Natural Weathering

Western Red Cedar performs satisfactorily if it is left unfinished to weather naturally.

You may choose this option due to:

A preference for the silvery grey look of naturally weathered Western Red Cedar;
A desire not to invest the time and effort required to maintain the finish on a cedar product;
Project inaccessibility, causing difficulty in maintaining the finish on a Western Red Cedar project, for example, siding on very tall buildings; or,
A concern about the environmental impact of applying a finish on your Western Red Cedar.

These are all valid considerations and the reality is that Western Red Cedar can have a long service life without a finish coating in many environments – as long as good design, installation and maintenance practices are followed.

It is important to understand that the choice not to apply a finish to your cedar product has long-term implications. This choice requires advance consideration before you allow natural weathering to begin. As Western Red Cedar weathers, it will lose its natural color and become grey. In very dry climates, it weathers to a silvery grey color, but in most other climates, because of varying moisture and sun exposure conditions, the Western Red Cedar does not weather uniformly and is likely to develop a dark, blotchy, grey appearance.

Should you wish to restore weathered cedar to a state where it can be painted or stained however; significantly more effort will be required to prepare the surface of the wood for coating. If a truly uniform grey appearance is desired, then this effect can be achieved by the use of a commercially prepared bleaching oil or grey weathering stain. This is essentially a water-repellent finish containing pigments and other additives which is most effective on textured cedar. To maintain this look, the bleaching stain may have to be re-applied periodically.

Although the natural weathering effect is usually only “skin deep” (less than 1-2mm), with the cedar largely unchanged beneath, extra care must be given to the design of the project, the installation of the cedar and routine maintenance. Without the protection provided by a coating against moisture intrusion, (especially end grain sealing), steps must be taken during the installation process to allow Western Red Cedar to readily dry following exposure to moisture, otherwise the risk of decay increases.

All cedar products used in exterior applications require a degree of maintenance to keep them looking their best. Even if the choice is made not to apply a finish to Western Red Cedar, contaminants such as dirt and mildew should be regularly removed to maintain its beautiful, natural appearance.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)¹ of Western Red Cedar siding and decking shows it has the most benign environmental impact of all the alternative product choices for those building applications. Coatings, especially the solvent borne finishes and the frequency of their application negatively impact the LCA of cedar siding and decking. This impact may influence a decision not to apply a finish. Fortunately, a new generation of more environmentally friendly, water borne, coatings are emerging and these products should be considered.

¹Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to assess the environmental performance of a product from cradle to grave.

Finishing Cedar

Cedar Outdoor

Quotes

For optimum performance, the WRCLA recommends that Western Red Cedar is preprimed or pre-finished prior to job site delivery.
Western Red Cedar produces fewer greenhouse gases, generates less water and air pollution, requires less energy to produce than alternatives and comes from a renewable and sustainable resource.
Western Red Cedar from WRCLA members is independently certified as legal and sustainable.
Western Red Cedar requires significantly less energy to produce than fibre cement or wood composite materials.
Unlike man-made alternatives, Western Red Cedar is biodegradeable.
Western Red Ce¬dar has the lowest environmental impact when compared with other materials such as brick and fibre cement.
The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA) is non profit association representing Western Red Cedar producers, distributors and retailers throughout North America.
Western Red Cedar is one of the most durable coniferous species and can be counted on to give long and trouble free service under most conditions.
Western Red Cedar is light weight, easily worked and ideal for almost all types of finishes.
Western Red Cedar has centuries of proven performance which cannot be said of new man made products.
Western Red Cedar produces fewer greenhouse gases, generates less water and air pollution, requires less energy to produce than alternatives and comes from a renewable and sustainable resource.
The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA) is non profit association representing Western Red Cedar producers, distributors and retailers throughout North America.

For exterior home siding information visit www.cedar-siding.org|For wood decking information visit www.cedar-decking.org