Cedar Fence Finishing

[Chris Weishaar]

Hello all,

We are getting ready to install a new cedar fence in our back yard to keep the dog in and allow him to run. After going back and forth with the wife we have decided that we do want to put a stain on the fence to keep it looking good. I know it will be ongoing maintenance, but I can get a sprayer to spray it every couple of years!

Anyways we are running up to the deadline to put finish on this year and I still have to put the siding and trim on the new addition and garage. We are thinking of putting the fence off until spring so that we have the time and weather to get the stain on the fence. One fence vendor told me that I should install this fall and let it sit for a year to finish. They claim it needs to weather. This seems like an opportunity for the fence to develop all sorts of stains and uneven sun wear prior to finishing. When I finish cedar picnic tables I do so prior to them moving outside to maintain the nice freshly milled look.

Anybody have any thoughts on if the cedar needs to be left up for awhile prior to finishing? The two thoughts that came to my head immediately were that they were trying for a sale now rather than the spring or that they are using freshly milled cedar that hasn't been properly dried first. Either way leads to problems!

TIA,
Chris

[Steve Schoene]

Unless the wood is really, really moist, the vendor is giving the wrong advice, according to the Forest Products Laboratory, whose research shows that the longer wood weathers the less well it holds finish. The various excuses such as "mill glaze" and the like, don't appear to be valid either. So best is to finish as soon as possible after construction.

This injunction would be less significant with semi-transparent stains, than with film forming paint, in my opinion.

[Chris Weishaar]

Thanks Steve, that is pretty much my understanding but I was looking for confirmation. We are probably going to use a semi-transparent stain but I do think I will push off until the spring. I worked for a painter in college and we did a house in Syracuse this time of year that was cedar siding and a semi-transparent stain. We were able to do it on nice days as the stain seems to handle the cold better than paint. Still we are cutting it too close. Snow this week all around us, but not at the house yet. Good thing we are close to the lake.

Chris