Do you prime cedar siding before painting?
Matthew Shields
Updated on April 06, 2026
Do you prime cedar siding before painting?
Do Not – Allow peeling paint to remain on the cedar siding before painting. Do – Prime the exposed wood, whether new or previously painted, with oil primer. The only way to block the tannins in the cedar siding is to use an oil primer. These are tannins from cedar wood leaking through a water based primer.
Can cedar be painted right away?
While extremely old cedar can be painted, it requires heavy preparation. Even then, the paint is not expected to last long. Surface preparation is the key to success when dealing with weathered wood. The siding must be free from mold, mildew, and dirt.
What color goes best with cedar?
Taupe, tan and beige are all classic colors to pair with cedar. This taupe, beige and brown feel right at home under an Aged Cedar roof. Keeping the colors toned down creates a cohesive look with an aged roof.
What kind of primer to use on cedar siding?
However, knotty cedar holds these primers well because most knotty cedar siding patterns have a textured or re-sawn face. The WRCLA has not seen any test data on self-priming paints. Factory finish warranties provided by primer and paint manufacturers apply to cedar siding that has one coat of primer and one or two top coats of paint.
Do you have to prime cedar before painting?
Prime the Cedar Before You Paint It It is strongly recommended that you go with the two-coat system for protecting your cedar siding. A primer with a paint top coat will have a significantly longer service life than will a single coat of paint or even a solid stain.
Is it OK to paint cedar wood siding?
Having cedar lumber wood siding, such as 1″ X 6″, 1″ X 8″, 1″ X 12″ or two inch thickness can be painted with a solid paint stain, not requiring primer, but still not recommended painting cedar if you can help it. Main reason not recommending painting dimensional cedar exterior wood siding is you’d be covering up natural beauty of the wood’s grain.
Can a deck stain be applied to cedar siding?
Applying Deck stain to Cedar vertical siding is not required, could be cost prohibitive, and not needed, but could very well be done, lasting much longer. As mentioned, this paint-stain or solid body stain can be applied to new or previously paint-stained Cedar wood and siding.
Prime the Cedar Before You Paint It It is strongly recommended that you go with the two-coat system for protecting your cedar siding. A primer with a paint top coat will have a significantly longer service life than will a single coat of paint or even a solid stain.
However, knotty cedar holds these primers well because most knotty cedar siding patterns have a textured or re-sawn face. The WRCLA has not seen any test data on self-priming paints. Factory finish warranties provided by primer and paint manufacturers apply to cedar siding that has one coat of primer and one or two top coats of paint.
Which is better to paint or stain cedar siding?
Brush application is usually the best. These stains perform similarly and are applied like paint. One coat of solid-color stain is only marginally adequate on new wood. A prime coat with a top coat will always provide better protection to the wood as well as promoting a longer service.
What’s the best way to refinish cedar siding?
Semi-transparent oil-based penetrating stains are relatively easy to refinish. Excessive scraping and sanding are not usually required. Simply use a stiff bristle (non-metallic) brush to remove all surface dirt, dust, and loose wood fibers. Following proper cleaning to kill mildew contamination, apply a new coat of stain.