Western Red Cedar has a long track record as an exterior siding material, and the product category keeps growing. Suppliers that started with one profile now offer complete lines: bevel siding, shingles, trim and patterned boards, in natural or prefinished form. The expansion matters to contractors because a single source for siding and trim simplifies ordering, color matching and warranty responsibility. Shingle siding installation techniques remain the foundation of the category, whether the shingles arrive prefinished from the factory or bare for the crew to finish on site. This article compares the main cedar profiles, explains the difference between factory priming and field finishing, and covers the installation and moisture details that determine how long the siding lasts.
Western Red Cedar Siding Profiles
Cedar siding comes in four common forms: bevel or clapboard, shingles, trim boards and specialty patterns such as board and batten or vertical channel. Each profile changes the look of the elevation and the labor required to install it, so the profile decision should come before the finish decision.
Bevel Siding and Clapboard
Bevel siding is the classic horizontal profile, milled with a thick butt and a thin top edge so each course overlaps the one below. Exposure ranges from about 100 to 200 mm (4 to 8 in), and the wide face gives walls a clean, even line. Blind nailing techniques for cedar clapboard keep the face free of fasteners and are the preferred method for finished work.
Shingles and Shakes
Shingles and shakes add texture and shadow lines. Shingles are sawn on both faces; shakes are split or hand-split on at least one face. Both are applied in overlapping courses, and the exposure sets the coverage: a 100 mm (4 in) exposure covers roughly twice the wall area of a 200 mm (8 in) exposure from the same number of bundles.
Grade Selection
Cedar grades sort by knot size and frequency. Clear grades have few or no knots and take paint smoothly; knotty grades cost less and suit stains and rustic designs. The grade affects both price and the finish you can use, so match it to the design intent before ordering.
| Profile | Typical exposure | Look | Common finish | Relative labor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bevel (clapboard) | 100 to 200 mm (4 to 8 in) | Clean horizontal lines | Paint or stain | Moderate |
| Shingles | 100 to 150 mm (4 to 6 in) | Textured, shadowed | Stain or clear | Higher |
| Board and batten | Vertical full-length boards | Rustic, modern farmhouse | Stain or paint | Low to moderate |
| Trim and fascia | Not applicable | Defines corners and edges | Paint or primer | Low |
Prefinished vs Natural Cedar
The biggest decision after profile selection is the finish strategy: buy the siding prefinished or finish it in the field. The choice changes the budget, the schedule and the long-term maintenance cycle, so it deserves a deliberate comparison before material is ordered.
Factory Prefinishing
Factory priming and painting coat all six sides of the board, including the edges and the back that will never be seen after installation. That full coverage protects the wood from moisture uptake at butt joints and cut ends, the two places field-finished siding fails first. Priming under controlled conditions produces a more uniform film thickness than a crew can achieve with a brush on a ladder, and prefinished boards arrive ready to install in any weather window.
Field Finishing
Site finishing keeps material cost down and lets the crew match colors on the spot, but it depends on weather windows and careful handling. Bare cedar needs priming on all faces before installation, including the back, or the exposed back will cup and check. Budget for two coats and for the labor of coating both faces of every board.
Cedar competes with other materials at the same price points, and the choice deserves a side-by-side look. The fiber cement shake siding versus cedar shake comparison is worth studying before committing: fiber cement offers different fire and maintenance characteristics, while cedar offers natural insulation, light weight and easy repairability.
Installing Cedar Siding
Cedar installs fast when the wall is prepared and the fasteners are right. The sequence below works for most profiles, from simple gable ends to complex two-story elevations.
- Install the weather barrier and flash windows, doors and corners.
- Snap level reference lines for each course; cedar courses wander if you trust the eye.
- Nail through the top edge of each course so the next course covers the fastener heads.
- Leave a small gap at every butt joint and stagger joints between courses.
- Keep siding at least 150 mm (6 in) above grade and clear of roof surfaces.
- Caulk only where the design specifies; cedar needs to breathe.
Nailing Patterns
Face nailing works for economy work, but blind nailing, where the nail is driven through the top edge and covered by the next course, is the standard for quality clapboard. Shingles are typically nailed with two nails per shingle, positioned so the next course covers them.
Fastener Choice
Use hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel nails; plain steel will streak the face, and aluminum reacts with cedar extractives. Ring-shank nails hold better in cedar’s soft grain, and the nail length should reach at least 25 mm (1 in) into solid framing.
Comparison With Other Siding Types
Each material has its own rules. The vinyl siding installation sequence, for example, relies on loose nailing and slots to handle thermal movement, the opposite of cedar’s firm nailing. Knowing how the systems differ prevents crews from carrying bad habits between materials.
Moisture Control and Common Failures
Cedar’s durability depends on staying dry. Wet cedar feeds decay fungi, and the failures that show up after five to ten years are almost always moisture problems: cupping, checking, mildew and rot at the base courses.
Why Cedar Cups
Cupping happens when the back of the board takes on moisture while the face stays dry, or the reverse. Vertical siding is especially exposed because the wide face has no overlap to shade it. The cupping in vertical cedar siding analysis explains how moisture dynamics drive the deformation and how to prevent it with back-priming, correct fastening and ventilation.
Keeping Water Out
Flash every horizontal interruption: window heads, decks, roof valleys and the bottom course. Keep shrubbery off the siding so air can move, and repair any split shingle quickly before wind-driven rain finds the gap. At the base, a drip edge or a 25 mm (1 in) gap between siding and the roof flashing keeps splash from wicking up the boards.
Inspection Points
Walk the elevation twice a year. Look for dark streaks under windows, soft spots at the base and any board that has pulled its fastener. Catching one failing board costs minutes; replacing a wall section costs days.
Maintenance and Service Life
With reasonable care, cedar siding lasts decades. The finish is the sacrificial layer, and the refinishing schedule depends on the finish type and the exposure of the wall.
- Stains: recoat every 3 to 5 years, more often on south and west walls.
- Paint: 5 to 8 years on properly primed cedar.
- Clear finishes: 1 to 3 years, because they offer the least UV protection.
- Low-pressure rinse before recoating; high pressure drives water into the grain.
The Refinishing Cycle
The exterior siding installation approach applies to cedar: start with a dry wall, sand or scrape loose finish, spot-prime bare wood and apply two coats. Skipping the primer on bare cedar guarantees early failure no matter how good the topcoat.
Planning a Cedar Siding Project
Cedar siding projects succeed or fail in the estimate. Order the right grade, the right finish and enough waste allowance, and the install runs smoothly from the first course to the last trim piece.
Estimating Quantities
Measure the wall area in square feet, subtract openings and add waste: about 5 percent for straight gable work, and 10 percent or more for walls with many corners, windows and dormers. Shingle coverage per bundle is printed on the bundle label and varies with exposure. Trim and fascia add a separate line item, usually 10 to 15 percent of the siding total.
- Confirm the grade and finish match the design before the order is placed.
- Ask for delivery inspection; reject cupped, split or badly checked bundles on the truck.
- Store bundles flat, off the ground and covered, with air circulation between them.
- Schedule finishing before installation for factory-primed material and after for field finishing.
One-person crews can handle cedar efficiently with the right setup. Homemade hangers for solo siding work let a single installer position long clapboard courses without a helper, which changes the labor math for small jobs and remodels.