How Soon Should You Stain Unfinished Siding

What you get is a very uniform opaque color.

How soon should you stain unfinished siding.

7 tips painting or staining cedar wood siding walking into a paint store can be overwhelming trying to decide which paint or stain coating you wish to provide your exterior cedar wood and siding as there are many varieties. Work in the shade while staining. Use a thick brush when staining. Staining cedar with a solid color stain.

Prepare your cedar siding by washing it with soapy water to remove any dirt or dust if any has accumulated. The stain should be matched to the needs of the siding. Most importantly pick the highest quality stain even if it costs more. Left unstained cedar s red hue will fade to gray within about a year.

For best results fresh siding should be pre primed on all six sides with a stain blocking primer and top coated with 100 percent acrylic latex paint. The upside is that solid color stains will block most damaging ultraviolet light. Here s a quick answer for you. While cedar stands up to the elements fairly well on its own putting a seal or a coat of paint on it can enhance the color and protect the wood from inclement weather.

The following outline is intended to prepare you before buying any such products knowing exactly which type fits your final outcome. If dampness rain or snow is a concern choose a stain that will seal well and be resistant to moisture. First let s talk about the type of stain. Sometimes as the products are cut on the job site it leaves the wood substrate.

If the house is exposed to excessive sunlight heat and ultraviolet light choose a durable stain that won t fade. After you have washed it wait for it to dry before applying any stain to the cedar. Alkyd oil primers are recommended but one may choose a high quality latex primer as long as it contains stain blockers. To protect the product and to save you time the front and edge surfaces of lp smartside siding and trim are primed at the factory.

The wood s structural integrity will remain unless the wood is exposed to excessive moisture which can cause curling cracking and wood rot. If the wood has weathered some you may have to do some surface preparation such as sanding before you can apply stain. Thus solid color stains let some of the cedar s grain show through but none of the color. If you work in the shade when applying deep penetrating stain to siding it will dry more slowly enabling the stain to sink more deeply into the wood surface.

Type of stain matters. Solid color stains have solid particles but not nearly as many as paint.