going to start our 20x40 1 1/2 story cabin this fall. looking for anyone who has done siding with cedar shakes. so i can give the wife some ideas on how it would look. thanks for the help.
Here's a plateful of images.
http://tinyurl.com/2f624s5
You will notice that true split shakes are not often used as siding as they are a bit rough, uneven and difficult to flash and trim at corners. More often such siding is actually a type shingle (machine cut cedar) rather than shakes.
Here's a couple of pics of my neighbor's place. He plans of letting them weather naturally.
(https://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd127/MaineRhino/The%20Hutchins%20Mountain%20Hut/camp013.jpg)
.
(https://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd127/MaineRhino/The%20Hutchins%20Mountain%20Hut/camp012.jpg)
And here is my place, with the fake stuff....
(https://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd127/MaineRhino/Mountain%20Camp/025.jpg)
.
(https://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd127/MaineRhino/Mountain%20Camp/018.jpg)
You might look at a product called Lifetime Wood Treatment
http://www.valhalco.com/
I am not really plugging this stuff as I have not used it yet. I have two examples I am watching one a building the other a fence. But both are holding up well in the month and a half high 90's and drought of the summers here that just bakes wood. As well as the three -four foot of snow and minus 30 degree weather we get up at the ranch. Seems when it melts and settles it takes the oil and the paint with it.
(https://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt15/rick91351/P8120914.jpg)
This is a side of a neighbors building that catches the most weather. However it is not all the old so might not be the best subject. The fence that I do not have a picture of is weathering very well. Another thing that I like it is a lifetime wood treatment that is eco-friendly, non-toxic wood treatment. It comes in a granular powder mix it with water in a five gallon bucket, stir, let sit, strain and you can apply with a weed sprayer or brush. It has been around up in Canada for like sixty years.
#1 5x Western Red Cedar shingles is what I used on our place.
Depending where you are in the country they should be running about $130 per square.
(https://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/Skagitdrifter/DSC06136.jpg)