Cedar Siding in Missouri: Lap, Clapboard, Shingles, and How to Finish Each
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Cedar siding comes in four main styles: lap (bevel), clapboard, shingles and board-and-batten. Any of them can be stained, painted or coated. Penetrating stain shows the grain but needs frequent re-coats, while paint and coatings last longer and need a stain-blocking primer to stop tannin bleed. On homes in Kirkwood or Chesterfield, the wood's condition matters more than its style.
Cedar's a great siding wood. It's light, stable and resists rot better than most softwoods. Missouri summers still put it through the wringer, with heat, humidity, hard afternoon sun on the west wall, and storms that soak it and dry it out again in the same day. Here's how each style behaves and what we'd put on it.
What are the main types of cedar siding?
Most cedar on area homes falls into four groups. How the boards are cut and hung changes the way water runs off them, and that decides where a finish fails first.
| Style | How it's installed | Where finishes fail first | Usual finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lap or bevel | Horizontal boards, thicker at the bottom edge, each overlapping the one below | Bottom drip edges and butt joints | Stain, paint or coating |
| Clapboard | Narrower horizontal bevel boards, common on older and traditional homes | Laps, end joints, window trim | Paint or solid stain |
| Shingles | Individual sawn pieces overlapping in courses | Lower courses and sun-facing walls | Stain, or left to weather |
| Board-and-batten | Wide vertical boards with narrow battens over the seams | Bottom end grain and batten edges | Solid stain, paint or coating |
Is cedar lap siding the same as clapboard?
Close enough that most people use the words interchangeably. Clapboard usually means the narrower, thinner bevel boards you see on older homes, while "cedar lap siding" covers the wider bevel and tongue-and-groove profiles sold today.
The bigger practical difference is the face. A lot of cedar comes with one smooth face and one rough-sawn face. Rough-sawn holds stain better, since there's more texture for the finish to grab onto. Smooth faces suit paint and give that crisp, traditional shadow line. If a previous owner painted rough-sawn cedar, it can still be repainted or coated. It just takes more material to fill the texture.
Should you stain, paint or coat cedar siding?
Stain it if you want to see the wood and don't mind regular upkeep. Paint it if you want solid color. Coat it if you want solid color that lasts far longer between jobs. Each choice locks you into a maintenance pattern, and switching later isn't always easy.
- Penetrating stain (transparent or semi-transparent): soaks in, shows the grain and won't peel. It weathers away, though, and needs re-coating more often, especially on south and west walls.
- Solid stain: opaque color with some wood texture still showing. It lasts longer than semi-transparent and tends to wear down rather than flake.
- Paint: acrylic latex over a stain-blocking primer. Good color range and a typical repaint cycle of 5 to 7 years. It peels if moisture gets behind it.
- Ceramic elastomeric coating: a multi-step system built to 8 to 10 mils, compared with 1 to 2 mils for traditional paint, and designed to stop the repaint cycle.
One caution. Once cedar's been painted or coated, getting back to a natural stained look means stripping, which is slow and expensive. Make that call deliberately.
What is tannin bleed, and how do you stop it?
Tannin bleed is reddish-brown staining that shows through light paint on cedar. The wood's natural extractives dissolve in water, so moisture carries them to the surface, and latex paint on its own won't hold them back.
You'll see tea-colored streaks or blotches, often around knots and nail heads, sometimes weeks after a white or cream paint job looked perfect. Rain, dew and even the water in latex paint can pull tannins outward. The fix is a stain-blocking primer formulated for cedar and redwood, applied before any light topcoat. If bleed appears after painting, spot-prime those areas with a blocking primer and recoat. Scrubbing it just draws more up.
Why does back-priming cedar siding matter?
Back-priming means sealing the back face and cut ends of each board before it's installed. It slows how fast the board takes on moisture from behind, which cuts down on cupping, splitting and paint failure on the front.
A board finished only on its face absorbs and releases moisture unevenly. The dry front and damp back move at different rates, the board cups, and the paint cracks along that stress. Back-priming evens it out. Since it happens at installation, on an existing house it really only applies to replacement boards, and any new cedar going up during repairs should have its back and every cut end sealed first. Fine Homebuilding has covered siding installation and back-priming in depth if you're planning new work or an addition.
How should you finish board-and-batten and cedar shingles?
Board-and-batten needs its bottom edges protected. Shingles need room to dry. Both styles have far more exposed edges than lap siding, and edges are where water gets in.
On vertical board-and-batten, water runs down the length of the board and collects at the bottom end grain, right where it meets the trim or flashing. Seal those ends and keep them off horizontal surfaces where water sits. Battens are nailed over seams, so they move as the wide boards swell and shrink, and the caulk or paint along their edges takes a beating. A solid stain or a flexible coating handles that movement better than a brittle film.
Cedar shingles have overlaps everywhere. Traditionally they're stained or left to weather to silver, and there's a reason. A thick paint film can trap moisture where courses overlap. If you want painted shingles, prep and primer have to be right, and the bottom courses near grade need the most attention.
Where does a ceramic coating fit on cedar?
It fits on cedar a homeowner wants in solid color for the long haul. Rhino Shield of Missouri coats cedar and other wood siding with a ceramic elastomeric system: cleaning, repairs, caulking and sealing, primer, then multiple topcoats. Our page on coating cedar and wood exteriors shows what that looks like, and our guide to cedar and wood paint coatings goes deeper on the product side.
We won't pretend it's cheap. Rhino Shield runs about 2 to 2.5 times the cost of a traditional exterior paint job up front. One customer put it plainly:
"More expensive than I expected, but you do get what you pay for — beautiful and brilliant results."
— Karen P.
That's the trade. You write a bigger check once, instead of repainting every 5 to 7 years, and the coating carries a 25-year transferable warranty. As St. Louis exterior painters who install a coating system, we'll also tell you when a cedar house is better off with a good stain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best finish for cedar siding?
It depends on the look you want and how much upkeep you'll do. Semi-transparent stain is best for showing the grain, with more frequent re-coats. For solid color, use a quality acrylic paint over a stain-blocking primer, or a thicker coating system for longer service. Clear sealer alone in full sun offers little UV protection.
Can you paint over stained cedar siding?
Usually, once it's clean, dry and the old stain is weathered or sound. Penetrating stains leave little film, so primer can bond to the wood. A stain-blocking primer is still needed to keep tannins from bleeding through.
How long does cedar siding last?
Well-maintained cedar can last for decades. What shortens its life is moisture: failed caulk, missing flashing, splashback near grade, and finishes left to wear through. Keeping a sound finish on it is the cheapest way to protect the wood.
Does cedar siding need to be sealed?
Yes, in most cases. Unfinished cedar weathers to gray and, over time, checks and cups as it absorbs and loses moisture. Some homeowners like weathered shingles, but lap and board siding last longer with stain, paint or a coating.
Have cedar that needs attention?
We'll look at your siding style and condition and give you an honest recommendation, stain, paint or coating. Request an estimate or call 314-239-7947, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
