Cedar Shake Staining and Restoration

Cedar shake work starts with a close inspection before any product touches the wood. The crew looks at each shake for signs of rot, cupping, cracking, or lifted sections. Shakes that are too far gone to hold a stain properly are replaced first. Skipping this step is the most common reason stain jobs fail early, because stain applied over compromised wood peels and traps moisture rather than blocking it.

Cleaning comes next, and the method matters. Cedar is a softwood that splits and raises grain under high pressure, so Mid TN Staining uses a low-pressure wash with a cleaner suited to wood. The goal is to strip away gray oxidation, mildew, and any residue from previous coatings without damaging the fiber. You can usually see the difference before the wash is even dry. The wood shifts from silver-gray back toward its original warm tone as the dead surface cells are lifted away.

Once the wood is fully dry, the stain goes on. Drying time between wash and application is not something to rush. Cedar that holds moisture underneath a fresh coat of stain will push that stain off within a season. The stain Mid TN Staining uses is formulated to penetrate the wood rather than sit on top of it, which means it flexes with the natural expansion and contraction cedar goes through as temperatures change. A surface film coating will crack; a penetrating stain moves with the wood.

After staining, a final walkthrough confirms even coverage across all faces and edges. Edges are where cedar shakes take on water first, so consistent coverage there is a sign of a careful application. The finished surface should look uniform in color with no lap marks or missed sections. Most homeowners find the results significantly extend the time before the next maintenance cycle is needed, which is the whole point of doing the job correctly the first time.