Cedar Shake Siding Care And Maintenance

Cedar is an excellent choice for appearance ease of maintenance and longevity.

Cedar shake siding care and maintenance.

Ideally complete cedar shingle roof maintenance should be performed every 2 to 4 years. It does weather though changing color throughout time offering a much more rugged look than stained cedar siding offers. Cedar contains natural oils and acids to protect the wood from insects and the weather so although there are. Many siding pros recommend power washing.

But a little maintenance can keep them looking great and extend their life even further. Coating the cedar shingles with a water resistant product helps to preserve the wood against moisture damage. Cedar maintenance you don t have to do much to cedar shingle siding if you prefer its weathered gray look other than clean and coat it with a clear water resistant preservative and inspect it for rot and damage periodically. Your climate and landscape will determine how often these processes are required.

Installation care and maintenance of wood shake and shingle siding. Maintaining this kind of roof takes a lot of work and needs to be done regularly to avoid faster deterioration. General technical report fpl gtr 202. Before you give in and paint your shingles realize that cedar shingles can last decades with virtually no maintenance.

The cedar shake shingle bureau a nonprofit trade organization warns that an experienced washer should assess a cedar siding job individually since high pressure water jets can damage wood. Cedar siding maintenance must be a regular task so that you can avoid permanent damage to your home s exterior. A limited number of free copies of this publication are available to the. A shake roof can last about 30 years with the right wood shake roof maintenance.

A mild non phosphate detergent is recommended. Cedar has natural antibacterial and anti fungal properties allowing you to leave the wood untreated without worry of excess warping rotting and cracking. The surfaces of finished western red cedar decks siding and trim boards exposed outdoors inevitably become dirty and can also be discolored by mildew algae and moss. This will avoid problems such as mold mildew rot and water damage.

While this material is beautiful long lasting and tough like all other types of wood you must be up to date with the care and cleaning of cedar siding. Department of agriculture forest service forest products labora tory. Learning how to care for cedar shingles whether they are installed as siding or roofing is not particularly difficult. Older siding should be cleaned and allowed to dry thoroughly enough that it can absorb sprinkled water.

Power wash every two to four years. Dusty climates will require more frequent washing. Cedar shake roof maintenance.