Is Wood Siding Right for Your House?

You probably know by now how siding adds value to your home — it improves its appearance and energy efficiency. Advances in technology have led to so many material options, including vinyl, aluminum, and fiber cement. Of those, vinyl is probably the most popular, with aluminum being a close second.

That said, wood continues to be a favorite material in construction, including in siding. Find out if wood siding is a good idea for your house.

Woods for Siding

Manufacturers utilize different woods for the fabrication of siding.

Cedar is a very popular wood choice for siding because it offers gorgeous graining. A hardwood, cedar is also naturally resistant to rot and insect infestation because of oils found in the heartwood. Redwood features a similar profile and is also used for siding. Both redwood and cedar are considered luxury siding options.

Pine, spruce, and fir are considered affordable siding options. All three typically come in long boards for board-style siding. None are as hard as cedar or redwood. However, all three types of wood are easy to stain or paint.

Styles of Wood Siding

Tongue-and-groove siding is probably the most common style of wood siding, featuring characteristic horizontal boards. Other styles are used to create specific effects.

For example, manufacturers can re-saw boards at an angle to produce a beveled appearance, which is called clapboard siding. With drop channel siding, the boards overlap to create a shadow. Board and batten siding also features shadowing, but more deeply because the construction consists of wide boards spaced with narrow boards in between.

Shingles, made of smaller pieces of wood, offer a classic profile. They can also come in different shapes, such as scalloped. Shakes are the rustic version of shingles. To make shakes, fabricators split the wood along one or both sides, which results in a rough-hewn appearance.

Maintenance for Wood Siding

Any time you use a natural product like wood, there’s going to be some maintenance. Moisture is a big detriment, so it’s essential that you watch for any buckling. You must be especially vigilant for cracked caulking where the siding meets the trim. You’ll also want to keep your siding clean and free from debris. Finally, if the color fades, you’ll need to re-stain or paint your siding.

Benefits of Wood Siding

One of the greatest benefits of wood siding is its characteristic profile. It’s hard for other materials to mimic the look and texture of wood, and the fact that they even try shows how valued wood’s profile is. In fact, Old House Guy recommends wood siding for historical houses because that’s the best way to get the effect of light and shadows.

The other main benefit of wood siding is the material’s insular value. Wood cladding can help keep your utilities costs down.

Choosing a Wood Siding Style for Your House

As noted above, wood siding is ideal for historical houses. For example, any style of horizontal siding works well for Victorian and Queen Anne houses. However, the fancy nature of both styles benefits from using scalloped siding for the trim.

Clapboard and shake siding are ideal for rustic homes. Indeed, shakes are traditional for Cape Cod and Dutch Colonial homes.

Wood siding is beautiful for ranch, Craftsman, and contemporary style houses. You could choose a standard profile or add some shadowing with beveled siding. Shingles are especially attractive for Craftsman houses.

If your house presents something of a basic façade, you can add some unusual shadow interplay with vertical siding. Horizontal siding is more traditional, so when you turn the boards vertically, they offer visual interest.

If you love the natural beauty of wood and don’t mind putting a little maintenance into your house, have wood siding installed on your house. The siding experts at Newman Jerry Roofing & Remodeling. can help you choose the right wood siding for your home.