Western Red Cedar Cladding Maintenance

[eXc]

Hi Everyone.

A house I am looking at is Western Red Cedar cladded. I like everything about WRC except what I have read about needing to oil it yearly.

It is for a PPOR.

I have searched on here and found almost nothing on WRC (except windows). Can anyone help me out with what it would cost me to maintain it? What are my options?

I have heard 3 options
1) Leave it alone (which is what this one has now...how long does it last?)
2) Oil it (Looks great, but I am told you have to do it every year... $$$)
3) Water seal it, again, needs to be done regular -2 yearly I think...not sure on cost.

Can anyone help me out or point me in the right direction?

Cheers
Chris

 

[Propertunity]

Can't oil it.....see here:
http://www.timber.org.au/resources/Revised Datafile FP1 72dpi_0.pdf

look under the maintenance section towards the end.

 

[eXc]

Ok thanks... So I guess my only option is leave it alone or water seal it. Anyone have a WRC house and can tell me what you do, how often and how much it costs?

 

[Propertunity]

Ok thanks... So I guess my only option is leave it alone or water seal it. Anyone have a WRC house and can tell me what you do, how often and how much it costs?

I don't have a WRC clad house - but I get to see a few in my line of work

If you leave it alone it will go grey - in parts......and the more protected parts stay OK - so it just looks patchy - not an option in my books.

If you treat it - i.e. waterproof it - I'm guessing your up for much the same cost as painting a house externally. Same amount of materials and labour. So depending on the house - $2 - 5K perhaps? Not sure if you'd need to do it as often as every 2 years tho.

Perhaps some painters could give you an idea?

 

[eXc]

Based on paint places, I need to protect it every 2 years at the least, western wall will need it every year, looking at around $500 to do the whole lot, so around $250 a year + time. but I thought I'd ask people with real experience as to how long it lasts.

I have also read 40-60 years unprotected it should last. it is around 25 years old now