Natural Cedar Shakes Vs. Painted

Properties of Cedar

• Cedar has long been a popular choice for both roofing and siding. Today, most cedar siding is made from either the Western Red Cedar or the Eastern White Cedar. Both contain natural aromatic oils that repel insects and make the shakes resistant to decay. Cedar shakes can last for decades without being replaced.

Shakes or Shingles

• One cedar tree can produce both shakes and shingles, but the two have very different properties for the home decorator. Shingles are sawn from cedar logs, resulting in a smooth surface on both front and back. This makes them easier to paint or stain than shakes.

  Shakes are split rather than sawn, giving them a rough surface on one or both sides. This gives an attractive, rustic appearance but can make the shakes more difficult to paint.

Natural Cedar Shakes

• Once your cedar shakes are installed, your most important consideration is whether to paint them or to leave the shakes in their natural color. This all comes down to aesthetics: do you want a more rustic look, or a more finished look?

  Leaving the shakes natural maximizes the shakes' rustic appeal. The emphasis will be on the beauty of the wood and on the cedar's homey appeal. Natural shakes will change color over time, becoming more grey as the tannic acids leach from the wood.

  Even if you decide to leave the shakes natural, you may want to finish them with a clear or tinted stain. This makes the cedar more resistant to mildew and rot. Because of the rough surface of the shakes, the sealant should be sprayed rather than painted on.

Painted Cedar Shakes

• Painted shakes give a completely different effect than natural shakes. Painted shakes make a house look more elegant while retaining the old-fashioned look of the shakes. Because of their surface texture, however, painted cedar shakes can't attain the same refinement as cedar shingles.

  It's important to properly prepare the cedar shakes for painting. Allow the siding to weather for a few weeks after installation, or the tannins will leach out and turn the paint red. Then spray on a high-quality primer, and follow with latex paint.

  If you want some color but still want to retain the natural beauty of the cedar, colored stains offer a middle ground between all-natural and totally painted. No matter what the finish, your cedar shakes will give your house a beautiful and durable finish for many years to come.