Planning Wood Siding Installation? What You Should Know First

For discerning architects, contractors, and homeowners, selecting the right wood siding and installation system is crucial. Beyond aesthetics, you want to safeguard your home's exterior, your investment, and your family.

Ipe rainscreen wood siding

The top factors that influence siding choices according to our customers are:

• Durability: Withstanding rain, wind, heat, humidity, storm debris, and UV damage is critical.
• Aesthetics: Curb appeal and complementing your home's architectural style are high on the list.
• Cost: Balancing initial investment with long-term value is key for everyone.
• Energy Efficiency: Your siding system should contribute to a well-insulated home.
• Environmental Impact: Sustainable sourcing, recyclability, and low replacement needs are vital.
• Installation Complexity: Ease and cost of installation should be considered.
• Resistance to Weather, Pests, and Rot: Materials that naturally repel these threats ensure long-term performance.
• Health Benefits: Rainscreen designs allow for proper ventilation and moisture removal, creating a rot-free healthier installation.

Wood rainscreen on new build home

You Want Siding That Withstand the Elements for Decades

Let’s compare the durability and maintenance needs of the top performing wood siding materials.

High Density Hardwoods

Quality hardwoods like Ipe, Jatoba, Garapa, and FSC Machiche are renowned for their exceptional hardness, durability, and minimal maintenance requirements.

• Exotic hardwood species are naturally high density giving them excellent dimensional stability and long-term resistance to the elements and insects.
• You can count on high resistance to severe weather and minimal movement with temperature changes.
• The hardness also discourages burrowing insects since they can’t chew into the wood.
• The high fiber density also creates a more non-porous wood giving it excellent resistance against moisture damage like rot, mold, and decay.
• Siding has to protect your home from wind and flying debris in storms. Hardwood siding is scratch, gouge, and dent resistant to protect your exterior and save the cost of repairs and replacements down the line.

Hardwoods do not require painting or staining, but if you want to maintain the natural color of the wood, we suggest an oil-based UV protectant, such as Penofin Hardwood Formula Penetrating Oil Finish. We have found that it maintains the wood's natural colors best, makes the color richer, and gives it a beautiful sheen. Reapply as needed to prevent the siding from weathering to gray.

Or if you prefer to let it weather, as many do, stop applying the UV protectant after installation. Exotic hardwood siding will eventually turn a soft silver-gray. Weathered hardwoods do not require oil protectant or any extra care, so this is actually your lowest maintenance wood siding choice.

Hardwood siding can be installed vertically more easily with Climate-Shield Rainscreen system 

Western Red Cedar

• Cedar is a North American softwood wood species that is typically kiln dried for use as siding material.
• Cedar has excellent weather resistance and natural insect resistance.
• But, compared to high density hardwood, Cedar has a much higher porosity so a much lower resistance to moisture.
• Cedar siding must be sealed regularly to prevent rot, mold, and decay.
• Softwood is more susceptible to gouging from wear and tear like rubbing tree branches. Flying debris may cause damage to Cedar siding, potentially needing more repairs and more expenses. If you live in an area with heavy storms or high winds, this should be a consideration.

Compared to other softwoods, Cedar lasts longer and requires lower maintenance. But, when compared to hardwood and thermally modified wood, it will need more care. You can expect to reseal and repaint or stain your Cedar siding every one to two years. Cedar can be allowed to age to a weathered gray but that will require additional maintenance.

Thermally Modified Wood

Thermally modified wood offers a budget-friendly alternative to Hardwood or Cedar with impressive durability. ThermaWood FR Hem-Fir is North American Western Hemlock wood modified with heat in a vacuum kiln without using any chemicals.

ThermaWood Hem-Fir thermally modified siding and soffits

• The moisture content of the modified wood is low, creating a harder, less brittle lumber than kiln-dried wood. The heat also removes the natural wood sugars, making it unattractive to insects.
• ThermaWood Hem-Fir is much harder than unmodified softwoods, resisting scratching and gouging. It can handle storms, high winds, and flying debris like a champion.
• ThermaWood Hem-Fir can be painted and stained or sealed with an oil-based coating to enhance or preserve the natural color. Repaint, stain, or seal as needed.

Rainscreen Siding Systems Are Not Created Equal

Wood siding enhances a home's curb appeal and complements various architectural styles. Your choice of installation type can make a big difference in the ability to create the details you want. The amount of installation time and labor expense can also vary greatly based on the type of system you choose.

Ipe rainscreen siding with oil-based penetrating stain in gray

Installing wood siding, especially when adding custom architectural details, traditionally calls for the use of wood furring strips under your siding material. Wood furring strips themselves are relatively inexpensive, but the labor to cut them to size and install them all behind the siding is time consuming. Vertical wood rainscreen designs can be particularly problematic.

Standard closed joint rainscreen siding installation has a space at the top and bottom of the wall to allow water and humid air to either evaporate or run out. But the moisture has to travel all the way up or all the way down the wall.

Another downside to the traditional closed joint wood furring strip rainscreen installation grid is the potential to trap moisture behind the siding. This can create a haven for rot and mold to gain a foothold on the exterior wall of your home. Always leave a vent at the top and bottom of the rainscreen cavity to let any moisture ventilate out.

There's more to see in the Ultimate Guide to Wood Rainscreen Siding. Download it now: