Transitioning Cedar from Stain to Oil

13 Jul 2023

As Cedar ages, we highly recommend transitioning Cedar from stain to a penetrating oil where possible.

If you want to know more about the pros and cons of each, please read our article The Cedar Oil vs. Cedar Stain Debate.

The simple truth is, no matter how much stain you put on the surface of the timber, 5-10 years of sun exposure on a northern face will deplete the natural oils of the Cedar and cause the boards to dry out, cup, then ultimately split.

This doesn’t just look bad, it threatens the integrity of your home to withstand the elements and if the damage continues, you may need to replace the cladding altogether.

How Stained Cedar Ends Up Looking Unsightly

Treating aged Cedar with stain isn’t usually an informed choice by the homeowner. Often, the previous owner has done a quick fix and used stain to make the Cedar look pretty before selling, or the current homeowner has stained over a poorly prepared stain without stripping back the boards.

Stains are translucent, so even though they have some opacity, you can still see through them and unless the preparation is done well, stains don’t hide imperfections.

Eventually the stain will delaminate in the harsh UV, giving a camouflaged look with light and dark shades that are often patchy and uneven.

The Transition Process from Stain to Oil

First, we will do a site visit to look at the current state of the Cedar boards.

In the best-case scenario, the weatherboards will have had an even exposure to the sun. We then use a strong solution of the oxy cleaner to get in behind any of the oxidised stain which has been broken down by the sun, then use a heavy wash to remove anything which is loose.

The heavy wash will give us a good look at the condition of the boards below. If there is any stain remaining on the surface, we will need to sand or strip the boards back to their virgin state before applying the oil.

If the boards have had partial shade cover, such as nearby trees or soffits that have only protected the upper areas, they need to be stripped. You can’t just oil over the top and hope that it’s going to match the weatherboards below.

This adds a lot of cost to the process and if the homeowner isn’t willing to spend that much money, we may recommend applying another coat of stain to provide at least some protection and keep the house looking tidy.

Be Prepared for the Shiny-flat Look

One of the biggest downsides of moving from stain to oil is a 3-9 month transition period where your Cedar will have a shiny-flat-shiny-flat look.

This happens when oil is applied to any surface that still has stain remnants. The oil cannot soak through the stain as it is non-porous, so it sits on top, around the surface area where the oil has soaked in, giving the shiny-flat-shiny-flat look.

In the sunlight, the shiny-flat-shiny-flat look is not pretty. However, this effect is only temporary and after 3-9 months the oil eventually soaks in behind the stain and the stain will delaminate further.

After 3-9 months, we will come back and give the boards another heavy wash, sand back any remaining stain and apply another coat of oil. 9-12 months later we repeat the same process. After 12-24 months the process will be complete and the Cedar will move into a regular maintenance schedule, with sun exposed areas being treated every 2-3 summers.

What Costs Are Involved?

Cost is the final hurdle for many Cedar homeowners. Stripping off stain is an expensive process and if your current home is not your forever home, the costs might be prohibitive.

However, if you are planning to stay in your current home for the foreseeable future, the costs become an investment that will pay for itself. Over time, oil is much easier to apply than stain, provides superior protection against the elements and increases the lifespan of your Cedar.

In broad terms, it comes down to this: do you want to spend the extra 10k to remove the stain and give yourself an easy to maintain finish, or deduct the 10k from the cost of replacing the cladding in the not-to-distant future?

By investing in the health of your Cedar now, you will save money on long-term maintenance, and your cladding will look amazing.

Get An Expert Opinion!

As you can see, there are a lot of variables when considering the transition from stain to oil. This article is intended to educate Cedar homeowners on the general process, but nothing compares to having one of our team visit your house and make a professional assessment.

For a free Cedar Assessment, get in touch by calling 0800 298 298. There is no obligation and our goal is always to look after the best interests of our customers over the lifecycle of their homes.

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15 Oct 2024

The Difference Between Tinted Oil and Stain – And Why it Matters

Even amongst building professionals, there is a lot of confusion around different Cedar treatments, and which is best for the long-term protection of Cedar in different situations. This article aim to set the record straight.

Tinted oils and stains are two very different products – each with unique compositions, application requirements, and long-term maintenance needs – but the names are often used interchangeably.

Even amongst building professionals, there is a lot of confusion around different Cedar treatments, and which is best for the long-term protection of Cedar in different situations.

In fairness, the difference is not always obvious, and much of the confusion comes from the terminology used by manufacturers in the past.

This article aims to set the record straight, and show why it’s beneficial – both for your Cedar and for your wallet – to know the difference between Cedar treatments.

