Western Red Cedar -Stop the greying?

[DSWalker]

We installed 4, 8x8 WRC posts on the front porch when we remodled the house last year. Porch faces east and is mostly shaded by a couple of large oaks. The south facing end does get some sun and the south facing side of that post is greying on us.

Any suggestions to try and protect it from greying further? It is only that south facing side of the 1 post. Everything else looks the same today as they did last year when new. (Or at least very close)

 

[Oka]

Where I am originally from this tree grew and was quite common for use as house trim. Here is what we did on cedar decks and rails if the natural wood color was the finish.

1. Wash it with a mild oxcylic acid solution, Rinse off.

2. Let dry.

3. Hard brush it to get the pores open and get rid of dust and loose anything.

4. Here there are varying opinions on which thing is the best to treat and seal the wood with, we used to treat with Clear Water Seal (CWS), there are others that are out there, but my personal experience was this would last a -2 years longer than the rest.

Out in N.C. Not sure how the humidity will affect the endurance of any product. What I like about CWS was it did not change the wood color wysiwyg- (What you see is what you get). Also, Cedar last longer than Redwood. Western Cedar is part of Juniper family...trivia

Good luck

 

[Jeff]

That greying is common in most unfinished wood species when exposed to the elements. Unfortunately it's not reversible and there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the wood it's just weathered in the sun. I wouldn't worry about it. If you try to protect with a finish you'll have to refinish it every few years to maintain it. PhilS often recommends some of the Sikkens Cetol products which are good but not maintenance free for years and years.

How to Stain Cedar Wood to Protect It

Staining cedar wood is important for maintaining its color and keeping it protected. Learn how to stain cedar wood to protect it.

www.thespruce.com

 

[blackhawk]

I've used the Sikkens Cetol for outdoor WRC signs and it does very well.