Rejunvenating Cedar Shakes on Long Island Homes

Many homes on Long Island have cedar shingle siding.  Wood shingles turn dark after several years and if they are not too worn or damaged, you can improve the appearance by cleaning and refinishing them.  Bill and Kevin Burnett from Inman News offer the following advice on how to
accomplish this. Note: As with any project you undertake, you may want to check with an expert first!

Cleaning your wood shingles with a pressure washer can dramatically improve their appearance. Clean with caution since the high-pressure stream of water could potentially blow the shingles off of the wall, if they are brittle and/or dry. So, use a wide spray pattern while keeping the washer nozzle at least a foot away from the wall. Try to only remove the dirt, limiting the amount of
wood you remove by going over the area gently with the pressure washer. It is advisable to practice first on a wall that isn’t so noticeable, maybe one on the back of the house.

Allow at least a week for the shingles to dry. Any shingles with severe cracks should then be replaced. Don’t worry about the replaced shingles looking too new. They’ll weather over time, creating a more homogenous appearance.

After the wood shingles have been cleaned and dried thoroughly and the damaged shingles replaced, you can finish with a clear wood preservative or even a semitransparent stain (by Duckback or Preservawood). Flood the surface of the shingles with at least two coats of preservative, using an airless sprayer or a garden sprayer to apply the wood preservative. The airless sprayer is more time efficient, but there is a strong possibility of drift. So if you use this sprayer, then warn your neighbors, make sure cars are out of the way, cover your windows and make sure it isn’t a windy day.

Finally, sit back and enjoy your renewed siding!

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.