Hi Guys, I'd recommend Sikkens hands-down! Particularly the newer "Log & Siding" product. If applied on nice, clean, & dry Cedar, it looks gorgeous. * It's a "sheen-building" coating...dries to a Satin finish...and the colors are beautiful. * TWO COATS, 24 hrs. apart required. * A neighbor down the street from us had their painter use the Sikkens Log & Siding, #078 Natural color. It looks stunning in my opinion! Cedar-shake siding...of varying darkness of course. * It's ~ a $400k house on a man-made lake. Rectangular stone on the bottom 1/3, and Cedar shakes on the upper. * They went through 3 5-gal. pails for the home...$360 per 5-gal. Usually ~ $74/gal. * I'm "pretty sure" they backprimed with a sealer, & the 2 coats of L & S on the outer. * We ordered about $3500 worth of various Sikkens products for one home last yr. in MN lakes country....uffda! * IF in full sun on the S & W sides, a light cleaning, possible spot-sanding, & a light "maintenance coat" are needed every 3 or 4 years. N & E sides can usually go 4 to 5 yrs. between maintenance procedures. * The whole point is to STAY AHEAD of harsh sun & weather degradation of a clearer finish. * Check out www.nam.sikkens.com * Bottom line, if prepped/maintained right, you won't go wrong with Sikkens. It's the "C2" of deck & siding treatments! Regards, Faron

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.

I know this is kind of a Philistine thing to say, but the vinyl "cedar" shakes and siding have been getting better and better recently. But it would look somewhat like painted cedar, not stained. Very popular in my climate which is death to most siding except vinyl and true uncoated cedar shake. Here's a house with 6" certainteed "cedar" (vinyl) clapboard just for example. Hardieplank lap siding might be another low maintenance alternative.

I would extend the cedar or maybe bring in a vinyl that is more complementary color-wise to the cedar. If you extend the cedar, maybe vary the look by bringing in a darker wood finish. I would not paint the cedar. If you would like to see how different colors, etc. could look on your house, I recommend this company. https://www.houzz.com/professionals/specialty-contractors/creative-visual-concepts-kevin-strader-pfvwus-pf~1325968788