Cedar cladding restoration

ARTICLE Jason Burgess PHOTOGRAPHY Scott Espie

Having recently refurbished the kitchen and living areas of their 1990s Auckland townhouse, Rosie and Jon from Greenlane set their sights on reviving the exterior.

The brick and cedar facade was tidy enough but the faded cedar cladding was gasping for some fresh colour.

Their first call was to Mark Ralph at TimberTECH. Mark is a cedar expert and his team specialises in bringing out the best in tired timber exteriors.

"Cedar is the Rolls Royce of cladding," says Mark, "it is a very stable timber but people often confuse its low maintenance reputation with being no maintenance."

An initial assessment of the property confirmed that while there were obvious signs of weathering like 'lap marks' (uneven stain application), an overall silvering and watermarking on unsealed areas, generally the timber was in sound condition.

It was extremely dry but no remedial work was required.

The house sits in a private enclave of four similar style abodes. A stain finish was chosen so that the home would tie in with the surrounding properties. This is also a good options for homeowners who want a great result without breaking the bank.

"For full restoration work on neglected cedar we use our own NZ made wood-X oil treatment. It costs no more because it is a single coat system. The timber is washed to bring the natural colour back. And," says Mark, "the transformation is dramatic."

In any event good preparation is critical to achieving a perfect finish. TimberTECH cleans all properties from roofline to the ground using a low-pressure water blaster and a soft biodegradable mould and fungicide wash.

Mark cautions gung-ho DIYers: "Cedar is a soft timber. You have to be very careful with it. In the untrained hand a water blaster can cause more harm than good."

The soffits were also scrubbed to remove built-up airborne grime before being repainted. The cedar was then checked further for any previously concealed damage before the first of two coats of a Resene 'Cedar WW600 Waterborne Woodsman' penetrating oil stain was applied.

Having had the Cadillac of maintenance treatments, the home now has a clean fresh look that blends in with the neighbours' houses and the owners can now rest assured that their cedar is set to withstand all weather to come.

For more information on cedar restoration, visit the TimberTECH website.

You might be interested in reading: FAQs when creating an outdoor kitchen.

This advertorial featured on page 38 of Issue 011 of New Zealand Renovate Magazine . New Zealand's first and only magazine solely dedicated to home renovations.
 

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If you would like to discuss options and ideas for your cladding restoration, please use the enquiry form alongside to provide us with your contact details. We will get in touch with you at a time that suits you to discuss your landscaping design and build. If you would like to provide us with more information about your project, we have a more comprehensive enquiry form on our "Get in touch" page too.

*All information is believed to be true at time of publishing and is subject to change.