The Best Wood Siding Options for Your Home

Cedar 

If there’s a timber that always tops our list of siding options in terms of durability and natural beauty, it’s definitely cedar. Cedar is a popular exterior cladding option for home builders for its natural resistance against moisture, insects, and fungi. 

It remains dimensionally stable even in harsh weather conditions. Meaning, it doesn’t warp, split, or swell that easily when exposed to elements. It comes with natural color tones ranging from pink to brown, making it an attractive piece for exterior or interior cladding. You can install them as they are or stain them with your preferred stain so the possibilities are actually endless when it comes to color.

Moreover, cedar is a strong material but the fact that it is softwood, it’s still very easy to work with. It nails and saws easily and receives stains and paints well. Cedar carries an aromatic smell and stays beautiful for a very long time. It does come with a price but for its superior qualities, it is a siding option that’s worth your money.

Redwood

Redwood offers strength and durability inside and out. Some even say it’s the hallmark of rich texture and tone. Redwood is unarguably a superior exterior cladding option. It is naturally rot- and insect-resistant, preventing insects like carpenter ants and termites from compromising the structural integrity of the wood. 

Redwood resists shrinking, warping, and splitting very well while keeping the conditions of the profile and joints on point. It doesn’t come at a cheap price but its natural softness and luster are second to none.

When you use redwood as a siding option, you’re actually paying for timber that offers a perfect blend of style and sustainability. 

Fir

If you’re looking for an economical yet quality wood siding option, fir would be a good choice. It comes in long lengths and is easy to work with. It contains very little sap or resin that clogs saw blades, making it a good choice for siding profiles that require more milling, such as shiplap, tongue-and-groove, or board-and-batten.  

Fir also receives finishes very well. But unlike redwood and cedar, Fir doesn’t have a natural resistance to moisture and insects. To keep it from rotting, it must be sealed with paint or stain regularly. 

Pine

Pine siding is everywhere. It’s the most common type of siding in North America. Like Fir and Spruce, it’s less expensive than other species. It comes in two natural colors — white and yellow. With white being used in finishing projects and yellow being used for framing. 

This is because white pine holds paints very well while yellow pine doesn’t. Yellow pine has yellow streaks that are rich in sap. This sap rejects paints and stains and clogs up saw blades during milling. 

It may be difficult to find knot-free pines in longer lengths, so you’ll want to consider how much the whole siding will cost you. Pine isn’t naturally resistant to rot and insects so sealing it with paint or stain is necessary to keep its durability. But one of Pine’s advantages is its workability. It’s easy to mill to produce different siding profiles. 

Spruce

Spruce comes with qualities similar to Pine. It is commonly found on the East Coast and normally comes in longer lengths. Since it shares many similarities with Pine, it is also commonly used as wood siding. 

Spruce doesn’t have a natural resistance to moisture, insects, and fungi. So it must be sealed regularly to keep it from absorbing moisture and protect it from rotting or warping. It’s easy to mill to produce different styles and come in different grades. 

Why Choose Wood Siding? 

When choosing wood for your siding project, you’re getting a package of natural beauty, durability, and sustainability altogether. With wood, you can create an eye-catching definition of your home that’ll surely steal the eyes of your neighbors. But whether one species is right for your home than the other still depends on your budget, preference, and the look you’re trying to achieve. 

Talk with our friendly lumber experts at Rustic Lumber Company. We offer a variety of lumbers for different applications. Contact us today.