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georgiapeach1974

original cedar shakes: repair or reside?

georgiapeach1974
9 years ago

My house was built in 1978 with a cedar shake exterior. I live in the woods in NW NJ, so the house gets considerable shade, plus we have woodpeckers and your normal wood eating pests. Sadly, the house was neglected for a long time and the home was stained a light grey color only once. Surprisingly, much of the siding is still in pretty good shape. There is water staining under some gutters and on the west side of the house where we get the most rain, and there are some woodpecker holes, but it isn't terribly warped or cracked and it hasn't shrunk a lot either. We must replace most of the trim, gutters, and the windows, however, so we were considering putting up new siding as well. I am not a fan of vinyl because of the environmental issues, plus the concern that no matter what grade of vinyl I put up it's going to fade, warp, or chalk in just a few years. I love Hardi but it may be just outside of our budget (porch needs a new roof too...). So here's my question: How do I know if my cedar is still in good enough shape to paint/stain? A siding contractor told me that it won't hold paint or stain because it's old wood and that I'll be throwing my money away. I have no idea if that's true or not. If we can use what we have (knowing some of the damaged shakes must be replaced) we have a lot more $$ for Azek trim, a standing seam roof on the porch, and maybe some tree work. Thoughts?

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