Cedar Siding

Allow the wood to get acclimated

This is the type of preliminary step that makes the difference between professional siding contractors and amateur job doers.

A cedar siding, as any other type of wood siding needs to be left one or two weeks to be acclimated since it’s bound to change sizes ever so slightly during this time as it adjusts to the new climate.

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Prepare the wall

To get your walls ready, you need to apply building wrap to create a water barrier beneath the wooden part of your siding.

This step is very important especially for a cedar shake siding, since the space under the shingle will tend to become damp otherwise, which could cause serious rot problems in time.

Caulk the windows and doors

If you don’t know what caulk means, basically caulking means sealing against leakages using a waterproof material.

So before the siding installation, use acrylic, silicone, polyurethane, or other caulking materials to seal the gaps around windows and doors that otherwise will leave the siding exposed to potential water intrusion.

Also, make sure not to seal areas that let the natural flow of moisture escape the wall cavity, such as the below windows and door spaces.

Coat before installation

Priming your cedar siding will protect the wood from water, as well as keeping insects away.

Depending on the type of finish you are looking for, you can apply a coating stain on all surfaces for a natural look, or use an oil primer if you plan to apply a paint finish to your cedar siding.

Have space between ground and siding

Allowing ground clearance will keep your cedar siding safe from rain water hitting the ground and splashing back against the siding, damaging the coating and the wood in time.

For this reason, plan to leave around 15-20 inches between the ground and the first wooden element.

Leave expansion gaps between siding elements

Wood is a natural element that will contract and expand during the year because of moisture changes in the air.

In order to keep the expansion gaps to a minimum, plan to the upper part of the siding boards at an angle, to avoid siding elements overlapping one another during expansion periods.

This technique applies only to cedar lap siding.

Use the right type of screws or nails fasteners

In order to ensure durability, and make sure that rust stains won’t affect the looks of your cedar siding, choose the right type of corrosion-resistant fasteners.

Your top picks here should either be stainless steel or deep-galvanized t screws or nails.

Choose the right type of paint

The best choice here is an acrylic-latex paint that applies well on the siding, as well as protects the cedar from rot and various funguses. Even more, this type of paint is a coating layer with the longest lifespan among exterior paints.

Still, painting is not mandatory since a cedar siding comes with a natural wooden finish, so it’s a matter of choices if you want to paint your siding or not.

Installing cedar siding is the type of home improvement that will add value and style to your custom home.

For a professional cedar siding installation process that will ensure the longevity of your siding application, get in touch with SOD Home Group.

We’re one of the top siding contractors found locally in California, and we have experienced teams in both cedar shake siding and cedar lap siding installation.