i am replacing the cedar siding on my house should i treat it with something before i paint it?

Answer 1

Yes if you want your paint to adhere well, not peel, blister or crack and you don't want to paint again soon.

A primer coat on bare wood will save on future maintenence. It seals the wood, gives a better finish for the paint to adhere to and will save money, time and work.

Unfinished wood will absorb paint, and often many coats still won't cover the wood. Later, after some hot/cold or wet/dry spells suddenly you see paint chips popping off the siding. Then you have to sand and feather the edges where the paint still remains to blend in a replacement coat. It's alot of work!!

Save money-don't skip this step anytime you want to paint a bare surface. Wood, sheetrock-indoors or out.

I painted the outside of a two-story house, previously painted that had blistered and peeled. It took 15 gals. of paint and I had to do it again 2 years later. After all the sanding and filling, I used primer first, which goes a long way, and only five gals. of paint.
The finish was nicer, the color was better and 11 years later still looks great.

Answer 2

Definitely. If you must paint, use a primer first. Your paint can will tell you what it needs. Also, the place where you bought it; they would love to sell you more. Make sure it dries completely or you could get moisture bubbles under the top coat of paint. A semi-transparent stain has a nice look, comes in a variety of finishes, but it depends on your tastes.

Hint: paint everything before you install it. First off, you can roller it on while it is horizontal. Soooo much easier than painting vertical surfaces. Once installed, siding shrinks and swells with the temperature and moisture of the different seasons. You can end up with small stripes at the top of each board when they expand and show a bit more surface.

Answer 3

Why bother with the extra expense of cedar if you are going to paint it? Making primer or paint adhere to Cedar or Redwood is difficult because they are both oily. Your local building supply or paint store can recommend the best primer to use if you are determined to paint.

Answer 4

yes i would use a sealer, maybe a primer,

But why dont you stain it ,it would look much better
then seal it .....