Staining or Painting Cedar Siding

The challenge for homes with cedar siding is moisture penetration, which makes it susceptible to rot, warping, and mold. And when water gets behind the siding, it subjects the wood to extractive bleeding (brown streaks and staining).

Moisture also causes painted cedar to peel, flake, and blister. Chalking occurs when UV rays and weathering degrade the paint, causing the color to fade and form a white powdery residue on the exterior.

Cedar Siding-Beautiful Cedar Siding Home in New England-Watertown MA-ProTEK Painters-1200x700

As a homeowner with cedar siding, you already know that:

  • Cedar takes stain very well, revealing a rich and beautiful texture.
  • The long-term durability of cedar siding is excellent, especially when compared with aluminum or vinyl siding.
  • It’s higher maintenance than most other exterior siding materials.
Fantastic! Scraping, prepping, and painting of exterior cedar shingles and trim. We were walked through the details of the work and were given clear understanding of what the finished product would look like. We are very happy with the service.

Cedar Siding Maintenance Tips

Air pollution contains chemicals that adhere to your cedar siding or shingles and weaken the finish. Frequent pressure washing (every two to four years) removes pollutants, dust and grime, car exhaust fumes, pollen, and mildew. It’s also important to protect your home’s exterior from the extensive damage insects and birds can do. Light carpentry repair will help keep your exterior in good condition. Paint or stain your cedar siding every five to ten years, depending on its condition.

  • What is Extractive Bleeding?

    Cedar contains naturally occurring chemical extractives that provide durability and weather-resistant characteristics. However, when these chemicals are dissolved by water, the result is brown streaks and staining. You can often rinse it away with a hose. Extractive bleeding is not a paint or stain failure.

  • How Do I Remove Iron Stains Caused by Nails?

    A reaction between the extractive chemicals in the wood and the iron in the nails creates staining at the nail heads. You can replace the iron nails with hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel, or attempt to remove the stains with specialized cleaning solutions.

ProTEK painted the exterior of our house. ProTEK coordinated repairs to the clapboards, washed, primed and painted. Where the original builder had omitted caulk, ProTEK fixed the problem. They also added soffit vents that were missing. The weather did not cooperate, so the job took a long time. But they were careful and did a very good job. The results look great, and there is no sign of wear three years later.

ProTEK Painters Exterior Services

ProTEK Painters is licensed, bonded, insured, and EPA Lead Certified. We offer a two-year workmanship warranty. Browse exterior painting FAQs for more information.

Your painters can update your cedar siding, in addition to other wood siding, stucco, aluminum, and vinyl. Exterior painting add-on services include:

We're not done until you tell us we're done.

Call 617-977-6835 or schedule your estimate online to begin friendly, reliable cedar siding painting or staining services.