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Should I replace cedar siding boards that are split horizontally? I need to repair before staining.?
I need to stain my house. It has cedar sidiing stained with a semi-transparent stain. There are some boards that are split horizontally. Should I replace them so water does not get through? How can I help ensure a uniform look with the stain, across the old and new boards?
Answer: Yes, the reason they are splitting is because the nails for the row of siding above are going through the row that is split. Cedar siding should only be fastened with a single row of nails and the nails in the next course should not pass through the course below. This causes the plank to be trapped and can not expand or contract like it needs to naturally. I would replace split planks before I wasted time staining leaking planks.
