Great information silversilverado, thank you so much! Did you have mold all over or just in particularly damp spots? My red cedar is only on the second floor and is almost completely protected by a big roof overhang (only the north side ever really gets wet with rain), but we are in a region of the Alps that is a bit damp and chilly... I'm wondering if I will have much moisture problem (the 60 year old pine siding we took down was in really great shape). Your advice sounds very reasonable. I just wish I knew if these oil saturators were the same product as an the oil based stain we used in the US, but I don't think so because they are really new and you can only get them clear (they're mixtures of natural oils, like linseed) and since the product itself is the oil, there is no water based equivalent. It's supposed to be the most ecological treatment for wood. I love the idea of trying the product on a sample first. Quite wise. Thanks again!!

I have a cedar sided house that I'm staining myself. I'm in the middle of a kitchen remodel too, and the "budget" (a term we now use only accompanied by bitter laughter and/or tears) wouldn't permit me to hire someone when I am capable of doing that particular job myself. At any rate, I've tried a couple different products and done a fair amount of checking around, and I've settled on Sikkens. We get it at a Benjamin Moore store very near the house. Ours is a solid, instead of a semi-transparent, but I'm still comfortable recommending this particular brand. I'm getting one-coat coverage over a dark brown, and I really expected to have to go with 2 coats. (When you're the painter, that makes a huge difference!) It's clear to me from how it goes on and the richness of the color that it's the best thing we tried. I've seen lots of good reviews by homeowners as well. So, one vote for Sikkens.

You would only need to remove the stain if you are using a semi-transparent stain. I'm sure that is what the paint store was talking about. You should never paint cedar siding. If you are going for the solid color look, then you want to use a solid color acrylic stain. It will appear like a paint when you are done but will be less likely to peel like a paint does. If your current siding is stained with a semi transparent, you will probably need to use an oil based primer though.

Friends have the Charcoal Gray on a West facing wall. They have had to have it replaced as it faded within the first year. Has done so again, so they are painting that wall. I'd be tempted to with light on the color.