# Pine or Cedar... paint or not?



## oldaudio (May 30, 2007)

Hello: I am building a new shop outback. My home,built in 1891 has beveled pine siding. The new shop will have some sort of beveled siding to match the house. 
My question is...do I paint my new building when using cedar or pine siding. 
( historic distric, no hardie board or vinyl allowed).
I've heard that cedar can be stained and is easier to maintain. Pine on the other hand, can be sealed and last for years. 
Anyone have any ideas which way I should go?
Thanks
PS: I live in Arkansas, no weather extremes.


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## CraigFL (May 31, 2007)

I pesonally like the protection of some kind of sealer or stain. I only use Cabot's because of the high quality and long life. You can get stain to mimic the weathered, gray look.


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## Daryl in Nanoose (May 31, 2007)

I would go with the Cedar Hands down. I only use Ben Moore paints and Stains.
 If your going with a solid color stain them Prime with there oil based Stain primer and two top coats of acrylic stain. Oh by the way don't forget to give the new cedar a wash down to get rid of any wood slivers and dust and let dry for about a week.
  If your going with a semi transparent stain then just a wash let sit for a week and a way you go. With semi you will have to coat it again every 2-5 years depending on the climate.


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## oldaudio (Jun 1, 2007)

OK, thanks. Sounds like the cedar with stain is the way to go. For the oil primer, could boiled linseed oil be used ? I just happen to have 10 or 15 gallons left over from the house job. I was thinning it with mineral spirits 3:1
and using it to put on the raw wood . I left it for about 30 days then went back and primed with oil primer. But this was a PAINT job, not stain. 
Would I be wasting my time and materials?
Thanks, Mike


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## Daryl in Nanoose (Jun 2, 2007)

Sounds like a kick ___ plan to me. You would have a extremly good stain job and if you already have the stuff then go for it.
 We used to go 1/3rd Boiled Lenseed Oil/1/3 solid oil stain/1/3rd minerial spirits for raw wood and then 30 days later top coated with 2 coats latex stain. I would ask at your local Paint store( not a big box store) what they think so you don't lose a guarentee on the stain you use.


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## inspectorD (Jun 2, 2007)

Staining and painting wood on both sides to last a long time is a great idea.
However as you install each piece of wood you need to seal the ends of the boards when you cut them to fit. If you did not protect these ends the water will wick into the wood.. just as when the tree grows this is the direction of the sap flow. Then the moisture needs to get out and picks the sunniest spot that is trying to draw out the moisture.....wala...peeling paint. 

Caulking the joints is a poor remedy which only makes it harder to fix once it needs resealing.
So try to seal every cut you make, which I realize is time consuming but very good for the long run.


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## inspectorD (Jun 2, 2007)

Before ol Square Eye gives you the lecture.....you need to get those oil soaked rags into a big pile when you are done. 

No ,no, no, no that's not it....you need to dispose of them into a water filled bucket and burn them if possible.  Never store in a pile or just in the trash. 

Anyone else.....


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## Daryl in Nanoose (Jun 3, 2007)

Excellent ideas InspectorD


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## Rustedbird (Jun 7, 2007)

Agree with Inspector D. 

I live in a place where the cedar siding was put on raw and then painted. Lot of it turned into mulch. Also plenty of splits and cracking, and it was grade 2 or worse, lot of fallen out knots.  

Do it right, and it will last.


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