Help With Painting Rough Cedar Beams

jgladdy

Hello all....I've been lurking for some time and have enjoyed and learned from you all!

I have a job in which the ceiling has recently been skim coated between rough cedar beams (they are stained dark). Each beam has been trimmed with a 1.5" wood trim on all sides (between beams and sheetrock...and between beams and 1/2" tongue and groove paneling on walls).

I plan to caulk the mouldings which surround the beams. How do I prep these beams? Oil or latex primer? Small roller or brush? Do most people enamel these types of beams or will latex suffice?

Any and all help with this problem would be GREATLY appreciated as I must start this ceiling area when I am done with the adjacent stairwell and ceilings.

Jason
Kansas City

Woz the Painter

Is this your house, or is it being done for a customer? If for a customer, what finish do they want? More info would be helpful!

johnjamesalaska

Your primer/sealer should be oil based. Ceder can bleed through waterbased primers. As far as a top coat latex is fine. Depends on what finished look your customer wants. Flat, satin, semi gloss , high gloss. The more shine you have the more the roughness or imperfections are seen. Something to consider.

slickshift

Yah at least oil-based primer
Latex will not cut it
Myself, if I don't want it to bleed through for sure, I'd shellac 'em
Dark cedar, I probably would whip out the BIN

Latex over that would be fine, but really depends on what the customer is looking for

How to apply? Depends on how rough rough is
Splintery rough I'd get the rattle can BIN and brush the color
Lumpy rough I'd probably try and roller it
You may have to try it and if it doesn't work well, try the other

AAPaint

I'd recommend giving the whole thing a light sanding as well before applying your primer to break up the surface a little and give your primer some tooth over the old stain. For me, it would be BIN primer on something like cedar. I wouldn't want to see tannin stains coming through in the future.

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-AAPaint

AA Quality Painting & Pressure Washing LLC
Jacksonville Painters
Jacksonville, FL.

Teetorbilt

Cedar is so soft that just a little time sanding will make it smooth, if that's what the client wants. B-I-N is definitely the way to go. Apply 2 coats just to make sure that you don't miss any spots and then paint with whatever you want.

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AAPaint

You're absolutely right Teetor. That's why I only recommend a light sanding. Knock a little of the high stuff off, no digging in. Just a couple light passes is all something like that needs because I'm willing to bet it's grip on that stain isn't what it used to be.

__________________
-AAPaint

AA Quality Painting & Pressure Washing LLC
Jacksonville Painters
Jacksonville, FL.

jeffkaprelian

ditto with the BIN. you need something shellac based for any kind of wood with knots. i'd finish it off with an oil based paint too.

Grumpy

I'm not a painter but I do a fair ammount of cedar work and have been told cedar requires special primers due to the tannins (natural resins) in the cedar. I have also been told that paint should not be used but instead solid color stains should be used. Cedar has so much natural tannins that it is likley the paint will peel as these natural resins and oils escape the wood.

Like I said I am no painter.

Woz the Painter

Grumpy is right, original poster was not very specific on what kind of finish they were looking for, IMO solid body stain would be the best choice. Painting it with a semi-gloss enamel, like it was a piece of cheap popplar or pine, ruins the rustic appearance of the cedar.