# Painting rough cedar interior walls



## teri777 (Sep 22, 2011)

I have a bedroom that has walls made of rough cedar boards. Although it is a nice cozy feeling...I am not happy with the having just brown boards and want some color. This room was added as a loft type room in a small house to make more space. I'm wondering what kind of prep work I need to do to prepare the walls for paint..sanding, primer, etc. I would like to mention that the boards have been nailed over some type of insulation foam board. I know this because the boards are not exaclty tight in that there are some spaces that measure about a 1/16 - 1/8" in some places. Because of my HUGE fear of spiders  I have since filled all the cracks with cedar color caulk about a year ago after I moved in. I assume I will need to sand the entire area because of this. The boards themselves are not smooth and I would be fine painting over a rough surface and dealing with a rough texture.. but am wondering about all the spaces between the boards. I did a pretty good job keeping the caulk within the spaces most of the time. Any suggestions on the best plan of action for this job?


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Welcome to the forum Terri. Since cedar is a bleeding type wood, tannin acid, you need an appropriate primer. Tannin acid will bleed through latex topcoats and discolor your finish. Of the primers, I would recommend either Zinsser BIN Shellac based primer (at Home Depot) or Ben Moore Fresh Start Alkyd Primer 024. The 024 would probably be easier to work with. Apply it with a 1/2 inch roller cover. You don't need to do any sanding prior, just be sure to dust the surface well with a stiff bristle broom or brush, as rough surfaces are dust collectors. As to the caulk, you can scrape it, sand it, cut it with a knife, whatever, to get the overage off. If you need to do anymore caulking, do it after the primer. The primer will probably expose some areas needing it. Follow the can instructions closely and then apply two topcoats of your choice. For that surface I would recommend a flat topcoat. Good luck and come back with any more questions.
Joe


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Depending on how textured or rough the cedar I think you may need a thicker nap roller cover than 1/2"---maybe 3/4".


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## chiaradifuro59 (Jun 6, 2013)

*Cedar walls*

My husband says you can not paint rough cedar walls. Is that correct


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

chiaradifuro59 said:


> My husband says you can not paint rough cedar walls. Is that correct


 Paint is not as suited to rough cedar as solid stain perhaps. In most cases you would need to prime to paint it. 
I've found rough cedar to be one of the best surfaces to hold most coatings. It sucks up a lot of material and gives it something to grip to. I've rarely seen 'peeling rough cedar. It will fade maybe crack. 
It can be painted successfully with the right procedures.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

chiaradifuro59 said:


> My husband says you can not paint rough cedar walls. Is that correct


 ]

aaaaaaaahhh no:no:


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## 747 (Feb 11, 2005)

No it can be painted.

It has to be handled just rite. Also usually a tinted stain is the way to go. Good luck. It does look sweet when done correctly. We have a lumber company in my town which specialize in cedar. They will stain or paint it any color a customer wants. It does look nice.


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