While one coat should do the job, it does depend on the porosity and age of the wood. Application can be hand bushed, sprayed or dipped. If the wood has already been varnished or waxed the treatment won’t work, however, it is fine to be used on pressure treated timber. Top tip — Western Red Cedar has fantastic exterior finish-retention qualities, especially when smooth, as opposed to textured. Therefore, if you’re particularly interested in longevity, look for planed cedar. 1. Opaque or solid-colour Semi-transparent stains are usually best applied with a brush, although this can be achieved with a roller, pad, spray or drip. A second layer can be added for extra protection, but only if the cedar will accept it.

When applying a paint or solid-colour stain, make sure to apply a primer coat before applying the main topcoat. If you’re adding two topcoats, allow the first to cure for the recommended period on the manufacturer’s instructions. Semi-transparent or water-repellent applicationOf course, for any finishes applied, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s individual guidelines. Which cedar treatment should I choose? Bear in mind that, over time, the cedar will still weather to a grey colour, although this will happen more slowly and you’ll retain the wood’s beautiful, natural tones and patina. We’d recommend something like Owatrol H4 Wood as an excellent weather protector that doesn't contain any UV filters, allowing the cedar to silver naturally. When choosing the right product for protecting cedar cladding (or any exterior cedar wood project), you’ll have to strike a balance.

For a transparent finish with some modest protection, consider a coat of water-repellent preservative, or a bleaching oil. There are a range of products on the market. Fatty Acid Cobalt Salt. Hydrocarbons, C10-C13, nalkanes, isoalkanes, cyclics, 2% aromatics. 1,2-Benzisothiazolone. reaction mass of: 5-chloro2-methyl-4-isothiazolin3-one [EC no. 247-500-7] and 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol3-one [EC no. 220-239-6] (3:1). A thorough coating or two of an acrylic-based paint is by far the most protective of the finishes on offer. It will shield the timber from moisture and weathering, but will completely conceal the wood’s colour and grain — so make sure to choose a wood paint of your desired colour. So, to paint or stain cedar weatherboards? Or possibly leave them untreated? There’s no right or wrong answer: your choice will depend on your design preference and required level of protection. When left untreated and exposed to the sun’s oxidising UV light, Western Red Cedar fades and bleaches to a beautiful silvery-grey finish. So if you’re after the weathered cedar look — perhaps some ‘silver fox’, distinguished weathered cedar cladding, for example — you simply don’t need to apply any treatment.Paints and solid-colour finishes allow you to take full control of appearance, adding a bit of excitement, colour or charm to a finished cedar project — but they’re not for the indecisive!

How much protection do you want or need? The amount of sunlight and rain hitting your wood will shorten the lifespan of the finish applied, so if it’s exposed, consider a strong, oil-based stain or paint.Oil is also really durable and is easy to maintain – you just need to keep it clean and touch it up every now and then. It’s very resistant to dirt and water so doesn’t require much upkeep at all.' Whilst treated cedar cladding still looks great, letting your cedar go grey is actually somewhat of a trend. Amongst architects, there’s been a growing appreciation for leaving materials like timber in their natural, rustic state, with their inherent, untreated beauty on full show.

Treatments that are more transparent — like natural stains and water-repellent preservatives — usually offer more modest protection from the elements, but retain a greater amount of the timber’s natural beauty. We recommend using the clear version, as it delivers a beautifully natural finish. The same can't quite be said about the teak colour, as it's a little orange. Contains Fatty acids, C6-19-branched, cobalt(2+) salts, 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)one and reaction mass of 5-chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one and 2-methyl-2Hisothiazol-3-one (3:1). May produce an allergic reaction.Treatments for cedar wood can be broadly placed into these groups: opaque, semi-transparent, transparent or untreated.