Cedar shake washing, brightening and sealing in High Bar Harbor

What gets rung about

• A finish applied a few seasons ago that is now flaking and holding dirt
• One elevation weathered years ahead of the other three
• Green growth in the shadow line under each course on the bay-facing wall

Why this comes up in High Bar Harbor

This is bay water, not ocean, and it behaves differently. Salt load on the siding is lower than the ocean blocks but the humidity is far higher, the lots are sheltered from wind, and the growth that results is green and living rather than white and crusted. Marsh silt arrives with every high-water event and settles on everything low.

High Bar Harbor is a lagoon enclave at the north-western tip of Long Beach Township, tucked behind Barnegat Light on the bay, and that shapes what turns up on these walls.

Getting the work done in High Bar Harbor

One road in and out, narrow lagoon streets, and a bulkhead line at the back of most lots. Anything on the water side is reached from the dock or through the house, and the tide decides when the low work can be done at all.

Any permit for this runs through Long Beach Township. State registration has to be current before one is issued.

What the work involves

Cedar is the island's signature and it is also the least forgiving material out here. The wash has to be gentle enough not to raise the grain and thorough enough to take out the growth living inside it, usually followed by a brightener that resets the colour after cleaning. Whether it then gets sealed is a real decision, not a default: a bare shake wall silvers evenly and asks nothing of you, and a sealed one looks better for three to five years and then has to be done again. A crew that will not talk you through both is selling you the second one.