Not Woodworking: Cedar Shingle UV Protection

[Jay Albrandt]

Hello All,

Just wondering what is the best finish to protect cedar shingles from UV damage. I don't want to change the color so I am not looking for a "stain".
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Jay

[Steve Schoene]

Are these roof or side wall singles, and is it red cedar or white cedar?

The task of preventing the shingles from changing color is an arduous one. You will have to treat the shingles every couple of years. Cabot is the recognized brand, with a number of products. To be very effective requires pigment however. by the way, products containing linseed oil encourage mold--but in the un-sunny areas.

I'm planning to use Cabot bleaching on white cedar shingles with the idea of encouraging the shingles to turn grey as quickly as possible, and then just do a very light water washdown to help keep things even. To me, raw wood tone shingles always look like barely completed new construction and not a real home, but that's just a matter of personal preference.

[Jay Albrandt]

Steve,

They are red cedar, side wall shingles. I agree, new shingles are not the final look that I want, I just don't want them to turn totally grey.

Thanks for your response.

Jay