedar s grain show through but none of the color.

If possible stain all sides of the siding before installation. Smooth surfaces show the grain patterns and variations more than other textures when you apply a clear or semi transparent finish. In our tests we put on two coats and let it set for the recommended drying time. Staining new cedar requires a transparent semi transparent or semi solid stain if your intention is to still see the natural beauty of the wood s grain after completing the staining process.

According to paul mackie at the western red cedar lumber association wrcla red cedar siding that has been finished on all six sides with a stain blocking primer and top coated with 100 percent exterior acrylic latex paint has the longest expected service life of any coating system. Saw textured cedar is milled in such a way that it shows the markings made by. Staining cedar with a solid color stain. It is a deep penetrating oil based stain that went on smoothly.

Once it was dry it did not have an odor or feel tacky to the touch. This exterior stain was found to be extremely effective at staining cedar. But stain is not just for siding and trim. What you get is a very uniform opaque color.

Since western red cedar naturally lacks pitch and resin it allows for countless staining options and will accept stain very well if applied correctly. The brush bristles distribute the stain evenly into the wood grain reaching into the small undulations on the surface of the cedar planking. The upside is that solid color stains will block most damaging ultraviolet light.