Preserving Cedar Shingle Siding

Cedar shingle siding is known for its usage of siding a building due to its durability and resistance to the weather. It is also known to have an attractive and more so, natural beauty. However, the cedar shingle siding needs proper preservation because over time it will eventually deteriorate and the normal causes of that happening are made by mildew, moisture damage, dirt and exposure to outdoor weather elements.

Once you have exposed the cedar shingle siding to weather, it is quite difficult to restore its original look. However, it is recommended that you maintain and preserve its natural look by applying a water-repellent preservative to your cedar siding. We present to you the many ways that you can help to preserve your cedar shingle sidi.

What you need to do:

  1. Brush
  2. Mild Detergent
  3. Hose
  4. Paintbrush
  5. Wood sealant
  6. Plastic cleaning bucket
  7. Water
  8. Stiff bristle brush
  9. Water-repellent preservative solvent
  10. Roller brush

Cedar Shingle Sidi

Method:

  1. In order to properly preserve the cedar shingle siding, you must ensure that it is always free of dirt, mold, mildew and insects. You can use a pressure washer to easily wash off all of the mentioned elements and it is advisable to administer at regular intervals. If you can afford and have a little extra budget, you can simply purchase your own spray washer or you can also rent it from your local hardware store or from your nearest home improvement center.
  2. Always remember to set your pressure sprayer accordingly whether for high or low level to avoid damaged to the softer cedar wood in your shingles. By setting it to a lower level will help you avoid this type of damage.
  3. Besides that, use a stiff bristle brush along with a mild detergent to rinse the cedar wood. Take a plastic cleaning bucket and fill it with water and mix it with the detergent. Then dip the stiff bristle brush into the mixture and scrub the cedar siding thoroughly. Make sure you clean off all the grime or dirt on the cedar siding that has built up over time. Next, you must rinse the cedar with your garden water hose.
  4. The next thing to do is to leave the cedar shingle siding to dry for at least 48 hours. Always avoid in sealing in moisture because it will create a sort of decay to your cedar siding.
  5. Another method that you can apply is by using paint wood sealant on your cedar shingle siding. Use a paintbrush to apply the sealant with more than one coat to ensure that the whole area is protected.
  6. You can also apply water-repellent preservative solvent on to your cedar siding with a roller brush and as for the cedar butt joins, edges, ends of boards, below doors and window frames you can use a paintbrush to coat these sections.
  7. Make sure that the water-repellent preservative solvent is thoroughly dry on your cedar siding and follow the product manufacturer’s directions when applying this method. Once dried, apply another coat of the water-repellent preservative solvent on the whole cedar siding and also leave it to dry thoroughly. By applying two coats of water-repellent preservative solvent, you would be able to protect your cedar siding from weather elements and also further enhance the lifetime of the cedar siding.
  8. As for worn out and damaged cedar shingle siding due to heavy moisture and severe weather conditions such as high winds and ice; you have to replace the damaged shingles with a new one if you have an extra supply of shingle in your house or you can purchase them from your local hardware stores.
  9. Apart from weather damage, other sources that can also damage your cedar shingle siding’s include clogged downspouts where you should keep them always free of dirt and debris, in order to avoid too much amount of rainwater that could damage your siding; trim any tree branches near your house siding, fungi and mold or spores, which thrive in damp places within your siding that need to be removed, plus also always keep your shingles from drying excessively and try to use oil or sealant to prevent this from happening.
  10. Last but not least is the damage done by the Woodpecker bird. It will search inside your cedar wood siding for insects that they can eat resulting in their pecking habit and create holes or splitting the cedar shingle siding. To discourage the bird from coming to your cedar siding, you can hang wind chimes or aluminum tie pins near the cedar siding or even hang suet somewhere near the siding inside a wire basket to attract the bird.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

For Pros by Pros Exterior Sidi

Bark House Style