Make Your Home Stand Out from the Crowd with Cedar Siding

Beauty? Durability? Or both? If you are thinking about updating your home’s exterior, particularly your siding, then you should be thinking about two things: what will make your siding look the best, and what will help it last for a lifetime?

From vinyl to brick, there are many siding options to choose from. While the market remains saturated with many types and styles of siding, cedar siding can truly make your home stand out from the crowd.

Cedar Siding’s Many Benefits

You want your home’s exterior to have a siding that will serve it well. When comparing cedar to other forms of siding, especially other raw woods, it provides many benefits.

Beauty —

Cedar siding is unmatched in its raw beauty, especially when stained. It has a timeless elegance that can work for many different styles, from mountainous to coastal.

Versatility —

Cedar siding can be used in a number of styles, including cedar plank, shakes, and shingles. There are also numerous varieties of cedar to help homeowners achieve a specific exterior look.

Lightweight —

Cedar siding is extremely lightweight. This makes it a great material for construction. It is easy to transport and install.

Durability —

Though it is lightweight, exterior cedar siding is extremely durable. It is one of the most durable forms of softwood in the world. It is hail resistant, and its antibacterial and antifungal properties prevent it from rotting or warping as quickly as other woods.

Great Insulation —

Due to its low density, homes with cedar siding have impeccable insulation, which can actually help homeowners save money on heating bills.

Affordability —

Cedar siding does not break the bank. Due to its easy installation, it is typically comparable to the cost of fiber cement siding. While it may be more expensive than vinyl, it is far more beautiful and durable.

Greater Pest Resistance —

While all forms of wood are susceptible to termites and other pests (including cedar), cedar siding remains more termite resistant than other forms of wood.

Environmentally Friendly —

Cedar siding is one of the fastest-growing tree types, which makes it a renewable resource. And because of its durability, it requires less chemical treatment than other forms of wood and is a biodegradable siding option.

How Can Cedar Enhance the Look of Your Home Exterior?

Cedar is warm and inviting in a way that manufactured products simply cannot be. It is the most popular and most common natural wood siding choice. While its counterparts include vinyl and fiber cement, no cedar looking siding can fully mimic the look of true cedar. And its versatility can match other exterior siding materials such as stone and brick.

With cedar, you garner a variety of styles, which can be used individually or mixed and matched to provide visual interest. Cedar comes in a variety of plank, shingle, and shake options, including:

Beveled —

Beveled planks vary in width, with one end of the cedar plank being larger than the other. These planks are laid on top of one another to give depth to the look of the siding.

Lap —

To create lap siding, boards are overlapped and make deep shadow lines, giving dimension to the plank siding. This is perhaps the most common use for cedar siding. Use it vertically or horizontally, depending on your style preference.
Board and Batten — Cedar planks can be installed vertically on a structure. These planks are evenly spaced and have a smaller strip of wood nailed over the space, creating a batten.

Log —

Cedar can also be cut into logs to give a home a log cabin look. However, it is typically made into cut logs (half logs) and attached like regular siding.

Straight Edge Shingles —

Cedar can be cut into smaller shingles, which is the most common form of shingle siding. Straight edge shingles create a uniformed look. They are used anywhere from Cape Cod to the mountains of Colorado.

Staggered Shingles —

Shingles can be streamlined, or they can be staggered to look more rustic. Because shingles are smooth in their surface, staggering them is a great way to remove some of the uniformity.

Rounded Edge Shingles —

Rather than use the traditional, straight edge shingles, you can opt for a rounded edge, which gives your home a more romantic feel.

Shakes —

Shakes are similar to shingles; however, they are much thicker and can be more durable than traditional shingles. Shakes are not smooth the way that shingles are, and they are handmade. They last longer than shingles but are more expensive to install.

Cedar can also be made into particular patterns or shapes to give you a specific look. The possibilities are numerous, and the beauty is timeless.

Maintain Exterior Cedar Siding to Keep It Looking Its Best

As raw wood, cedar will require maintenance to keep it looking and functioning at its best. It can warp or rot without proper care. However, it is one of the most durable softwoods, making this occurrence less likely, especially with regular maintenance.

Unstained cedar will begin to dull and gray in color over time. Although this does not necessarily affect the quality and functionality of the wood, it does take away from the beauty cedar has. To keep your siding looking its best, it should be regularly sealed or painted, based on your preference. However, stain brings out the beauty of cedar and usually requires less upkeep, as it will not crack or chip the way paint does.

You should also wash your cedar every one to two years. Use a hose or a pressure washer on a low setting to remove dust and residue on your cedar’s surface. This will keep your home exterior clean and protected.

A Home Exterior You’ll Love

If you’re ready for new cedar siding and want the impact cedar can bring your home, our licensed and insured team is ready to help. We can give you a seamless and easy installation, and with the proper care, you will have an exterior you can love for a lifetime. Contact us to receive an estimate on your siding project.