Cypress Vs Cedar Siding

Atlanta based architect daniel martin says he recommends cypress to clients based on his firsthand experience with the unique wood.

Cypress vs cedar siding.

With proper care and maintenance the useful life of cypress can last for generations making it more cost effective than most other choices. Cypress wood has even been reused from 100 year old. The performance is great martin says. It was also used by colonial builders for their homes barns cotton gins warehouses boatbuilding and docks.

It s advisable to select the straightest boards such as deck boards when building with cypress lumber. You should also keep in mind that the maintenance required with cedar siding adds thousands to the overall cost. It s inherently rot and insect resistant and it stands up to weathering quite well compared to pine or cedar siding since pine wood doesn t weather well at all and cedar tends to develop defects over time that cypress doesn t suffer from. Like cedar and redwood it is naturally rot resistant containing a compound called cypressine that repels insects and decay organisms.

Old growth cypress the old growth version of this resistant wood has so much more heartwood than its new or second growth cousins that it is harder and has much greater resistance to rot and insects. Cedar siding can run 5 to 7 per square foot. Unlike cedar and redwood cypress does not have a reddish. I ve had cypress siding on my own home for more than 20 years and i ve only had to repaint it once in.

Cypress siding has been used for years on coastal and resort homes. Architects side with cypress take it from the pros. Horizontal hand hewn cedar log siding can be installed on an existing home or a new build. Cedar dents and scratches easy due to its softness while cypress is harder and won t dent or scratch as easily.

You will need to paint or stain cedar siding every 3 5 years and periodically repair or replace the shingles or panels. Cypress wood siding popular for it s beauty durability and versatility. Your options include thicknesses from 2 to 4 and widths from 6 to 10. Cypress siding is one of the most durable types of wood siding sold today.

Cypress wood complements any interior or exterior architectural style whether rustic traditional or modern.