Western Red Cedar: The Best Finishes, Treatments and Stains & How to Maintain It

The best oils, finishes & treatments for Western Red Cedar cladding, fencing & decking

Treatments for cedar wood can be broadly placed into these groups: opaque, semi-transparent, transparent or untreated.

Cedar wood is pitch and resin-free, which means that finishes are held very well by the wood as long as they are applied before the weathering process has begun.

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Generally, opaque treatments (like paints and solid-colour stains) offer higher protection at the expense of obscuring more of the wood’s natural appearance.

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.

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

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.

These are also solid-colour stain finishes, which provide an opaque finish whilst retaining some of the original texture. They offer very strong protection against the elements.

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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!

• Typically lasts for: 8-12 years

2. Semi-transparent stains

If you’re not interested in an opaque finish, there are still many ways to keep your Western Red Cedar looking natural, whilst keeping it well-shielded. For this, a semi-transparent stain might be the ticket.

Depending on the product chosen, semi-transparent stains still offer up some interesting, subtle changes to the wood’s colour, pronouncing grains and knots — as well as affording great protection. Semi-transparent finishes can be oil-based or natural.

Oil-based protection penetrates deeper into the wood and usually provide a more drastic change of colour, giving a greater deal of protection from the elements.

Natural, water-based protection doesn’t penetrate as deeply, but still afford a good deal of protection, containing fungicides that inhibit the growth of mildew. They’re seen as more environmentally friendly.

There are many types of semi-transparent stains on the market.

Owatrol Textrol HES is a good example of a powerful, oil-based protection for cedar wood against weather and UV, available in a range of tints from virtually clear to a charcoal. Whilst concealing some of the natural colour, a well-chosen finish like this can enhance the grain of your cedar.

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A natural, water-based cedar wood stain — like Owatrol Aquadecks (Honey) — will also keep the timber in good condition whilst providing a beautiful finish. A good oil or water-based protection typically lasts for 2 years up to first maintenance.

3. Transparent preservative and oils

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.

Although these don’t provide good UV protection, this sort of red cedar wood preservative will keep the wood’s warm tones for longer.

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.

• Typically lasts for: 2 years

Of course, for any finishes applied, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s individual guidelines.

Which cedar treatment should I choose?

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 choosing the right product for protecting cedar cladding (or any exterior cedar wood project), you’ll have to strike a balance.

• What look are you after? If you want to retain the cedar’s beauty with some protection, choose a semi-transparent stain. If you’re looking to slowly acquire the distinguished weathered appearance, choose a transparent oil. If you want to drastically take control of your wood’s colour with maximum protection, an opaque finish will do the trick.
• 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.
• How much upkeep are you prepared to do? Some cedar projects can be hard to reach, so you might want to choose a finish that doesn’t have to be reapplied or topped up too often. On the other hand, your cedar might be easily-accessible, making a reapplication every couple of years a doddle.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor