Slab wood Siding

[khalif_williams]

Hi Everyone,

I haven't been reading the forum for a while.  I need to side my cabin (16x24 w loft) and am looking into using slabwood either in board on board fasion or horizontally.  I think I remember there being a discussion about this issue many moons ago but searches in both the new and old forum turn up nothing.

If anyone can remember where that discussion might be, I'd like to start there to make sure I'm not asking anyone to rehash old territory.  Please let me know.

If this is indeed a new topic, I'm interested in people's input who have experience or insight into it.  I can get it very cheap or free from a local source but want to make sure I'm not getting myself into something that's a nightmare to apply effectively, or simply inneffective as siding.

Looking forward to reading your responses.

K. Williams

[John_M]

From what I have researched with wood, it is only as good as the material you treat it with.  Besides cedar (naturally resistant) you will have to protect it.  The better the product, the less you will have to treat it (but the more costly it is!)

I like the look of real wood.  I have spent a lot of time looking into alternative products that look like wood, but none of them appealed to me (just as if not more costly than real wood).

I'm sure it will look great.  I prefer horizontal application.  Just a personal preference.  Many others will have great info here!!

[Amanda_931]

Might be able to leave the bark on the edges if they're kind of thin.  But bark really needs come off in my area if it's "first cuts."  Some kind of little beetles boring just under the bark drip powdery sawdust everywhere.  At least with my hickory sided treehouse.  

My treehouse, Glenn's garage project both use it.  Mine was first cuts straight from the sawmill discard pile, and didn't get the bark taken off.  And somebody else--Jochen maybe?--used something like that.  All three of those were horizontal, which would probably work better if you're using green--shrinkable--wood.

Probably want something on the order of board and batten for vertical application--there at least one of the two types of boards needs to be a board.  That's also a design suitable--more or less--for green wood.  And the boards don't need to be the same width.

Somewhere there's a chart telling us how much wood will wear if it's just sitting there on a wall, nothing added.  Not much.  It will turn a silvery grey eventually and not terribly evenly.

[glenn kangiser]

Here is my garage, Khalif.  Adirondack siding as it is called by some.

[williet]

glenn,
We like the look of this siding. Do you just ask for Adirondack siding or what do you call it at the saw mill?  

[glenn-k]

I learned it was called Adirondack siding here.  There may be other regional names for it.

I think you will have to find a private mill for this.  You can have one edge trimmed - one untrimmed for a better fit.  Alternate ends to allow for taper when installing.  They will not fit level if you want the most coverage.  This siding was cut 5/8 thick.  This is straight cut - the cap is cut off the top, then the log is turned 90 degrees and sliced into boards lowering the blade 3/4" - 1/8" kerf leaves 5/8" - doing it this way gives one trimmed edge and one rough edge.

[williet]

Any thoughts on which type wood is best for this siding? Poplar, cedar, oak  ....

[glenn-k]

I used cedar - bug resistant and weather resistant to a point but most important - I had it free.  Hundred year old buildings here have pine.  Jonni and Cecilia used what I think was a Eucalyptus on their shop- a hard wood.

I would think that anything that is raised from the ground properly and with proper drainage would work fine.  Probably best with felt or spacers for a screen wall behind if used on a house and leave enough lap for shrinkage if used green -- around 1" per foot of width.

Use galvanized nails to avoid staining streaks from steel nails and rain.

[Amanda_931]

Around here (and it's also mentioned in on of the Stiles' books) sawmills do "first cuts" and occasionally "2nd cuts" in order to be able to cut railroad ties or whatever size boards they want to make.  Those are worthless to them.  End up on the scrap pile.  Free if you're looking for firewood, or siding.  This is particularly true of the small sawmills.  And probably those without relatives who are always looking for cheap firewood.

[williet]

Thanks for the info. I was thinking that the siding would have to be at least a second cut .... but I haven't looked into a mill yet. We were hoping to find a source for it and just buy what we needed.

[Amanda_931]

1st cuts can work.  They do go on with gaps.  I'd hate to have to peel them, though.

[williet]

Ha Ha ... yep, it would be a chore to peal 'em!

[Amanda_931]

Although you may to stand there with a draw-knife or a spud or an adze and peel logs for a log cabin.  If you want the round shape on somewhere between 1 and all four sides.

If you're working in the spring with fresh-cut logs, poplar may peel in big enough sheets--half-way around and the full length of the log--that you can make giant berry baskets out of the bark.  That's easy.

With hickory under the same conditions, you may be able to get long strips of underbark suitable for weaving chair seats--or putting together the berry baskets.  But chipping away with a draw-knife is a nuisance with hickory.

Pine's supposed to be easy.  Eastern red cedar isn't hard, although I'd use a spud or an adze, or even a machete.

I don't know about oak, we didn't use any, not sure about sweet-gum, which we did.

[cecilia]

Glenn, perhaps today I'm just 'thick as a brick', but I thought the boards for your Adirondack siding were radially sawn timber - is that not the case?

We've used several logs of radially sawn timber and it's a wonderful way to keep wastage at a minimum and is being used more and more here.

Here are a couple of photos showing how the logs are delivered to the job and how they're dealt with.




cecilia (in Australia)
www.duckpond-design.com.au/theduckpond

[desdawg]

Wow, I have never seen that before. I am intrigued to say the least. Tell me more about how it is done.

[glenn kangiser]

The reason I found you, Cecilia was the radial sawn lumber -- thanks to Jonesy for showing me your site..  Mine has a similar look but is cut after a cap is taken off one side of the log then it is rotated and sliced in 5/8" slabs of the log.  I wish I was set up to do the radial and Jonesy and I have talked about ways to do it but would take me a bit of rigging.  Great to see how it was done for you though.

[cecilia]

More information on this method of timber production can be found on this website
http://www.radialtimber.com/html/technic.htm

There are also four galleries of photos showing the timber in use.

One of the advantages of this type of cut is much less warping apparently.

We just loved the wobbly edged boards, which blend so perfect with our wobbly bricklaying!
cecilia
www.duckpond-design.com.au/theduckpond

[desdawg]

I like that siding and the radial concept. A new sawmill opened up near my mountain property just recently and when I stopped there what appeared to be pretty high tech equipment was being installed by the millwrights.  Now I have to go check......
Cecilia, I just read through the garage portion of your web page. Very well done. I will be back to read the rest. Thank you.