Finish for Cedar?

[Graybeard]

Bought some cedar to make deck furniture and would like to keep it looking original instead of weathering to gray. Deck is covered so it won't get a lot of sun or rain. I understand that cedar does not take well to some finishes, any suggestions?

[MichaelMouse]

Cedar oil.  What kind of "cedar" may make conventional oil/latex house stains possible.  Aromatic cedar is oily, wants its own.

[Graybeard]

Thanks I'll try it.

[Howard Pollack]

I read, on some forum, of someone using Sherwin-Williams A100 ultra deep paint base, without any tint at all, for an outdoor finish and that it worked very well.  Supposedly paint without any color, but including UV protection.  I can't vouch for it myself...
              -Howard

[Maxwell]

This cedar planter, is finished with Minwax Tung and teak oil.
Surface prep, was just off the thickness planer.
The oil needs to be reapplied every year to keep it looking fresh, and cedar like.

" 

This deck side table, was sanded to 180 grit, and then 320 in-between coats of tung & teak oil.



Have a good week.

[Steve N]

Never ending job keeping it red. It can be done with 2 to 3 x year applications, but it really goes to grey fast. Plenty on the web about how to do it, many are also trying to sell you their concoction. If you grow tired of trying to keep it Natural, Behr solid color stain will give you an easy 10 years of whatever color you decide on. We used it on our last homes exterior, WRC siding. We were there 22 years, and had put the 2nd application on 5 years before selling it, same coat is still going strong on it 8 years later. Guy across the street had used that Olympic stain, he had to re-coat every 3 years or it looked like a buffalo chip

[fishhh4]

CWF ..garden sprayer .. coat every year . Will turn darker. When it goes bad ...TSP and bleach will bring it right back with a pressure washer. Let dry apply CWF... repeat. I saw a deck 17 years old never refinished .. just a coat of CWF every year . It was dark but looked real good.

[Wally A.]

What is CWF ?

[fishhh4]

Flood product ...Clear Wood Finish..
Not for everyone . Easy on , and Easy off .

[Cooler]

I applied three coats of oil based poly to a cedar board as a test.  The board practically glows.  I looks great. 

I would suggest a test using spar varnish.  Indeed a test before any selected finish.

The poly will prevent most splinters in my opinion.