I’m getting ready to make exterior shutters (pegged mortise & tennon) and have the choice of using western cedar (which is rough) or heart redwood which is 50% more, but is already planed. I have access to a thickness planer, but more importantly, I’m wondering which is a better material for this.
Are there any painting/staining issues w/ redwood that makes it problematic? I primarily see cedar being used for shutters, but I would guess either will provide good longevity if painted.
thanks, Jake
Replies
either one's fine.
I've not used redwood, but my 80 year old house is painted cedar clapboards- and underneath they look as if they just came from the mill.
If you do chose cedar, I think you might want to use an oil based primer. When I had to repaint a portion of the house, it was because the latex primer used on the last repainting had failed to adhere well. A good friend who is a professional painter (>30 yrs) told me he has seen this with latex primers on resinous woods like cedar anf recommended the oil primer. I followed his advice and used the oil based primer followed by a latex topcoat, and I've not had any trouble in the three years since.
Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
Paint doesn't stick very well to redwood. The wood is soft enough that the coating fails in the wood next to the paint and it peels off. My old house, mostly redwood, is a demonstration of this phenomenon.
Lot's of people leave redwood bare and let it age to gray. Others use water repellant coatings like water seal; they work well if you really like recoating every year. If you paint redwood, dark stains also bleed through the paint unless you use an oil based primer.
I've not used red cedar for exterior work so I can't say much about that.
It is many years since I used redwood for windows as several people in the shop developed allergies to the dust.However we used to use an oil base primer/stainkiller by Zinsser called Cover Stain I believe and had no problem with adhesion.I would talk to several coating manufacturers as coatings have been altered to meet VOC limits.You might like to enquire about heavy bodied oil base stains as an option to paints.They work particularly well on rough sawn ceder and may work on planed surfaces
Yeah, the finish was one reason I inquired. I know that one large custom shutter maker uses western cedar with a primer made by Cabot. I'm leaning in that direction. Since the cedar is rough it will require more work, but it is cheaper, and seems to have better stain/painting properties.
thanks, Jake
Not sure about 'heart' redwood .. I have some really nice redwood benches I made many years ago.. Not sure if 'heart'.. They have been outside for many years and still OK.. Just Olympic transparent stain on them.. Not sure how many coats.. Just re-finished when I thought it needed it..
My house in sided in Cedar... about the same time... same stain.. Both still OK..
Cept for a few place where water has always run onto the wood from the roof over the years..... I think about 35 now....
Not the woods fault!
Jake,
Ceader and Red wood are good for exterior unfinished or stained projucts. However both fair poorly when painted. I would recomend Cyprus or Ash. Cyprus is known around here (Texas) as the preffered option because it paints well and is very weather resistant. Ash is a stronger wood making it the choice for painted doors and windows but is a little less rot resistant.
Mike
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