New Rough Sawn Wood Siding or Shingles

Note: Below is a quick synopsis, for detailed product information and application guides go to our product pages and application guides on our website.

Step 1 – Make sure the wood is clean before staining

Siding must be clean and free of all dirt and contaminants, especially mildew spores. Exposure to the elements in cool, damp climates even for a few days can risk spore contamination.  If the siding has been up for awhile, its likely to be a little dirty and may have spores on it. It is risky to apply stain over spore contaminated wood, no matter what brand stain you use.  Spray it with our Clean & Brite formula, let it activate for 30 minutes or more and pressure wash it off with 1500 PSI, using proper technique so as not to mar the wood.  Let the siding dry to 22% moisture or less before staining. If you are not in a mildew prone climate, pressure washing alone should be sufficient.

Step 2- Apply Log & Formula stain/sealer

If the siding has not yet been installed, lay it out on sawhorses and apply one coat of stain to the back side of the board using our classic Log & Siding Formula. You may apply clear or the color of your choice to the backside. This helps to stabilize the wood and reduce cupping and warping.

On the front, weather facing side, apply two liberal coats of stain in the color of your choice.  If you choose a Transparent or Micro-Tint color, then we recommend a final third coat of Clear Log & Siding Smooth Formula. This is not required if you use a semi-trans or semi-solid color, but on the transparent colors this light third coat of clear will add to the longevity of the transparent color coats.

Alternative Option: Waterproof it with IWS and leave it natural (likely to turn gray)

If your goal is for the siding to achieve the natural grayed out “beachy driftwood color” then consider treating your siding with Internal Wood Stabilizer (IWS) instead of staining it.  This IWS is a clear, non-toxic liquid that will soak in and permanently densify the wood so much that water cannot absorb.

This a one-time, two-coat application and after soaking the wood with IWS the wood will appear to be bare. Glass crystals will form and deeply imbed within the internal structural pores of the wood. This permanently prevents water absorption. The wood will most likely turn gray over time but only if exposed to sunlight. Siding up under the eaves or on less sunny sides will take longer to gray out so the color could look patchy for several years, there is no definite determining factor of what color the siding will turn , it is natures prerogative.  

Penetrating stains and sealers cannot be applied over the top of IWS because they will not absorb. The wood could eventually be painted however, should you desire.