Hi.

I was just wondering if you've ever heard of anyone using Black asphalt fence paint on cedar shingles for a house. My house originally has shingles which I believe were dipped in creosote. As we all know Creosote is no longer made. I am re-shingling the dormers of my house and It was recommended that I might be able to use Black asphalt fence paint on a forum, but I'd like to get some info. 1st.

I kind of like the black look and if it lasts a long time perhaps it can be a good thing?

http://www.tractorsupply.com/home-impro ... al-3414177


This is a link to a pic of my house after removing aluminum siding which shows the original creosote shingles.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2eZ9LkqlDc8/S ... C_1854.jpg


Thanks for your time,
Jim
http://foursquarerestoration.blogspot.com/

Hi Jim;
I suggest you check out the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for the post paint and take a look at whats all in it - I found it here http://www.gardner-gibson.com/files/upl ... GA_TDS.pdf.
It's some nasty stuff and may not be suitable for areas near open windows. This is why creosote (coal tar based) is not readily available. It is used on Railroad Ties and telephone poles mainly.

Good Luck
Dan

Thanks Dan.

Appreciate your help on this. I had a hard time trying to find any information on this and what you found was very informative. Think I'll forgo the Asphalt based fence paint and go with a Cabot stain that I had used previously. Seems like a pretty good stain and in comparison, far less nasty!

Thanks again,
Jim

Jim,
The house next door to ours had exactly that same look once the masonite shingle siding was removed, The owner asked me the same question as you. At the time I was working for an architect here in Portland who had been in practice since 1954. He told me that back in the teens that the shingles (and often cedar siding as well) was dipped in troughs containing used motor oil. This information was corraborated by my friend Richard Sundeleaf, a Portland architect with over 65 years experience who graduated from school in 1922. He said the old timers used motor oil, not creosote; at least here in Portland. My neighbor was able to nearly duplicate that beautiful black look experimenting with used motor oil.

You've probably already completed the work but for what it's worth Rhino makes a better and much longer lasting exterior stain than Cabot's. Cabot's aint what it used to be back in the late sixties/early seventies. The federal mandates to move away from oil based stains to water based stains has made the lasting power of the stains much less than they were before. If Cabots is all you can get, okay use that. Sikkens is better and Rhino is tops.