Exterior Finish for Cedar?

[Frank Snyder]

I need to find a suitable finish for this Cedar arbor http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=83108. Originally, it was going to be left unfinished, but the soon-to-be owner of it likes the red color and now wants me to preserve it somehow. Any suggestions?

[Jim Becker]

Nothing you can put on it outside of a semi-transparent stain (renewed from time to time) is going to "preserve the color" for any kind of time and that color would obviously be that of the stain. UV and weather will still turn the cedar gray, even with a UV inhibiting product. Sanding it back to bare wood annually would likely get old...so the best you can do is to slow it slightly, but prepare them for reality: it will turn gray eventually.

[Chris Padilla]

http://www.pacificgateworks.com/finishingandmaintenance.htm

Here is what an outfit in Oregon that churns out cedar gates has to say about finishing.

[Frank Snyder]

Jim - I agree that letting it weather would be the best finishing option. Unfortunately, I failed in trying to convince them of this. The product that Chris suggested is available in tinted variations, so that might be the best way to preserve the "Cedar" color.

Chris - Thanks for that link. I was able to find the Sikkens Cetol SRD product at a dealer nearby and this looks like the best product to use for this application. The owners will need to reapply it annually, and they've been informed, so we'll see how well it holds up over time if they follow this maintenance routine.

Thanks again for the advice.

Frank

[Jim Becker]

Frank, that's about it...the only way to "preserve" the cedar color is to add color artificially, as it were...

Customer's choice, obviously, but make sure they understand that there is no way to make wood stay it's original color without adding color and periodic maintenance reapplying said color. The wood under it will still be gray... ;)