wood siding...warmth and weathering

Welcome to our continuing series.  Today we will look at wood siding generally.  I will get into specific woods and their use at another time.  Wood siding is often times the most desirable choice for the exterior of your home because people have a connection with wood that evokes feelings of warmth and comfort.  Wood is an inviting material, but it is also a choice that requires lots of TLC to keep it looking lovely after a few years of dealing with mother nature.  Wood siding, generally speaking, has some key benefits and shortcomings.

As I've already mentioned, the impact that wood siding can have on your curb appeal can be substantial.  Because we have an emotional reaction to wood, it's choice as a natural exterior finish (read: unpainted) will have an enormous affect on the perceived value of your home and it's subsequent curb appeal.  You can stain your wood siding in a wide array of colors.  Wood siding can also be stained in a finish that ranges from transparent to opaque (essentially a clear finish to a "you might as well have painted it" finish).  I would not recommend painting your wood siding because there are other products better suited to that aplication if you want to paint.

The pictures shown in this post are cedar and redwood siding.  These selections have the benefit of being naturally decay and pest resistant.  Not all wood species have these properties so choose carefully.  No matter what species of wood you decide to use, no wood can resist the damage done by the sun.  In fact, almost no siding material out there can withstand the sun's UV rays forever.  You will have to maintain your wood siding to keep it looking fresh.

Finally, one of the lesser known benefits to any wood product is it's low embodied energy.  This basically means that wood products take very little energy to manufacture (log, cut, dry, ship, etc) and wood has the unique benefit of being a carbon sink.  As long as the wood siding is not burned, and is recycled or re-used, after it's life as a siding product, the wood actually stores carbon instead of creating carbon emissions, because as we all know, trees take in carbon dioxide to grow and release oxygen as a byproduct.  In that sense, wood products actually help reduce your carbon footprint.