Wood siding or cladding is a simple, attractive, and natural way of protecting the exterior of any house. The sidings are designed in various patterns for vertical, horizontal, and board & batten style installation.
Although there are many forms of wood used for siding, Cedar and Redwood are the most opted wood materials for the siding of exteriors.
Why Wood for Siding?
The main reason to use wood for siding because it is natural material available. The natural stuff is beautiful and durable compared to other materials. Wood is used in traditional architectural houses like bungalows, cottages and Cape cod interiors.
Best Wood Siding for House
There are mostly 6 types of natural wood materials used for siding, and one man made alternative wood is commonly used for the siding of exteriors.
1. Cypress
Cypress is a hardwood and highly desired material for siding application. It is incredibly durable, often being salvaged from demolished centuries-old homes for reuse. This wood is rot and insect resistant. It is hard to mill and also it is costly to buy. So this wood is not recommended for modern houses.
2. Redwood
Redwood is one of the most durable and preferred woods used in the siding. The wood accepts stain or other finishes readily due to its very little resin nature. Redwood does not shrink as much as other types of wood, so it doesn’t change shape as much. This reduces cupping and warping. For these reasons, redwood siding requires less maintenance than other types. Merely power washes it once a year and seals it every three years or as needed.
3. Cedar
The wood is very easy to work with and so is the most used type of siding. The straight grain makes cedar very stable when turned into the siding, and provides a beautiful finish when stained, making this the preferred wood when a stained finish is required. Maintenance of cedar is relatively less when compared to the other wood.
4. Fir
The most popular option for sidings. This wood is available on longer boards, and due to its soft nature, it is very easy to cut into the desired shape. The smooth grain on the fir wood accepts nice finishing, and most of the fir blocks are painted. The only problem is that fir is not natural rot and insect resistant. So maintenance is required to keep the integrity of the fir wooden blocks.
5. Spruce
This wood is the family of Pine trees and makes proper sidings for the exteriors. The wood is soft and is easy to cut in any desired shape and mostly available in longer lengths. Like fir, spruce is not rotted and insect resistant. Proper care has to be taken to protect the sidings.
6. Pine
White pine is the most common wood used for siding. Yellow pine is used for preparing frames for windows. Pine does not have any grain, so it is very easy to paint or stain the wooden pine blocks. Pine is not rot resistant and does not repel insects. To retain the integrity of the wood we have to paint or stain it. However, the softness of the wood makes it easier to mill to produce different styles of siding.
7. Engineered Wood Siding
This type of wood is human-made and extremely durable and lasts up to 30 years after installation. The wood is manufactured from wood chips and sawdust combined with various bonding agents. The result is engineered wood siding that is strong and lightweight. Available in different lengths and also easy to mill into desired lengths. For maintenance, the wood is to be painted.
Types or Styles of Wood Sidings
1. Wood Clapboard Siding
Popularly known as Lap siding, is the traditional type of siding used in the olden days. Long wood boards are sawed in a slight pie shape. After the milling, the boards are placed one over the other, starting with the first board set on the bottom of the wall. Periodic painting or staining maintain lap siding. To reduce the water damage caulking can be done.
2. Drop Channel Siding
This type of siding can be installed horizontal or vertical or diagonally. This type of siding is a common choice for cabins as many cabins are paneled with boards cut with the drop channel method. One long edge of a plank is milled down to be narrower than the rest of the board. On the other long side, a small groove is cut on the bottom of the board. This creates an overlap that shows the sculpturing of the board without creating a ledge on which water can bead.
3. Tongue and Groove Siding
Individual planks are milled with a groove on one long edge side and tongue on the other corresponding edge. The tongue and groove interlock each other to form a smooth surface on the top.
4. Split Logs
This type of siding gives a cozy look to the room. The wood is sawed with the natural bark on it. Then the logs are attached to the wall, and they appear as solid logs. For this type, the wood logs are made from cypress or cedar or oak.
Other Types of Sidings that are Commonly Used:
- Board and Pattern
- Shake Siding
- Shingle Siding
- Other Materials used for Siding
For siding mostly wood is used due to its durability and other properties. Other than wood the following materials can be used for siding:
- Vinyl
- Fiber Cement
- Stucco
- Synthetic Stone
Conclusion
Siding for a house is done to protect the exteriors and also a great option to provide color and definition to your home.
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