Let’s start by defining what exactly is an oil and a stain.

What is a Penetrating Oil?

Penetrating oil is designed to migrate into the timber and waterproof it from the inside, protecting against movement from the wetting and drying process, but it offers no UV protection.

We do not recommend using clear oil on Cedar cladding as there is no UV protection.

When a tint is added to a clear oil base, it becomes a tinted oil.

The tinted oil has all the waterproofing benefits of clear oil, but the tint now protects the timber against UV, like a sunblock, and it can be applied with a range of different colours.

What is a Stain?

Traditional stains use a solvent to emulsify the oil and are typically a brown-red colour, prevalent on homes built before the 2000s.

Solvent based stains are still available, but they are being phased out in favour of water-borne stains, which are more environmentally friendly, and come in a range of colours.

Water-borne stains emulsify the oil in water. When applied to the surface, the water evaporates leaving behind the oil to migrate, to a degree, into the surface of the timber.

Stains do not penetrate deeply into the timber, unlike oil, and are designed to erode from the surface over time. Once the stain has been broken down by the UV, any remaining stain will need to be washed or sanded away before applying new stain.

Where Does the Confusion Lie?

Stains and tinted oils are the most common source of confusion when talking with Cedar homeowners.

People think of a stain as something they brush on and the stain then soaks into the timber. This is true, but a stain will only soak into the timber marginally compared to a penetrating oil.

If you pour tinted oil onto a white sheet, it’s going to change the colour of the sheet without changing the texture, essentially staining the fabric.

If you do the same with a traditional stain, which is actually like a very thin paint, it’s going to leave a coating on the sheet. It will change the colour, but only because there is a coating on the surface. It’s not actually staining the fabric.

By this rationale, a stain is not actually a stain, but it’s been called a stain for so many years that the name has stuck.

This may seem like splitting hairs, but knowing which product is right for your Cedar has a significant impact on how your Cedar needs to be maintained.

Why Does This Matter

If you know what treatment is on your Cedar, you can formulate the right maintenance strategy for your home – and potentially save yourself money, and heartache.

Here are a few practical examples:

Existing Cedar Homes

If you already have a Cedar home, this means you can use the same treatment as before for the best colour matching and application; while avoiding generic products that do not perform as well, or incompatible treatments, such as applying a water-borne stain over an oil.

New Cedar Homes

If you are building or buying a new Cedar home, a stain is often applied as it requires little upkeep for the first 5-10 years, but eventually the sun will dry out the timber and you might have to use a Cedar professional for maintenance or remedial work.

Cost and Upkeep

Different treatments have different costs. Oil migrates deep into the timber, but doesn’t last on the surface as long as a stain and needs more regular upkeep. Stain lasts longer, but once it erodes, it needs to be removed evenly before recoating, or you end up with an uneven finish.

Cedar Orientation

Areas in the shade require less maintenance than sun-exposed areas, making stain more suitable in some circumstances. And if you have an area of Cedar up high, the cost of scaffolding might be prohibitive for regular application of oil and a stain might make more sense.

All these potential complications can be eased by knowing what treatment has been used on your Cedar, and what treatment is best for different situations.

Final Thoughts

We are not saying that one product is better than the other, but by understanding what treatment is on your Cedar, you can make better decisions about how it needs to be protected.

If you are unsure, get in touch with our team and a Cedar expert will come out to your house to assess your cladding.

15 Jul 2024

Best Cedar Products – Our Top Picks

Mark has been in the business for over 30 years and has seen a lot of Cedar products come and go. The products recommended here are based on his personal experience maintaining thousands of Cedar homes across the country.

These are the products we actively use today, or have used in the past, and all have been tried and tested across a range of locations and conditions.

If the product you are considering isn’t mentioned below, that doesn’t mean it’s unsuitable, only that we don’t have enough experience with the product to recommend it either way.

Always follow the manufacturers guidelines and choose the best Cedar product for your specific circumstances.

Lastly, if your Cedar has already been treated with a specific product and is still in good condition, it’s a good rule of thumb to use the same product for the best colour matching and application. If the product is starting to fail, look at the best solution for the timber regardless of what was used previously.

Best Cedar Cleaning Products

Preparing Cedar before applying an oil or stain is the key to achieving a smooth and consistent finish.

Over time, organic matter such as dust, moss and lichen will build up on the Cedar. As oils and stains are semi-transparent/translucent, any product or organic matter left on the surface will show up and look unsightly.

Which cleaning product you use depends on the current state of your Cedar.

