How to Maintain Cedar Siding in
Connecticut.

Cedar shake and cedar shingle is the signature New England siding — and the most expensive to neglect. The right maintenance schedule extends life by 20+ years; the wrong schedule turns a $15,000 restoration into a $60,000 reside. Here's how we approach cedar maintenance on Connecticut homes.

The cedar maintenance pyramid.

Year 1 — annual visual inspection

Walk the perimeter once each spring. Look for: black streaks (algae), green patches (moss/mildew), bottom-edge curl on shakes, and any shake that's split clean through.

Years 2–4 — soft-wash only

If algae or mildew has visibly bloomed, soft-wash the affected elevations with a low-pressure mildicide solution. Never power-wash cedar — high pressure drives water into the substrate, accelerates wood rot, and lifts the cedar grain in ways that won't recover.

Year 4–6 — maintenance recoat (if stained)

Stained cedar is on a 4–6 year recoat cycle in CT. The recoat is easier than the original — no scraping, just a clean and topcoat. Skipping the maintenance recoat is the main reason 8-year-old cedar starts looking gray and weathered when it shouldn't.

Year 6–10 — full restoration

If maintenance recoats have been kept up: cedar is still in good shape. If they were skipped: this is when restoration becomes necessary. Restoration means selective shake replacement (rotted or split shakes pulled and replaced individually), full clean, and a fresh stain or solid-color system.

Year 25–40 — replacement decision

Premium cedar that's been maintained should run 30–40 years before replacement is genuinely necessary. Cedar that's been ignored often hits replacement decisions at 20–25 years.

The four enemies of cedar in Connecticut.

1. UV exposure. Untreated cedar greys to a uniform silver in 18 months. The greying isn't damage by itself, but it indicates the surface fibers are losing structural integrity and need a UV-blocking finish.
2. Moisture cycling. Cedar absorbs moisture, swells, dries, and contracts. Cedar without a moisture-management finish moves more than cedar with one — and that movement opens splits along the grain.
3. Algae and mildew. Especially on north and east elevations under tree cover. Visible as black streaks or green patches.
4. Insect damage. Carpenter ants and bees occasionally tunnel into cedar shake — usually starting at the soft, weathered bottom edges.

Restain vs replace: the decision tree.

The single most common question we get is whether weathered cedar can still be saved. The answer depends on three things:

1. Field shake condition. If 80%+ of the shakes are intact, restoration is the right call. If the field is mostly split, cracked, or rotted, replacement starts to win on cost.
2. Hidden moisture damage. We pull a sample shake on every cedar quote and look at the back. Black mold or visible rot on the back of a shake means moisture has been getting behind the cedar — a more aggressive intervention is needed.
3. Sheathing condition. If the underlying sheathing is sound, restoration is straightforward. If the sheathing is compromised, removing the cedar is the only way to fix the actual problem.

What to specify in a cedar maintenance estimate.

• Soft-wash protocol (not power-wash) explicitly stated.
• Stain product line (Sikkens Cetol SRD Plus is our default; Cabot Australian Timber Oil is acceptable for transparent finishes).
• Shake replacement allowance (linear feet or count) itemized separately.
• Maintenance recoat schedule (year 4 default, year 5 acceptable, never longer than 6).

Frequently Asked Questions.