Cedar shakes can be stained to show the grain or painted for solid color, but cedar's natural tannins bleed through light paint unless the wood is primed with a stain-blocking primer. The Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau also stresses following the finish manufacturer's own directions for each product.
The Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau groups finishes into three types: transparent finishes that let the natural grain show, semi-transparent and semi-solid stains that have some pigment but allow some grain to show, and paint or solid stain that provide opaque coverage with little or no grain visible. Benjamin Moore's Woodluxe stains, for example, are listed for siding and shakes and are ideal for softwoods such as cedar.
Cedar and redwood contain water-soluble tannins that migrate to the surface and stain light paint brown or yellow. Benjamin Moore's Aura exterior data sheet specifies a stain-suppressing primer, its Fresh Start Exterior Deck and Siding Primer or High-Hiding All Purpose Primer, for bleeding woods such as redwood and cedar. The alkyd deck and siding primer is described as ideal for tannin-rich woods and penetrates wood for adhesion.
The primer usually sets the limit. Benjamin Moore lists its Fresh Start Deck and Siding Primer at a 50°F minimum, 6 hours to touch and 8 hours to recoat at 77°F and 50% humidity. Aura exterior topcoat can go down to 35°F, and Woodluxe water-based stains to 40°F. A cedar paint job is planned around the 50°F primer requirement.
Shakes have far more surface than flat siding because of their texture, edges and overlaps. Benjamin Moore lists its deck and siding primer at 450 to 550 square feet per gallon and Woodluxe solid stain at 300 to 400 square feet per gallon, with rough or weathered wood falling toward the low end. The Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau notes that coverage is one of the topics to settle with the finish manufacturer and contractor.
The Bureau says it is critical to read the instructions on the finish product's container and follow the finish manufacturer's directions, and lists topics to discuss including coverage, moisture content for your locale, mildew resistance, UV resistance and water repellency, and back-priming. It also warns that a cheap finish usually costs more in the long run through quicker weathering, poorer coverage and less pigment.
On homes built before 1978, old paint on shakes may contain lead. Scraping and sanding shakes disturbs a lot of surface, and paid work disturbing more than 20 square feet of exterior paint is covered by the EPA rule, which requires an EPA-certified firm, ground containment and lead-safe practices.
The Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau lists moisture content for your locale among the topics to settle with the finish manufacturer and contractor, and notes that many manufacturers offer pre-primed or pre-stained shakes. Factory finishing coats all sides under controlled conditions. Field-applied finishes depend on the wood being dry enough for the chosen product.
Joseph Assise III Painting is based in Easton and serves towns across eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, centered on the Lehigh Valley. Town pages:
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Local guides with housing-age and climate data: Lafayette College, Easton | St. Luke's Easton Campus | Lehigh University, Bethlehem | SteelStacks, Bethlehem | Wind Creek, Bethlehem | Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest | Dorney Park, South Whitehall.
Either works; it is a choice between grain and color. Semi-transparent stains let some grain show and wear gradually, while paint and solid stain give opaque, uniform color. The Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau recognizes transparent finishes, semi-transparent and semi-solid stains, and paint or solid stain. Paint on cedar needs a stain-blocking primer to stop tannin bleed.
Prime with a stain-suppressing primer before painting. Benjamin Moore specifies its Fresh Start Exterior Deck and Siding Primer, an alkyd made for tannin-rich woods, or its High-Hiding All Purpose Primer for bleeding woods such as cedar and redwood. The alkyd primer needs at least 50°F and 8 hours before the topcoat at 77°F and 50% humidity.
Yes, after cleaning and a stain-blocking primer. The stain must be weathered or well adhered, the shakes clean and dry, and loose fibers removed. A stain-blocking primer then seals tannins before paint. Going from paint back to a natural stain is much harder, because paint has to be removed for a penetrating stain to soak in.
It depends on the finish, sun exposure and climate. Penetrating stains with less pigment weather faster than solid stains or paint, and south and west walls weather fastest. The Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau notes that cheaper finishes usually cost more over time through quicker weathering and less pigment. Watch for fading and water soaking in rather than beading.
Sources: Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau, Sidewall Finishing; Benjamin Moore Fresh Start Deck & Siding Primer (094) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Fresh Start High-Hiding All Purpose Primer (046) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Aura Waterborne Exterior Soft Gloss (N632) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Woodluxe Water-Based Semi-Transparent Stain + Sealer (692) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Woodluxe Water-Based Deck + Siding Solid Stain (694) technical data sheet; EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, 40 CFR Part 745 Subpart E. Figures checked October 2026.
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