We will be building a post & beam in another month and before the vertical siding goes on I want to finish & protect both sides & ends. The siding will probably be knotty cedar and don’t want to have to do this over again in 5 years. I have used Sikkens Cetol 1 & 23 with great results on the trim of my present house but I am afraid the cost would be prohibitive on the new one. Does anyone know of a product that I could use, at least on the backside of the wood that will be more “cost effective”? I might be able to swing Sikkens on the front side. There is about 3,000 sq. ft. to cover.
Edited 6/12/2006 11:49 am ET by Dief
Replies
I'm not sure about the cost of Sikkens or about alternatives for the back. What I am sure of is that you're on the right track in planning to finish the back. Don't forget the cut ends, either. Those are critical steps.
What I do know about finishes isn't brand specific, but it's important. For a finish to last, it must have UV inhibitors. If the finish allows UV to pass, the UV breaks down the lignins that bind the wood together. Once the top layer of wood deteriorates, it can't hold a finish. As little as two weeks of exposure to direct sunlight on wood can halve the expected lifetime of a finish. Not many clear, film-forming finishes have UV inhibitors. Sikkens may, and if that's the case, that alone justifies the cost.
If you decide on a penetrating oil finish instead of a film-forming finish, avoid linseed oil based products unless they contain a fungicide. Mildew and mold love linseed oil.
Andy
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." Robert A. Heinlein
"Get off your dead #### and on your dying feet." Mom
Ultraviolet light is not going to penetrate from the rear, although it may possibly get in the ends in some exposed locations. I think that a good sealer for the back of the boards is adequate. I would spray a coat of UV-protective coat on the siding after installation, maybe two coats on the south and west sides.
what i would recommend for your scenario are the Flood products
Thompsons ( though it has recently been bought by more reputable firm ) was about like spraying your deck w/ pledge
I'm seeing mildew growing "in" Penofin on north side of my shed doors coated in blue Penofin / never seen that w/ Flood siding products
Hey - another question. Will the cedar be dried or green? The installation guidelines vary greatly. Visit http://www.wrcla.org, the Wester Red Cedar Lumber Association's website, for advice from the oracle on both installation and finish.
Andy
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." Robert A. Heinlein
"Get off your dead #### and on your dying feet." Mom
The siding provided by the manufacturer is kiln dried. From the replies I've received is sounds like a product with UV protection is the best way to go on the outside. Now I have to choose between Penofin and Sikkens. Thanks very much for your input. This online forum is a great supplement to Fine Home Building which I have been subscribing to for years even though I'm not a contractor.
try thompsons water seal for an inexpensive seal on the back side go with some good stuff on the front
Thanks! I was thinking of a product like Thompson's but the reply about Penofin Red & Blue sounds worth looking into even though the expense will be higher. My Dad always told me, "Buy the best product or tool you can afford. It will save you time in the long run".
P.S. Love your nickname. Reminds me of some of the neat guys I grew up with.
Who says that's his nickname:-)I used Penofin Blue label on knotty cedar siding, coating all sides before install in the winter of 2005 and then a second coat in place that summer. Now a year later there is very slight silvering in some areas. I intend to recoat this month with either Red label or possibly Marine finish. IMO if you want to slow the the graying, you will have to recoat alot more frequently than every 5 years.
I'm using Penofin "Cedar". The manufacturer says the blue label product is 90% UV resistant and the red label is 99% UV resistant. Backsides get Blue label. Ends, fronts, and edges get red label. It is reasonably transparent -- not spar varnish transparent, but not too bad for the amount of UV protection.
I've had reasonable longevity with the blue label product in the past -- 2-3 yrs in a high, sunlight-off-water, UV environment. I'm hoping the red label will get me out to 3-4 years. I doubt you'll get an honest 5 years without adding a bit of density in the form of pigment.
Thanks very much for your interest and information. I read an old Breaktime message about Penofin and decided it might be worth looking into. Do you have any experience with their marine finish? One answer stated that was the best way to go but your "red/blue" expereince sounds like it works. I really appreciate your help and other respomses I've received.
I've never used the Penofin marine finish. But I read Penofin's website and for some reason I don't recall, it didn't seem like the best way for me to go. Possibly it had lower UV resistance than Red Label. They have some pretty good info posted if you want to take a look and make a decision.Last week I bought some Penofin Red at under $25/gal. I was surprised after recently paying much more for Sherman-Williams solid color stain.I agree with the other poster that you are very unlikely to get 5-year life. I think I said earlier that I got 2-3 years with blue label. I'm now upgrading to red label to try to get that up to 3-4 years.I'm using Penofin on the backs to allow for inevitable drips and penetration. I want to make sure the entire exposed surface is coated with very similar material, even though I don't need the UV protection for the backs.
Strangely enough the Penofin Gold label on my deck seems to be outlasting the walls. Their website states that horizontal surfaces require more frequent re-application though.
Very odd.
Is Gold Label the marine finish?
Do you have the same product on your walls?
What I am referring to as Gold label (maybe it is a bronze label) is the formula for exotic woods. I forgot to mention the deck is Malaysian mahogany, the walls are T&G knotty cedar laid up horizontally. Obviously the species has alot to do with the weathering, but I just assumed the deck would weather faster.edit: I used the Blue label on the walls.
Edited 6/13/2006 6:20 pm ET by TGNY