cedar home

[AGoodJob]

My sister is building a 5,000 square foot home with a lot of cedar shingles. The home is almost complete and the contractor will be using a semi-transparent stain in grey on the cedar. Should the shingles be power washed before staining to remove the mill glaze? The home builder does not think this is necessary.

Also, the shingles on the bottom of the house (the ground), should those be treated somehow to prevent warping or water damage?

Any recommendations on products to be used / not used. She lives in Chicago... hot, cold, wet, dry weather.

We want to make sure the stain will last as long as possible and the builder doesn't cut corners.

 

[Dan S]

I dont know why people says to wait a year before you seal your deck
........ let it age they say before you seal it .....anybody who goes by this rule is as dumb as the person who made it up .

I think you better tell your sis that wash it before you seal it .. why try and save or cut corners now

 

[AGoodJob]

My question, though, should the cedar shingles on the house be power washed before it's stained? Also, should the bottom layer of the shingles (closest to the ground) be treated any way to prevent bugs / mold / warping ?

 

[Dan S]

YES ...... It should most certainly be washed before you add any sealer ................... ALL WOOD SHOULD BE WASHED BEFORE YOU ADD ANYTHING TO IT. That's why i said on new decks people say wait a year before you wash and seal ...... that my friend is hog-wash.

as far as sealer to prevent ...warping-bugs .......close to gound is a lil tough .. eveybody will have a diff. opinion. use the search here .............

personally Im a sikkens man

 

[ron]

you should have dip stained the shingles before they were installed.
bugs and rot dont like cedar.
More pigment in thge sealer means better protection.
So the closer to a solid stain, the longer it will last.
Use a stain that can be re-coated without stripping.
Dont let the greenery rest againt the cedar.
Never let standing water rest on the cedar.
The key is air flow.
Depending on where you live and amount of mold/dampness you may want to add a mildewcice to your sealer even if it allready has one.