Woods are vulnerable to the natural element, and when it comes to wood siding, then it’s much more permeable. Because wood sidings are basically used to endorse a house’s exterior, it’s entirely exposed to nature.
People have been using wood siding for a greater time now, and having wood siding, you can color it anytime with any shade and enjoy a textured surface.
But people always forget about treating it properly.
Wood siding maintenance has always scratched people’s heads and severe costs. But sealing wood siding can properly shape a longer lifespan.
So, to seal wood siding, either you can take a professional’s help or do it by yourself. As everyone loves to save their wallet, you are no different, I presume.
In that case, let’s know a few ways of sealing wood siding, but at first, a brief intro of wood siding is necessary.
What Is Wood Siding
Wood Siding is one kind of building component that usually surfaces on the outer part of a house to secure the home from natural wear and tear.
Siding comes in various elements, including fiber-cement, vinyl, composites, metal, wood, and masonry. And here we are talking about the one that is made of wood.
Let’s begin sealing.
How To Seal Wood Siding
Exposed wood sidings without any treatment don’t live like as we expect. Soon, the siding starts to fall, compromising its appearance and structure.
So, to prevent that, you can be seal wood siding in three ways – painting, staining, and using sealers.
So much of bla bla, now sit tight and enjoy the journey.
1. Sealers
If you aren’t willing to change your wood siding color, then using a sealer is the right deal for you, and the outdoor wood sealer will be the perfect choice for sealing.
Sealer is basically a transparent material used on the wood siding and helps enhance the wood siding’s natural color. Also, UV integrated sealers can protect the exterior from sunlight.
Now, move to the procedure of how to use the sealer.
• Prepare the yard
Before starting your work on siding, you must prepare your house’s yard so that other furniture doesn’t get harmed from stain splatters, scattered chemicals, or flying offal.
For more safety, it’s better to cover the outdoor furniture, appliances, plants with clothes, or anything you feel safe.
You might want to cut the branches that can be an obstacle in your work or touch your house.
• Prepare the siding
The wood siding should be prepared entirely before using the sealer and removed old paint layers and sealers as well.
Steps to prepare the siding –
Firstly, sweep off the dust and meshwork from the surface.
Look for inspections of any rot or superficial cracks.
Replace the damaged pieces if there are found any.
To remove old paint or stain, you can use a professional grade eliminating product.
When the rest of the works are done, use a pressure washer or hose pipe to clean the wood siding surface finally.
• Apply the sealer
This is the last and final step of this process. When you have finished all the earlier stages, now let it dry for hours. Take the next step slowly to use the sealer and ensure the sealer that lands into every corner of the wood siding.
Note: If the brand you are using requires two coats, you must wait for the first coat to dry fully.
2. Staining
As it doesn’t need any primer, it is a bit easier and simpler. But you have to go through a process of steps. You have to choose a stain among all the capacity levels and also how much wood grain you want to show.
Before deciding, test several types of stains to choose the best for you, especially the exterior stains – because a see-through option will not protect against sunlight, as well as the thicker ones. So, testing is required to decide the optimum level.
Let’s get to the steps.
• Cleaning
Use a pressure washer to clean the surfaces of the siding thoroughly. Now use a bleach coating all over the surface, following the instructions. Let it dry and again use the pressure washer to wash off the bleach mixture. Now prepare the siding for staining.
• Wash the surface
Keep patience. Let the wood dry out completely. To prolong the wood siding’s life, it’s essential to remove all the water from the wood and stop it from causing patches to develop during the application.
• Use Caulk
To make the wood siding thoroughly watertight, fill in the gaps with a good quality exterior caulk. You need to use it on every bit of gap that can possibly let moisture in behind the material.
• Apply the stain
Now pick an oil-based exterior stain that matches your desired colors’ pigment. Don’t forget to spot-test it first before using it.
Now use a very wet brush to apply the stain. This will ensure that the stain penetrates the wood siding properly and get a good seal for effective protection.
Do not use the stain over any surface in direct sunlight. This will ruin the sleek finish.
After you have finished the staining, you have a well-colored siding that is also equipped to stand up to the elements.
3. Painting
If you want to cover up any imperfection of your wood siding and want to give your home a colorful look, painting the wood siding lures another successful way. You can enjoy a nice textured surface without all the wood grain variations you will get with staining
• Doing Pressure Wash
Before you think of applying a coat of paint, make sure the surface is adequately cleaned. To serve this purpose, use a pressure washer to all the boards on the house. This will clean up the body and help the paint to stick to the surface.
• Use Caulk
Make sure that you use a professional grade exterior caulk, which is invented from polyurethane or silicone, to prevent all the leaks so that it doesn’t leak water. Fill in all the gaps appropriately so that the paint can also protect this surface and make the application better overall.
• Prime the Wood Siding
Choose a primer that matches the actual paint color and is tinted a few shades lighter also. This will make the paint even and allow the color to stretch further.
To ensure you have the best result, make sure to coat every inch of the sidings properly.
• Use the paint
After you have applied the primer properly, it’s time to apply the paint now. Try using a sprayer, as it is faster and more likely to achieve an even coating.
But if you are not experienced enough, you can go with a brush or a roller. If you are going with the sprayer, cover all the neighboring objects and your backyards also.
Apply the first coating and let it dry. After the first coating dries appropriately, apply a second coating to make it long-lasting.
There you go, three steps to deal with sealing wood siding.
Whether you choose painting, staining, or sealing for your home’s wood siding, it’s essential to apply an adequate finish in every seep of the surface. It will enhance the wood siding’s lifespan and bring out a new shiny texture on the exterior of your house.
Happy sealing!