Can You Paint Cedar Wood Siding

Cedar siding can be one of the most resilient beautiful materials that you can put on your home.

Can you paint cedar wood siding. I can assume there is instant dissent with the title of this story. Be careful when painting very old cedar siding. When working with cedar on craft projects you may need to paint the wood. Even then the paint is not expected to last long.

The best choice of paint to use for cedar wood is urethane acrylic house paint. If you absolutely want some type of wood appearance paint is not a good alternative. Coating raw cedar with clear wax is the most unobtrusive way to finish. Whether it is white or red cedar or clapboard or even alaskan yellow cedar it is still wood has longitudinal pores running its length from butt to feathered edge on a shingle as well as on cedar clapboard.

The problem is many painting contractors do not approach painting cedar siding the right way. Here are the do s and don ts of painting cedar siding. Cedar wood naturally repels insects is aromatic and a very durable material. 1st cedar is a relatively soft wood.

Using a stiff bristled brush scrub the siding. Having cedar lumber wood siding such as 1 x 6 1 x 8 1 x 12 or two inch thickness can be painted with a solid paint stain not requiring primer but still not recommended painting cedar if you can help it. The smoothness of cedar makes it a natural choice for furniture its lack of knots and raised grain is comfortable against the body. Surface preparation is the key to success when dealing with weathered wood.

Choose a paint and primer. If you do it right painting cedar siding can last for a long time. Because of cedar s large pores it is necessary to prime the wood before painting it. Although intended primarily for restoring horizontal wood surfaces such as decks these products generally work almost as well on vertical surfaces.

7 tips painting or staining cedar wood siding walking into a paint store can be overwhelming trying to decide which paint or stain coating you wish to provide your exterior cedar wood and siding as there are many varieties. But there is good reason not to powerwash a wood sided exterior. Uncoated weathered western red cedar siding or trim can often be restored to its original color by applying commercial products called cleaners brighteners or restorers. Once done let the wood dry completely for approximately two weeks.

You can paint directly over previously painted cedar but prime with a stain blocking primer before painting over bare wood. Do not however use a power washer because cedar can t withstand the pressure. The following outline is intended to prepare you before buying any such products knowing exactly which type fits your final outcome.