Caulking Prior To Staining Cedar Siding

Rough cut cedar siding is a durable building material.

Caulking prior to staining cedar siding.

Solid color stains have solid particles but not nearly as many as paint. Prepare your cedar siding by washing it with soapy water to remove any dirt or dust if any has accumulated. Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked water is meant to exit through the bottom of each board. The non milled wood surface creates a rustic appearance but it can present some challenges when it comes to finishing.

While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. The following outline is intended to prepare you before buying any such products knowing exactly which type fits your final outcome. Think of a wood home as a living thing. Pressure washing can damage cedar so if possible wash by hand.

In my opinion caulking between the seams in any lapped siding either horizontal or vertical is not good practice but not just because of any potential vapor barrier effect. Staining cedar with a solid color stain. What you get is a very uniform opaque color. Caulking them is a mistake and the caulking is likely to fail prematurely.

If you re applying sealant to siding that is already installed it is essential to throughly clean the wood surface being sealed. It needs to move and breathe. The layering of siding panels acts as a natural waterproofing that will allow precipitation to fall off naturally so caulking would stop the normal movement and function of your panels. Finally you should refrain from caulking the bottoms of horizontal siding sheets or the edges of the tongue and groove panels.

Because it tends not to be as absorbent as a more traditional milled siding stains can have trouble penetrating. How to seal cedar siding. Use a thick brush when staining. One of the most thorough methods when staining is to use a thick natural bristle brush.

Wash part of a wall and allow it to dry thoroughly before applying the sealant. Thus solid color stains let some of the cedar s grain show through but none of the color. The upside is that solid color stains will block most damaging ultraviolet light. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity.

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.