Lumber and Siding - Hand split cedar shakes

My home is 33 years old and has cedar siding. I have cleaned the shakes with a mixture of bleach and TSP. I still have some black discoloration in some portion of the shakes mainly near the roof line.I also have some discoloration near the nail holes.

Could you recommend anything to treat the discoloration and also recommend a restorer/preservative to coat all the shingles with. Thanks.

They're cedar, and they contains tannin acid, just like redwood, oak, and about 1,000 other woods. Getting rid of the black where water has gotten to the wood really isn't going to happen. You can LIGHTEN IT with cleaners and /or wood brighteners, but it's not going to go away.

The only way to totally eliminate it would be to stain the siding with a solid stain. That'spretty much like paint -- pick your color.

Maybe Marksr will chime in here with some other suggestions.

Ya, a semi-transparent stain should hide it. There isn't any way to make it look brand new with a clear or translucent stain. You will find the best coatings at your local paint store [not a big box paint dept] they can also help you choose the best stain for the look you want considering the condition your siding is in.

Thanks for the good advice.