Repaint peeling 100 year old cedar shake siding OR cedar look vinyl?

3 years ago

Hi! I have a 100 year old house with cedar shake siding. At some point, it was painted and the paint is now peeling off. I don't know how long this paint lasted before beginning to crack and peel.

I am concerned with preserving the look of the house, but I also like the idea of maintenance free vinyl with added insulation.

Here are the pros of repainting the cedar:

-It will cost far less, even if we have to paint it again in 5 years.

-We could potentially have the old cedar replaced some day. the back of the house has an addition with newer cedar siding that is opaque stained and in perfect condition.

-There are some details above the front door that will be hard to replicate in vinyl. I do not want to lose the arch above the door and window.

-Vinyl is vinyl and it looks like vinyl from far away. I feel like it cheapens the house.

-We can repaint the house any color.

Pros of going with cedar looking vinyl:

-We will be adding insulation, as they want to leave the existing siding and go over it with a one inch sheet of foam. (Unless someone knows this is a horrible idea?) With the house being this old, it is likely that the blown in insulation has compacted, though our gas bill is not higher than one would expect for the size of the house, so I don't think we are losing much heat.

-The cost up front is higher, but there is virtually no maintenance and it should last for 30 years, so they say.

-There is the potential that the cedar will not take the primer, even after being power washed and allowed to dry. The paint could start cracking, bubbling and peeling in as soon as one year. There is really no way to know what will happen and there is no warranty.

Has anyone tried to paint old cedar? What were the results? Which route would you pick and why?

Thank you!

Featured Answer

ptreckel

3 years ago

You will need to do prep work and repairs to your home’s trim, etc. regardless of what you choose to do. You understand that the rotting boards, etc. will have to be replaced even if you side with vinyl. I have a century home that is sided in cedar. We have owned it for 30 years. We have had it painted four times, and each time we have had wood repaired or replaced. With wood. It is inevitable. With each repainting, we have noted, the paint seems to last longer. Better paint formulations have helped. And quality workmanship by out painter. (The same man has painted the house the last three times!). I suggest that you repaint your home, keeping the cedar and replacing the rotted, damaged wood. Don’t skimp on the paint OR the labor.

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Comments (8)

houssaon
3 years ago
Repair, replace and repaint.
sloyder
3 years ago
Keep the cedar, no vinyl!
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If you go for good quality, the new vinyl shingles look amazing. I’m all for low maintenance. Not interested in painting, even if it’s 5 year intervals.

Life happens, your place looks shabby and it isn’t a priority at the moment to get it painted.

If money is a concern, then your choice is made for you. Paint.
lorikristin77
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you all for your comments. I am still so torn because the trim on the siding is rotting away, especially on the back of the house that faces north. Granted, this wood is probably 25-30 years old... I am concerned that it will begin to rot again, when new wood is replaced. Our window sills are rotted and even windows are rotted. I assume this is from rain and maybe it can't dry out enough on the sides because the houses are close together? I just hate to waste a huge chunk of money on painting/staining the existing siding and have it all go to waste. It is going to be $18k to do the hazmat removal of the lead peeling paint, replace rotted wood and then put new wood siding on the addition. It's not like this is a $5000 job...

Another concern is that I just found out a lot of moisture gets into the walls and seeps out of the house? Is this true? From cooking and showering? So this can cause the paint to fail prematurely if there is no vapor barrier, which there wouldn't be, since the cedar is original to the house in 1918. I also have concerns about going over cedar with vinyl for the same reason. I am concerned that mold could build up under the new vapor barrier that they would put up... I remember one siding company said it is a bad idea to not remove the old siding and this may have been why. We have had issues with mold in various places like under the front porch, but once proper ventilation was installed, it went away. I just don't want to have everything sealed up to the point that no water vapor can escape and is encapsulated in between the layers of siding, causing mold growth.

I'm probably over thinking it, but we are stuck in which ever direction we choose, and neither is "cheap".
julieste
3 years ago
"-Vinyl is vinyl and it looks like vinyl from far away. I feel like it cheapens the house."

Agree!

However, I think another thing that has to be factored in this equation is your neighborhood and the value of your house. In certain older neighborhoods vinyl is accepted. In others, especially if it is a neighborhood with more of a true historic feel and with neighbors who are trying to maintain the character of their houses, then vinyl is a no-go.
lorikristin77 thanked julieste
lorikristin77
Original Author
3 years ago
Just wanted to respond to Julieste that my neighborhood sadly is mostly vinyl... But there are a few historic gems on my street. I think that cost and look are both factors. I feel like while vinyl is low maintenance, it is more expensive and is a downgrade. I just like wood. We have a resin shed that we will eventually replace. Too much plastic.

Another concern, as I did more research, is that putting vinyl over cedar may potentially trap moisture in my walls and cause condensation and mold. If anyone knows more about this, please comment. This is something that most people don't think about... The cost to remove the siding is another $10k at least, btw.

For these reasons, I am just going to go with restoration and painting. Thank you all for your answers!
The Whitakers
10 months ago
Hi there! How did it all work out? I am in the same situation and I would love to see your results if you're willing to share!

Repaint peeling 100 year old cedar shake siding OR cedar look vinyl?

ptreckel

Comments (8)

houssaon

sloyder

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eld6161

lorikristin77
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Repaint peeling 100 year old cedar shake siding OR cedar look vinyl?

ptreckel

Comments (8)

houssaon

sloyder

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eld6161

lorikristin77Original Author

julieste

lorikristin77Original Author

The Whitakers

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lorikristin77
Original Author

lorikristin77
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