Wood siding is a veneer or protective covering that is attached to the exterior of the house. The wood is held in place primarily by nails, screws, or in some cases, construction adhesives. Water does penetrate wood so it is important that a moisture barrier is installed between the siding and the structure. Wood siding will deteriorate if not properly maintained, particularly at joints, knot holes, or points of damage. The required periodic maintenance includes painting or staining and caulking. Shingles are cut from a variety of woods, most commonly Western red cedar and redwood. Shingles are available with a fire-retardant treatment, which is a requirement in locations considered high risk for fires. They are installed over a solid surface, such as plywood, with a moisture barrier between the two, a finishing coat (paint or stain), and caulking on the outside. Shingle siding requires periodic maintenance including painting or staining and caulking to prevent weather damage. Shakes are available with a fire-retardant treatment, which is a requirement in locations considered to be high risk for fires. They are installed over a solid surface such as plywood with a moisture barrier between the two and a finishing coat (paint or stain) and caulking on the outside. To prevent weather damage, shake siding requires periodic maintenance including painting or staining and caulking. The boards and battens are nailed in the middle of the face when installed in order to prevent splitting during expansion and contraction of the wood in the changing seasons. This siding requires periodic maintenance including painting and caulking to prevent weather damage. Tongue-and-groove siding is manufactured with rough or smooth faces, in clear or knotty grades of wood, and can be found as either seasoned (dried in a kiln) or unseasoned boards. The variety of joints and surface textures available offer a wide array of shadow line effects that enhance the versatility of uses. To prevent weather damage, tongue-and-groove siding requires periodic maintenance including painting and caulking. Channel siding can be installed vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Channel siding is typically available in unseasoned knotty grades, but clear grades are manufactured to order. The face side is saw textured. As with all wood siding, drop channel requires periodic maintenance including painting and caulking to prevent weather damage. The length of the area of the lap is left to the installer to decide, except when the siding is rabbeted (or grooved) to set up an easy-to-follow preset exposure. Standard installations of bevel siding generally have exposures of 4-8 inches. The smaller the amount of exposed board area, the thicker the coverage and the higher-end it looks. Bevel siding comes in smooth or sawed textures and requires periodic maintenance including staining or painting and caulking to prevent weather damage. As a log is milled, the first saw cuts result in planks with one sawed surface and one natural surface with bark. When used as siding, vertically or horizontally, the rustic planks give the impression of solid logs. Those who choose log siding should be aware that split log siding requires regular ongoing maintenance, primarily caulking, to prevent damage from moisture.
