Siding?

[nantiinaq]

Hey all, slowly working on getting all the planning bits done (subject to change as I'm sure all of your plans are as well). Anyone have any suggestions about siding?  I'd love cedar siding but am being told it's much more expensive than the cemplanks (synthetic siding stuff).  I would love any and all opinions and experiences you've had!  Thanks

Nantiinaq

[CREATIVE1]

I'm going through the same process right now.

One question I had was whether any other wood siding cheaper than cedar (like douglas fir) could be stained, and how it would hold up?

Also, when we built our house in Florida, someone building a similar plan put cypress T-1-11 on their house.  I wonder if such a thing is still available.  It looked just great, and was stained.

Also, if you go with board on board siding, I am told it would be considerably cheaper than lap siding or shingles.  Is that an option for you?

[glenn kangiser]

We are now limited to cement board or stucco - maybe other non-combustible due to fire danger - new code.

[John_M]

I am currently siding my cabin right now.  I really wanted the look of natural wood.  A number of people at various lumber yards warned me of using any type of wood product other than cedar.  They talked about quite a bit of maintenance.

I wound up buying beveled cedar siding for the bottom of the cabin and cedar shingles for the top and dormers.  I can't say that I have been particularly thrifty however.  There were some things that I just did not feel I would try and cut corners on.  Siding was one of them.  That is the first thing that most will notice when they come and see my cabin. It will be the first thing you see as well.

I hope to add some additional pictures to my blog as soon as we start the lower level.  We have the dormers done:

www.ourlittlecabin.blogspot.com

[glenn kangiser]

I think cedar is like redwood and doesn't like paint.  Stain works though I think.

[CREATIVE1]

What about marine grade plywood with battens?  Here's a link:

http://alliedveneer.com/marine_plywood/Aquatek_Marine_Ply_48_x_98-p-16135.html

[nantiinaq]

hhmmm.... well some good suggestions so far.  I am concerned about weathering as the marine climate I have on the coast of alaska is rather hard on buildings.  I don't know that I would go for any wood product other than cedar from what I hear about durability (and looks).  Has anyone used the cemplanks?

Nantiinaq

[ScottA]

I'm using stained cedar on mine. Painting cedar is a bad idea. For a marine climate you might want to go with hardiplank or something similar.

[considerations]

I think cedar is like redwood and doesn't like paint.  Stain works though I think.

Yes, if the two species are not cousins, they are at least products of convergent evolution and act almost the same when used as lumber. 

[John Raabe]

I agree, for cedar and redwood you are best starting with stain.

I used semi-transparent stains on my first two coatings of my cedar siding. I just recently finished a third coat (in 25 years!) and went to an Olympic Solid body stain that ranked best in the Consumer Reports tests. It covered well and looks good but there is very little difference between this stain coat and paint. The stain may have been better at penetration than a paint would have been but their is definitely a "protective film" that is not unlike a paint film.

[glenn kangiser]

The hot sun causes paint to come off of cedar and redwood.  Our house had redwood siding and had been painted but t always peeled soon.  The pine on the addition held paint well.

[PEG688]

Old painters used to say with Cedar,,,,, pre-prime , both sides,,,,,  and all edges, cuts are considered an edge. I'd guess Redwood would be similar , the oils in the wood along with moisture transmission IF it's not back primed is what pushes the paint off.

I hear today with the newer paints that is not AS true. I trust the old theory.

[rdpecken]

We used Hardi-Plank on our LittleHouse.  It went on fairly easily, as it is 4x8 sheet cement-board material.  I really grieved over the couple of corners that broke when i tried to drive a nail through them, though.  I know I can patch it and it will look fine after paint, but still...

We still need to fill in the seams between the sheets.  When we used this on our big house in Mesa, I used the thick tar-like roof sealent in the cracks, smoothed out with a putty knife.  After the paint, we can't even tell where the seams are.

Cost was about $21 per sheet at Home Depot, or $24 per sheet at Lowes.  We bought at Lowes, because they give us better customer service here.

Here is a picture of the siding before any trim, sealing or paint (coming next month, I hope...)

[Okie_Bob]

Rd, your cabin looks great and I know you are going to love the Hardi Board. I had to comment on the picture of you hand nailing the 4'X 8' sheet to the wall with a hammer. I would strongly suggest you use a nail gun with hot-dipped galvanized nails. Trying to drive a nail thru Hardi Board is a very frustrating experience, as I'm sure you have learned. A nail gun makes easy work of the job and saves much time and even more frustration. Just my two cents worth.
Okie Bob

[rdpecken]

A nail gun makes easy work of the job and saves much time and even more frustration. Just my two cents worth.
Okie Bob

Yep.  We started out with this notion of doing EVERYTHING by hand, the old-fashioned way.  Well, it turns out that is a little unrealistic, given the time constraints of working 1 or 2 weekends a month, and the county breathing down your neck to get it done.
Anyway, if I were starting over from scratch, I would buy up front: A generator, an air compressor and a nail gun.
We ended up getting a generator after the framing was complete.  I'm still putting off the air compressor and nail gun because I keep thinking I'm almost finished with that kind of work.  But I'll probably regret that decision...

[glenn kangiser]

Also - if you want to drive single nails or bulk nails of nearly any type don't forget the palm nailer.

Hi Okie BoB.

[peternap]

Also - if you want to drive single nails or bulk nails of nearly any type don't forget the palm nailer.

Hi Okie BoB.

I like my palm nailer too Glenn. It's slower than my nail guns but is the only thing short of a hammer, that will drive pole barn nails.

[glenn kangiser]

Yup - I have both but the palm nailer is great.

[Okie_Bob]

Hey you ole Trodg...how's things down under (ground)? hehehehe
Glenn, there are a few times the palm nailer comes in real handy but, if I had to chose, I'd get my framing nailer, my finish nailer and only then the palm nailer. It's slow and slower.
Course that is coming from a surface dweller!!!!
Okie Bob

[glenn kangiser]

I'd have to agree, BoB.

...well.... after the framing nailer it is finished if you have cut the trim with the chain saw...saves on deciding which nails to use too --- just 10d screw nails, but for you more civilized surface dwellers, I suppose fine trim is important.

Life is so much simpler when you decide that the framing nailer is also the finish nailer.  (I sometimes switch to galvanized ring shank Senco 10d's for the finish stuff but PEG says the coating on them is not real heavy).

[Okie_Bob]

Glenn, sometimes I forget you don't even need a nail gun or a hammer, a shovel, rake and hoe is all you need for structure and finish!!!
Can you build a complete house with a Ditchwitch, Glenn? (heheheheh) Where is ole Jonsay when I need him!
Okie Bob

[glenn kangiser]

BoB - you'd love the project I'm doing now.

Burying my shop with a boat dock roof-- actually an open top tunnel or slot through the top of the mountain roofed over,  I may have to grout fasteners into the rock.

I have a DitchWitch but out of commission.  I have to make do with a John Deere trackhoe and a BoBcat.

Natural clay and rock siding.

[Okie_Bob]

Atta boy Glenn, knew you would not disappoint us!! Ditchwitch is one of my good customers. They are in a little town in Oklahoma up real close to the Kansas line, right off I-35. I go up there as often as I can, great people. So, if you need anything, maybe I can help?

Now, back to that shop burying project.....why not just lay some logs over the slot and cover with dirt? That would match the house a bit more would it not? Where is Jonsay when we need him? Probably out on a guana hunt or something.
Okie Bob

[glenn kangiser]

The boat docks were free BoB.  That's the rules.  Free, salvage. discounted -remnants -  all OK. 

Jonesy's been a bit busy but messages me once in a while. 

A while back he was in Coober Pedy in the underground houses of the mining area.  He knows whats cool.