Natural Finish For Cedar Cladding

Many users of Western Red Cedar prefer a finish that preserves the wood’s natural color and appearance. To maintain the natural look of Western Red Cedar that is exposed outdoors, regular maintenance will be required. The following products provide varying degrees of protection against weathering while maintaining the cedar’s natural beauty

Transparent Stains

These stains do not alter the appearance of the cedar. They only slightly modify the color (tone) of the wood. Transparent stains are similar in composition to semi-transparent stains, but they contain fewer pigments.

Transparent stains formulated with a fungicide that inhibits the growth of mildew and decay causing fungi will further increase the wood’s durability. Waterborne and solvent borne formulations are available; however these unpigmented or lightly pigmented finishes provide limited protection against the sun’s ultraviolet light and moisture related damage. As such, they require frequent refinishing.

Transparent stains are, however, easily refinished with minimal surface preparation.

Semi-Transparent Stains

Solvent borne oil-based semi-transparent penetrating stains penetrate the wood surface, are porous, and do not form a surface film like paints. These finishes are the best choice for Western Red Cedar, which is fully exposed to the weather, when a natural look is desired.

Although these stains can be used on both smooth and textured Western Red Cedar, they will perform much better and last longer when applied to a textured surface.

These stains contain pigments which provide color – including cedar tones – and greatly increase the durability of the finish by protecting the cedar surface, to some extent, from the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Service life on siding applications may vary from 3-6 years depending on the cedar surface texture, quantity of stain applied, and the intensity of the sunlight on the wood surface.

Latex semi-transparent stains are similar in appearance to the solvent borne stains; however their look is achieved by the formation of a thin film with little penetration.

This film is often not thick enough to provide the same durability as solvent borne stains and tends to degrade by flaking from the wood’s surface. Refinishing cedar that has been coated with a latex semitransparent stain may require more substantial surface preparation. Currently, efforts are underway by many stain manufacturers to develop water-borne stains that penetrate cedar. However, to date, moderate success has been experienced in duplicating the properties of traditional oil-based, solvent borne, stains.

As increasingly restrictive environmental standards reduce the availability of solvent borne stains, ongoing research suggests that penetrating, erodible latex semi-transparent stain finishes for cedar will be available in the near future.

Note:
Transparent, non-flexible, film-forming finishes such as lacquer, shellac, urethane, and varnish are not recommended for exterior use on Western Red Cedar. Ultraviolet radiation can penetrate the transparent film and damage the wood. Regardless of the number of coats, the finish will eventually become brittle, develop cracks in the coating film and then fail.

Note: We do not stock finishing products. There are many expert suppliers who can give you more detailed advice on what finish is the right one for you.

Finishing Cedar Cladding – Paint Finish

Primers
Western Red Cedar contains water-soluble extractives that are responsible for its attractive color, exceptional stability and natural decay resistance. However, these extractives may discolor latex paints and solid-color stains unless a primer coat is used that is specifically formulated to help control extractive bleeding. These stain-blocking primers are available in alkyd-oil and water-based formulations. Alkydoil based primers usually offer the best shield against discoloration by water-soluble extractives.

The label on the container should indicate that the coating is recommended for use as stain blocking primer for Western Red Cedar.

Paint
Paint provides the most surface protection against weathering and wetting by water, while providing color and concealment of some of the wood’s characteristics.

Although paint can reduce wood’s absorption of water, paint itself is not a preservative. Paints of all types such as: water-based paints, acrylic (latex), acrylic enamel and solvent based paints (alkyd and oil-modified) are suitable for Western Red Cedar. However, test results show that good quality latex paint maintains its mechanical adhesion through dimensional changes of the wood during wet and dry moisture cycles. For this reason, finishes with high elasticity generally maintain adhesion better than brittle finishes during extended periods of exposure to outdoor weathering.

Finishing Cedar Cladding – Solid Colour Stains

These are opaque finishes with fewer volume solids than paint. Like paints, solid-color stains protect Western Red Cedar against ultraviolet light degradation and moisture. They are available in a wide spectrum of hues which obscure the wood’s true color but allow some of the cedar’s natural characteristics and texture to remain. These finishes are non-penetrating and, like paints, form a film.

A stain-blocking primer should be applied first, before applying the solid color stain. Solid color stains are available as latex or oil based formulations. Solid-color stains have been developed that reveal the wood’s grain. These are known as semi-solid stains and their effect on the appearance of wood lies between those of solid color and semitransparent stains.

Note: We do not stock finishing products. There are many expert suppliers who can give you more detailed advice on what finish is the right one for you.

Interior Applications Require Less Protection

Western Red Cedar used indoors for panelling, posts, beams and joinery requires less protection than exterior siding, trim and decks and consequently different types of finishes are used.

The exception to this general rule is when the Western Red Cedar may be subjected to high moisture levels, for example in bathrooms. In such situations, finishes should be exterior grade, and have good resistance to moisture. Always ensure that the coating is recommended for interior use.

Most people selecting Western Red Cedar for use indoors will want to retain its natural appearance. This is best achieved using transparent finishes such as waxes, shellac and other clear film forming finishes.

These “interior” finishes provide some protection to the cedar from minor abrasion and liquids (less so with wax) and make cleaning easier.

For example: bleach, oils, semi-transparent and solid body stains and opaque finishes can be used to change the wood’s appearance to complement a decorative theme.

Also See:
• Finishing Cedar Cladding – Natural Finish
• Finishing Cedar Cladding – Opaque Finish

Note: We do not stock finishing products. There are many expert suppliers who can give you more detailed advice on what finish is the right one for you.

Interior Applications Require Less Protection

Western Red Cedar used indoors for panelling, posts, beams and joinery requires less protection than exterior siding, trim and decks and consequently different types of finishes are used.

The exception to this general rule is when the Western Red Cedar may be subjected to high moisture levels, for example in bathrooms. In such situations, finishes should be exterior grade, and have good resistance to moisture. Always ensure that the coating is recommended for interior use.

Most people selecting Western Red Cedar for use indoors will want to retain its natural appearance. This is best achieved using transparent finishes such as waxes, shellac and other clear film forming finishes.

These “interior” finishes provide some protection to the cedar from minor abrasion and liquids (less so with wax) and make cleaning easier.

For example: bleach, oils, semi-transparent and solid body stains and opaque finishes can be used to change the wood’s appearance to complement a decorative theme.

Also See:
• Finishing Cedar Cladding – Natural Finish
• Finishing Cedar Cladding – Opaque Finish

Note: We do not stock finishing products. There are many expert suppliers who can give you more detailed advice on what finish is the right one for you.