Cleaning Cedar Shake Siding and Shingles

Posted on September 13, 2019

Cedar shingles are an appealing and durable option to protect your home. It does provide a challenge for cleaning and maintaining. Here’s what you should do for cleaning cedar shake siding and shingles.

Cedar shingle pros:
Resists bugs and termites
Resists rot unless damaged
Vulnerable to woodpeckers
Quality aesthetics

Cedar shingle cons:
Not fire-safe
Requires periodic maintenance

Cedar siding maintenance

For a time-treasured, weathered look, cedar siding is a perfect option. It’s easy to apply a clear coat of water-resistant preservative to the shingles. This helps prevent wood rot and moisture damage while maintaining a rustic charm in the shingles.

Your climate will dictate how often your siding must be cleaned and clear-coated. If you live in a humid climate or near the ocean or a lake, your home will need to be coated every two to three years. Drier areas can allow you to go three to five years, as long as the shingles are in good shape.

The annual cleaning and maintenance every few years will keep your shingles or siding in good condition between replacing the shingles. You could get them to last up to 50 years with good maintenance and cleaning.

Cleaning cedar shingles

Cedar shingles, particularly in moist climates, can develop moss or algae on them. This could result in staining. They are also prone to iron staining from the products used to secure the shingles to the home. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Services Laboratory recommends cleaning cedar shingles with an oxidizing bleach — not household bleach — to avoid damaging the wood. Household bleach is harsher and will make the shingles surface turn fuzzy from the pulp reaction to it.

Using a long handled brush or broom, brush the surface of the house to remove loose dirt or debris. Mix the bleach 2 cups of powdered granules to 1 gallon of water.
Using a sprayer like you would for lawn and garden work, pour the water mixture in. Spray down a 4 foot by 8 foot section of your home. Let the mixture sit on the siding for up to 15 minutes.
Scrub the area with a soft bristled brush.
Rinse with cold water from the hose and let it dry completely.

Moisture-Resistant Clear Coat, Stains and Paints

You can choose to clear coat or paint your shingles. Keep in mind that paint peeling from cedar shingles can be difficult to remove or correct. A clear coat or opaque stains are a good option to change the color of your shingles without dealing with paint.

They are applied the same as a paint or deck stain. On a dry house, apply the clear coat product or stain from a lawn and garden sprayer. It should be put on with a high-volume, low-pressure paint sprayer. You can also choose to paint brush or roll the coating on.

Wood-Stripper and New Stain Application

If you are putting a new stain on, you’ll want to remove the old one. To do that, follow these instructions.

First, you’ll want to cover your landscaping, bushes and flower beds around the walls with plastic sheeting. Some professionals say you can just wet the areas down with a hose.

Pour the wood-stripping product into a low-pressure sprayer. It’s important to make sure you aren’t using too much pressure or you risk damaging the wood.

Move in 4 foot by 8 foot sections with the sprayer. The wood stripper will need to sit on the cedar for up to 30 minutes.

Using a stiff-bristled brush, scrub the shingles down. Never use a wire brush for this.

Rinse the area clean with a hose and allow to dry for two days before proceeding.

Apply the clear coating or stain with a high-volume, low-pressure garden sprayer. Allow to dry for as long as the manufacturer’s instructions direct.

Our estimators are happy to provide you a free estimate on your home’s exterior repairs and stain. Contact us now to set one up.