I am residing my house with white cedar shingles. Is it critical that I use pretreated shingles such as those treated with Cabot’s bleaching oil, or can I put them up raw? I’ve read about back priming cedar clapboards, but I have received different opinions on whether I should put up shingles raw or if they should be pre-treated.
If I put them up raw, should I use a backing product such as ‘Cedar Breather’, or are they ok installed directly over building felt (tar paper)?
Replies
The only advantage to prestaining is that the little slots will all be stained. There is no increase in the longevity of the siding. I have taken off siding that was a hundred years old. The unstained siding that has been covered was as good as the day it was nailed up. Felt is fine for siding though cedar breather or skip sheathing is good for a roof.
Thanks for the reply. Color is not even an issue, the Cabots bleaching oil just makes the shingles weather faster (about 12 mos.) and more evenly according to the manufacturer. The factory pre-staining,or pre-treating if you prefer, costs approximately $85 dollars a square over the cost of the shingles and I was unsure if that was a worthwhile investment. I've read many times of the necessity to back prime clapboards, maybe that just applies to painted siding where migrating moisture from the back side could cause the paint to peel or blister. Anyway, thanks again, I think you just saved me alot of money.
Dave Crawford