Exterior Cedar Siding Maintenance

Cedar siding maintenance must be a regular task so that you can avoid permanent damage to your home s exterior.

Exterior cedar siding maintenance.

While this material is beautiful long lasting and tough like all other types of wood you must be up to date with the care and cleaning of cedar siding. These natural elements slowly erode the finishes and as a result all finishes applied to cedar require regular cleaning and maintenance to perform. Western red cedar siding is a beautiful affordable and environmentally friendly siding choice. Red cedar is one of the most popular wood species for exterior use because of its natural rich red color and its natural resistance to decay.

Cedar maintenance you don t have to do much to cedar shingle siding if you prefer its weathered gray look. Power wash every two to four years. This will avoid problems such as mold mildew rot and water damage. Used for shingles trim house siding decking fences hot tubs and gates cedar is cheap widely available highly versatile easy to fabricate and best of all it weathers exceptionally well.

A thorough cleaning once or twice a year will greatly extend the life of cedar. Your climate and landscape will determine how often these processes are required. A mild non phosphate detergent is recommended. Dusty climates will require more frequent washing.

Moreover insects and birds can bore holes and moisture can cause boards to warp and crack. Stained cedar siding requires more maintenance than other woods but also lasts longer. The usefulness of cedar for exterior applications such as siding and fencing is due to its exceptional weather resistance but over time even cedar siding can be damaged from exposure to moisture and ultraviolet uv rays. The surfaces of finished western red cedar decks siding and trim boards exposed outdoors inevitably become dirty and can also be discolored by mildew algae and moss.

Wood siding comes in clapboard also known as lap or bevel siding as well as shakes and shingles. Prone to dust and dirt accumulation cedar exterior siding receives a good pressure wash on the lowest setting well. Depending on maintenance your rich wood siding can last from 10 to sometimes 100 years. If you d like to avoid repairs that could cost thousands of dollars and you d like to keep your clapboard shingles or board and batten lasting for decades regular upkeep and maintenance is critical.

How well you clean and maintain the cedar shingles on the exterior of your home can mean the difference between having to replace the siding in less than 10 years or having a home that continues to look good for 40 to 50 years. Clapboard siding uses planks of wood installed horizontally with an upper piece that overlaps the lower piece.