The wood must be treated or painted to preserve it.
Cedar clapboard siding maintenance.
These natural elements slowly erode the finishes and as a result all finishes applied to cedar require regular cleaning and maintenance to perform.
We used cedar siding to replace the rotted clapboards.
You must clean it twice a year so that it s easier to maintain.
Dusty climates will require more frequent washing.
Although pressure washers are a great way of cleaning cedar siding they can be overwhelming for beginners.
This maintenance will have to be repeated as often as every 2 years depending on your climate.
Before the siding can go up 1x4 starter strips of treated lumber should be nailed to the sill where the lower most course of siding will go up image 2.
Also it cannot be installed over your existing siding.
Your climate and landscape will determine how often these processes are required.
Compared to today s vinyl siding wooden clapboards are high maintenance.
You must be careful and only use a pressure washer on its lowest setting.
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.
You need to check the clapboard siding routinely for cracked or broken boards.
A mild non phosphate detergent is recommended.
Genuine cedar siding is going to require washing and staining sealing or painting on a regular basis.
Power wash every two to four years.
First to help avoid any future insect damage back prime the cedar with oil based primer image 1.