Hit The Deck

Cedar that has no oil or stain on the surface will only require a gentle wash using an oxy cleaner or percarbonate solution to kill off any built-up organic matter. Hit The Deck by Wet & Forget works very well and doesn’t contain any bleaches or chlorine.

Dryden LiquidTimberClean

If your Cedar has been affected by the sun and started to age, you may need to brighten it back up. Dryden LiquidTimberClean is an oxalic acid-based cleaner that is effective at lightening stains and brightening timber. Be careful using this product around windows and joinery as it can tarnish the surface if not rinsed properly.

Resene Timber and Deck Wash

For general cleaning, Resene Timber and Deck Wash is very effective for cleaning hardwood and softwood timber surfaces. This wash only has a small amount of bleach and is effective at killing off anything organic. An excellent product, we use it all the time.

And avoid…

We do not recommend any products that contain a heavy solution of sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as bleach. This often comes with the benefits of “spray and walk away” or “done in 30 seconds”. It will certainly clean the Cedar and kill off anything that’s on the surface, but it can damage the cellular structure of the timber.

Quick Note About Stains

Stains are like white paint. You can buy white paint from 20 different paint manufacturers and each one will tell you why theirs is the best.

Which stain you use is much less important than when and where you use it.

Stains perform best out of the harsh UV, on areas sheltered by trees and other buildings, south-facing, or under soffits.

If used on areas exposed to the sun, they will eventually break down. If a stain cracks, water will get in behind and delaminate the stain, lifting it from the surface.

When stains fail, it takes a lot of work to make the stained surface look good, even more than with oil. Just remember, when choosing your coating, the sun will ALWAYS win. Make sure the stain is out of the sun, and you should be fine.

Best Cedar Stains

Resene Woodsman Waterborne Oil Stain

Resene Woodsman Waterborne Oil Stain is our stain of choice. This stain is a penetrating water-borne wood oil stain that is designed to erode, rather than form a film on the surface, which is what you want. As the stain is very thin, it gives a chance for the oil to get into the timber. This stain has been around for 15+ years and we have a lot of confidence in the product.

Cabbots stain

Cabbots stain, by Dulux, is another product we regularly use. Cabbots is an excellent stain, with the slight reservation that this is a film-forming product, and it can get brittle if over applied.

Coating Remover Sea to Sky by Resene

If you need to remove a previous stain before application, use a coating remover that uses organic or citrus based compounds. Avoid methylene chloride products, which are very aggressive.

Coating Remover Sea to Sky by Resene is an organic stripping compound that contains no harsh chemicals, and is very effective at removing paints, coatings and residues.

Be careful, it’s a messy job…

Mask or cover the areas adjacent to the areas you are working on and make sure you get all the product out of the timber. Use a water blaster at the correct pressure to remove any latent product sitting on the timber’s surface.

Quick Note About Oils

Unlike stains, not all oils are made equally. As oil is the base ingredient in these products, the quality of the oil can affect the speed of penetration and dry to touch time, and the final look and feel.

Choose an oil from a reputable manufacturer that has been formulated for the specific conditions in New Zealand.

Other factors to consider include the biocide package (to keep away nasties), available colour range and the degree of transparency. depending on how much you want the Cedar to come through.

All that said, it’s always better to apply oil to your Cedar than not. You are looking to protect the surface of the timber from the harsh sun, and anything is better than nothing.

Best Cedar Oils

There are 3 different products we can recommend. Before getting to our top pick, we need to cover a little history to better understand the evolution of Cedar oil products.

CD50

CD50 (now known as CUTEK Extreme CD50) is the original Cedar oil and has been around for 40 or 50 years. The product has since been bought by an Australian company and reformulated for the Australian market. We don’t use this product much as the alternatives listed below are better suited for New Zealand conditions. Regardless, this is a quality penetrating oil with a long and storied history.

Dryden WoodOil

Dryden WoodOil is owned by Dulux and specially designed for our conditions. 20 years ago, CD50 was sold off and the manufacturers reformulated Dryden WoodOil from the old CD50 chemical makeup. Dryden WoodOil is water-repellent, non-filming, and a true migrating oil that gets deep into the timber. We regularly use this product and can recommend it without hesitation.

Wood-X

Wood-X is our top pick and the oil we recommend for most of our customers. Wood-X is made by Resene and specifically formulated for New Zealand conditions. Wood-X is a non-film forming, viscous mineral oil that is designed to penetrate exterior hardwood timbers and improve dimensional stability.

Wood-X also has an excellent biocide package, high quality and proven tints (colour tones), and uses high grade oil content that speeds its penetration and ‘dry to touch’ time.

