Aging Cedar Siding

Here s how to age wood and make it look old and gray.

Aging cedar siding. Transparent stains contain no pigment but have water repellent features that will help to retain natural tones and slow down the natural colour change process. The chemical that cedarman referred to is probably ferrous sulphate. If you plan on treating them do it now. Exterior western red cedar surfaces only need to be refinished when the old coating has worn thin and no longer affords the wood protection.

To ensure longevity a bit of prep work needs to be done. It s commonly used to turn log cabins a weathered gray very quickly. Cedar siding can last decades and it requires little maintenance to retain its natural beauty. Sand it to remove the loose surface particles.

Hi all i recently purchased a charming 1940 farmhouse overlooking the water. Offer up a hint of colour. Over time cedar siding can become discolored and the surface degraded due to weather dirt and various other wear and tear. In refinishing painted or solid color stained siding and trim removal of the old coating may be required.

Cedar is known to age gracefully to a soft silver grey patina but it s wise to keep the rich tones of your cedar siding lasting longer. Soak some steel wool in white vinegar for a few hours or a few days the longer it steeps the darker the aged effect will be. Using appropriate cleaning agents and other treatments will help to ensure that the siding will last many more years. There is one thing you must do however to hold onto that warm wood glow and that s restaining when your siding starts to look dull.

The horizontal siding is only 2 5 to the weather and has numerous layers of paint that are chipping and cracking. Prep the cedar siding by cleaning it with a bleach and solution. I would like to save the siding and try to restore it. Iron vinegar on fresh cedar lumber.

This is necessary if for example the old finish is severely cracked or is peeling. Fortunately it is usually possible to restore cedar siding before it gets to the stage where it needs replacing. Cedar siding has a warm natural look. Fill the jar with the steel wool and vinegar the measurements don t have to be precise.

A chemical stain will look more natural than a dye or pigment based stain. To age new wood to a natural silvery gray to grey brown or black patina depending on the wood let a small piece of steel wool or a few non galvanized nails sit overnight in ordinary white vinegar then dilute the vinegar solution 1 to 1 with water. And it is certainly not completely immune to rot no matter how well it has been treated and maintained. Wood aging solution based on vinegar.

Once untreated cedar shingles or cedar claps for that matter get a healthy dose of uv coating them can be problematic. I think that some treatment is better than no treatment. I say charming but not really. If you used 1 4 cup of vinegar add 1 4 cup of water.

Cover cedar siding with primer to keep any tannic acid or natural red coloring from.