Cedar Siding Maintenance

Cedar siding is long lasting & tough however, you must be up to date with the care & cleaning of to allow the beauty to show through. By doing routine maintenance checkups on your siding you will avoid problems such as mold, mildew, rotting & water damage. Proper maintenance for your cedar includes power washing, staining & sealing. It is important to follow a routine maintenance schedule to ensure the long lasting life. By doing maintenance you will be able to catch problems that if looked over & missed can cause permanent & irreplaceable damage.
Moisture
Moisture is the biggest & most common problem to homes with cedar siding. It will penetrate through the smallest of cracks & crevices, it seeps in, it leaks in the smallest of ways. It doesn’t take more than a few simple steps to keep your siding dry.

• Try to maintain the interior humidity of your home to around 40%
• Install heating wires at the eaves to melt any ice before water backs up under the roof shingles
• Be sure your attic is properly insulated & air is well circulated
• Check the flashing & caulking around your home

Any of these steps to keeping your siding dry can be done yourself, or you can hire a professional to help. Either way it is money well spent & will make a noticeable difference in the life of your siding as well as improve the value of your home.

Mold
While Cedar has natural preservatives & holds up to all types of weather, overtime any wood siding can succumb to a blackened surface from algae or mold it can simply turn a weathered shade of gray. Before you choose to paint the siding you must first clean it completely.

Cleaning
When you notice that your sidings color has been buried under a gray, weathered surface & mold, you will want to purchase a bleach-based cleaning solution or simply mix 3.4 cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water to restore or salvage the cedar’s luster. You will want to choose a day that is cloudy or a time when the woods surface is shaded so the solution does not bake on or dry to quickly. You will want to apply the bleach water with a mop & leave for approximately 20 minutes. Scrub the surface with a broom & rinse it off with clean hot water. If you choose not to use bleach an alternative is to mix vinegar & water to remove the mold from your cedar siding.

**Note – wear safety glasses to protect your eyes and gloves to protect your skin from the strong cleaners.

Painting
Some individuals choose to paint their Cedar Siding simply because they do not like the weathered look that some believe looks rustic. While the gray cedar may appear brittle – more than likely it has many years of life left in it, due to the woods low density & shrinkage factors as well as natural preservatives. You will prep your siding by following the cleaning step mentioned above. Next, you will sand it to remove the loose surface particles. Cover your siding with primer to keep any tannic acid or natural red coloring from surfacing & make sure to use an exterior latex paint.

With the amount of money that is spend on cedar siding you will want to keep it for decades, so make sure to do regular upkeep & maintenance as it is critical to the life length of the cedar.