Hi,
We recently bought a cabin that has rough cedar paneling throughout the finished basement. The paneling is at least years old and quite possibly 20+ yrs. It looks very nice and it is in good shape, but the smell is a problem for my wife, who has allergy problems. See photo – https://flic.kr/p/tuhCRG.
We would like to try to seal it somehow. Wehave talked to a few people, Googled quite a bit, but no good answers. Several people have said that the only thing that is sure to work would be Kilz primer, but we would prefer to retain the natural wood look. I have looked into exterior sealers like Thompson’s and the advice is generally not to use them indoors. And likewise, it seems film finishes like varnish will not adhere well to the rough surface.
I have also thought about just mudding over it with dry-wall mud and starting fresh, but it seems a waste of good cedar.
I would greatly appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
Steve
Replies
Probably your best bet, for a clear finish, is some sort of shelac. But that doesn't narrow the field much.
Yep, 'Frenchy Brand' shellac will work, count on it. I have that on good authority from an expert in Minnesota.
Search the archives for Frenchy shellac and you will learn more about shellac than you EVER wanted to hear.
OR- polyurethane will block the cedar smell, but those with sensitive proboscis probably dislike the poly odor more - you need to vacate the house for a week.
Now the bad part for the OP - you need to tear all the paneling off the wall and coat the BACK & SIDEs and ends ALSO to stop the cedar odor.
True, shellac is the go-to material to block odor. However......The "Frenchy" techique of applying shellac is to cut it to about a half pound cut with alcohol then flood it onto the surface. The diluted product can actually be applied this way but the installer dies from alcohol poisoning or the house blow up from a build-up of alcohol fumes and a match.
Spraying is a better approach but dangerous also and then what have you got anyway? A room with shiny rough surface walls. What an aesthetic disaster!
Better, I think, to find a water based poly in a satin sheen. The rough texture may still dictate spray application although rolling could be an option.
You could try a brushing lacquer (Deft), but I don't know if it would block smells very well.