Cedar Shake Siding

Introduction: If you’re thinking about new siding for your home you may want to consider the benefits of choosing cedar shake siding. Cedar shake siding has less maintenance involved with maintaining a high quality appearance when you compare it to other wood house sidings.

Cedar shakes is just one of many different types of siding that are available on the market today that home builder use for the finish on new housing. Cedar shake siding can always be distinguished because it is made up of cut pieces of cedar. When you install the siding on your home, the shingles are laid down in an overlapping pattern giving a great rustic visual appeal. However, the drawback of this is that installing cedar shake siding is slightly more labor intensive to install as compared to other alternatives.

Durability of Cedar Shingle Siding

Warping is one of the main enemies of any type of wood product, especially siding because it is in constant contact with the outdoor elements. Cedar actually resists warping even in severe weather climates. For this reason many homeowners in the Atlantic northeastern region of the United States choose to use it. Contractors promote its use because of its many benefits and protection against salt spray along the shorelines of the Northeast coast.

If you live in a wet climate, shrinkage can be a big issue. Cedar shrinkage is more resistance than other types of wood siding. When other wooden siding shrinks it causes gaps to form in the siding of the home.  The gaps cause the exterior of the home to become exposed which can lead to many other difficulties.  

Many types of insects like to feast on wood. However, the cedar tree naturally produces an oil that is infused into its wood. This oil acts as natural insect repellent and many wood eating bugs won’t even consider coming near a home covered in cedar shake siding. This keeps your home bug free and you won’t need to worry about termites or other nasty critters eating away at your home. The cedar oil present in the siding also keeps the wood lubricated and it resists wood rot.

Many homeowners also use cedar in places like spa’s which are constantly exposed to water and humid conditions because of this.

Quality

 Most companies and suppliers use a grading system to identify the best cedar products. Grade A cedar (#1 choice cedar) is generally considered the best, but it can be quite expensive. Grade B cedar (#2 cedar) is often used in siding because of the balance between cost and performance. Anything lower than #1 or #2 cedar is not used for siding.

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