Cedar Siding
Cedar wood as siding is neither inexpensive nor maintenance-free. Therefore, when a homeowner decides to side his house with cedar, the choice is usually based on aesthetics. As a wood, cedar is naturally beautiful. It is also durable and rich in texture, style and color. Beyond these factors, cedar provides many sought-after properties.
Natural cedar has a richly textured grain and its colors range from mellow ambers, to reddish cinnamons to rich sienna browns, warm colors that are complemented by a uniform, fine-grained texture and a satin luster. Cedar accepts a range of finishes because it is virtually pitch and resin free. It may be stained, oiled, and painted. Because of its natural acoustical properties, it is a good material for soundproofing. Cedar is low in density and shrinkage factors, and provides exceptional thermal insulation value.
For those opting to maintain the original color of cedar, regular re-staining or painting is sometimes required annually. When used as siding, cedar shakes (or shingles) should be pressure washed on a low setting each year to remove dirt, bugs, and mildew.
Some people opt to allow cedar to age naturally without any worry about rotting, pealing, or warping. In addition, there is no need to chemically treat cedar because it has natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. A renewable resource, cedar is planted in forests for harvesting and replanted every year.
Cedar belongs to the pine family and there are many types growing across the US. Northern White Cedar is considered one of the finer grades and has a very pleasant smell and blonde color. Yellow cedar is a very strong and durable, holds nails better and is more bug resistant than red cedar, which is more porous, which makes it easier to stain. Other benefits of red cedar are that it tends to warp less and is less expensive.
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