Many of cedar shake homeowners have chosen cedar shake siding because of the natural artistic beauty of the wood. In these cases, the wood is untreated, or treated with linseed oil to allow the siding to age naturally. Over time the cedar shakes blacken or grey. Some owners prefer that the natural wood color be restored to the original beauty of when they were first put on. This can be done with a careful wood cleaning and brightening that we preform for untreated cedar shake, clapboard or other types of untreated wood. This can bring back that natural beauty in the wood. It's important to note that when this process is complete, we do apply a clear mildew and mold surface sealant that will help protect from the "black" reappearing for a time. This allows the wood to go back to aging naturally and will eventually repeat the process of nature. Weathering can take it's toll on wood and not all the shakes may return to original color if water has penetrated the wood shake too deep. Problem areas can include areas where snow piles up near the shakes or where rain repeatedly backsplashes. Cleaning is also a good time to replace damaged shakes with new, or consider putting on a more solid protection like linseed oil, stain or paint.