Full disclosure: TimberTech helped to develop Wood-X and Mark has a small shareholding in the business. We are proud of our association with Wood-X and wouldn’t recommend it if it wasn’t the absolute best product for our customers.

Need Help or Advice?

If you have any questions about the products we covered, please get in touch with our team. We are more than happy to give advice and point you in the right direction.

15 Apr 2024

Buying Or Selling a Cedar Home? Protect Your Investment

In this article, we are looking at how to protect the value of your Cedar home - often your biggest asset - especially when the market is so volatile and uncertain.

The benefits of Cedar maintenance fall into two main categories: beautification and protection.

Beautification means making your Cedar look beautiful all year round. If sun exposed areas are left without replenishing the oils, the Cedar can start to look worn and tired. By adding oil back into Cedar, you are protecting it from the harsh New Zealand sun and restoring the natural vibrance of the timber.

Protection means maintaining the integrity of the timber, so you don’t have to replace the Cedar in the future. Protection can also mean protecting your investment, both to maintain the value of what you just bought, or to improve the asking price if you are about to sell.

In this article, we are looking at how to protect the value of your Cedar home – often your biggest asset – especially when the market is so volatile and uncertain.

For some additional insight into the housing market, we are joined by Rachel Readhead from Barfoot & Thompson.

Why Protect Your Cedar

People often think that if their Cedar looks tired, it needs to be maintained or restored, but that is not necessarily true. Cedar is a very resilient timber.

If not maintained in the short term, sun exposed areas will get damaged by the harsh UV rays and end up looking rather shabby. Not ideal, but not the end of the world either.

If not maintained in the long term – we are talking 20+ years here – the Cedar may cup or warp, no longer protecting the outside of the house. The ultimate cost will be to replace the Cedar cladding on sun exposed faces, which is considerably more expensive than regular maintenance.

“If the Cedar has started to warp or crack, it will raise red flags when the property report gets done. When doing a CMA [comparative market analysis] on the property, everything is taken into account,” said Rachel.

Return on Investment

When considering the cost of Cedar maintenance or restoration, there are two questions you need to consider.

What do I have to spend so that I never have to replace my Cedar?
Do I also want the Cedar to look beautiful all year round?

The average restoration price for a 3-bedroom home is $6.5k. After the initial restoration, sun exposed areas need recoating every 2-3 summers. The cost of regular maintenance comes down to around $2.5-5k, depending on the house size and build.

If your Cedar is already in good condition and you want to maintain the value over the long term, you will need to recoat sun exposed areas every 2-3 summers.

If your Cedar hasn’t been maintained in some time and you want to restore the timber before you sell the house, you will be looking at anywhere between $6.5-15k.

On houses we have worked on in the past, the valuations were around 6 times higher after we did the work. So, for an investment of $4.5k (the average price of a restoration in the past) the valuation was $24k higher.

Thinking of Selling?

If you are planning on selling your home soon, you can potentially increase the selling price by sprucing up the cladding.

At a minimum, you can stay firm on your asking price and stop people knocking you down on price due to additional work.

“First impressions count, and the condition of the cladding is usually the first thing people see when looking at a property. A lot of buyers will ask for a price reduction if there is work to be done on the exterior of a house,” said Rachel.

If you have been maintaining the Cedar regularly, you may not need to do any maintenance at all, or just some light maintenance to tidy up the sun exposed faces.

Stand Out in a Crowded Market

When the housing market slows down, buyers have more houses to choose from and have more room for negotiation.

Rachel says, “Houses are not moving as fast as in previous years, especially in the townhouse and apartment market. A good house in a good location always sells, but by keeping your house maintained you can stand out from other properties and get a better sale price – especially if it sells in auction.”

Having a record of maintenance also gives prospective buyers confidence that the timber has been looked after and won’t require work anytime soon.

Rachel added, “Many people still do not understand how affordable it is to look after a Cedar home and mistake it for painting, which can often be more expensive. Having documentation of previous work shows prospective buyers the cost of maintenance over the long term and helps to ease any concerns.”

Protect Your Biggest Asset

By investing in the maintenance of your Cedar, you are investing in the long-term value of your home.

And by regularly maintaining your home, you are spreading this cost out over many years, instead of getting lumped with a large bill when it comes time to sell. Regular maintenance also has the benefit of being able to enjoy the natural beauty of the Cedar while you are still living there!

Protecting your investment starts with a conversation. Our team can help to identify what your goals are, then put together a plan to protect your Cedar over the long term.

Rachel Readhead helps homeowners buy and sell homes throughout North Shore and Rodney. You can reach her on 027 333 4484.

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Transitioning Cedar from Stain to Oil