Priming New Cedar Siding

These paints form a tough but flexible film that allows moisture within the wood to escape while protecting the cedar from atmospheric moisture that might lead to extractive bleed.

Priming new cedar siding.

Be sure that your primer is appropriate for the surface you re painting. As a general rule use an alkyd primer and a latex topcoat when repainting. Without a primer tannins from within the cedar mix with moisture and seep to the wood s surface naturally staining and discoloring the surface. This is called extractive bleeding a naturally occurring process that does not affect western red cedar s properties.

Water borne primers cannot block the tannins in the cedar. Hardboard siding may also require a primer. If you do not intend on priming brand new cedar or redwood for that matter a high quality stain paint should be used as 50 of volume soaks into the wood other 50 is left on top as a dried paint mil. Do not use water borne primers over exposed cedar siding.

The only way to block the tannins in the cedar siding is to use an oil primer. Staining cedar siding differs from application of paint and other finishes. This stain covers all wood grain completely and gives the wood an appearance of being painted. First remove any mill glaze a hard shiny surface on one side of the siding by sanding.

Stains dry rapidly and fresh stain applied over dried stain will show lap marks. Priming western red cedar helps the wood s natural properties stay put. Allow it to dry for the amount of time specified on the instruction label. Properly primed a 100 percent acrylic latex paint will provide decades of protection for cedar siding shingles.

Cedar and redwood for example usually require an oil based primer to seal the surface so that tannin stains don t bleed through the topcoat. What that means is that you can put primer on the cedar siding but brown stains will come through.