Sometimes its as early as 2 months, and other times it takes a year for the grey to set in. This is why stain is so necessary for your cedar wood. It keeps out the water, so those cells can keep doing their thing. But remember: Once your fence is installed, it can't be treated right away.
However, cedar that is destined to live outdoors needs some special care and attention. Specifically, it needs to be treated with a good wood stain. Otherwise, your nice cedar color will fade to a dull, nasty grey.
The sealer will protect your cedar for several years. The exact amount will depend on the brand you use. But, you still want to sweep and wash your cedar area at least once a year to keep it from graying. Cedar is a beautiful red wood, but can turn gray if not properly cared for.
You'll get a very subtle gray after 30 minutes to an hour of wait time; for even grayer shades, wait two or three hours. Silvery gray comes after two days of soaking.
How long does the Cedar cladding take to weather? The natural reddish brown colour of Western Red Cedar won't stay that way for long if left untreated and can weather to a silver-grey colour within 6-12 months depending on the conditions.
Cedar is known to age gracefully to a soft, silver-grey patina, but it's wise to keep the rich tones of your cedar siding lasting longer. Transparent stains contain no pigment but have water-repellent features that will help to retain natural tones and slow down the natural colour change process.
Radiation from the sun's ultraviolet rays breaks down the lignin in the cellulose causing photo chemical degradation, and it occurs in any wood exposed to sunlight. The result is a change in the wood's appearance from it's original color to a gradual silvery gray sheen.
When you have pressure treated wood the wood will stay intact longer and hold up to more decay-causing variables. Graying is a natural process of wood that occurs with age, but it's possible to hurry up the graying process with pressure treated wood. Grayed wood looks more worn due to lack of color.
Sometimes its as early as 2 months, and other times it takes a year for the grey to set in. This is why stain is so necessary for your cedar wood. It keeps out the water, so those cells can keep doing their thing. But remember: Once your fence is installed, it can't be treated right away.
However, even with the proper maintenance, cedar will eventually succumb to fading—usually after about 10 years—and lose its natural tone for good.
If left in its natural state, some darkening of the wood can be expected as it ages and the color variation will become less pronounced. Application of transparent finishes will also darken western red cedar to some degree but they form a protective surface that is easier to maintain.
The best way to restore your cedar siding or cedar fence to its original glory is with soft washing. Instead of the robust streams of high-pressure water used in pressure washing, soft washing uses a low-pressure technique with a special mixture of highly effective and biodegradable cleaning solutions.
Cedar should be stained as soon as it will accept the stain. This is easy to determine with penetrating semi-transparent stains. Apply the stain, if it soaks in its ready. If it pools on the surface, do it later.
Don't put cedar where it's in direct contact with the ground or set it in concrete. It may last for a while, but eventually it will rot and deteriorate.
To prevent cedar from fading to gray, you need to seal cedar fence with a stain that blocks ultraviolet light and contains a mildewcide, according to Family Handyman.
Let the New Deck Dry and Weather for 3-12 Months:
The wood will dry and turn gray from the exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. After 3-12 months you would need to apply a wood deck cleaner to remove the gray wood cells. This can be done with scrubbing and or light pressure washing.
It will take about six to 12 months to reach that rich dark hue that so many people have come to expect with cherry, depending on light exposure, and this reddish tone will only continue to deepen as time goes on.
The treatment process is why freshly installed Pressure Treated Wood tends to have a greenish or dark brown tinge to it when first installed, depending on the variety used. Even in the first few weeks of sun exposure, the colour will transform to a more natural colour.
Once cedar has turned gray, there is no natural way of going back. The only alternative at this point is to tone the wood with a stain or other coloring agent. Maintaining your cedar's color is about choices, timing, and above all, the right type of treatment.
Wood rot occurs when water once again hits these dead cells. The combination of water and UV exposure causes the cedar to lose it's scent and colour, turning it into a dull grey. The wood rot on the cedar creates an ideal breeding ground for mold and mildew, which is both unattractive and detrimental.
Sand small areas of wood with sandpaper and a sanding block or large sections of wood with an electric sander. Use coarse sandpaper and continue to sand until all the grey is buffed from the surface of the wood.
Short answer----Cedar is going to turn gray unless you want to spend the rest of your life refinishing it every year or two. I have used the Penofin brand of penetrating sealer for years on our dock and while the color has faded, it has not greyed in the least. Interesting.
Aromatic red cedar has a Janka rating (used to test the relative hardness of wood) of 900, while southern yellow pine is behind by a bit with a Janka rating of 690. So cedar is a little harder.
What Color is Cedar Wood? Most types of cedar wood are a pinkish-red color, though it can have some purple tones as well. As it ages it loses its reddish hues and becomes a silver or gray color.