I’ve become intrigued by cypress t&g siding as an alternative to red cedar. The wood characterisitics seem outstanding. Clearly it’s used to advantage in the humid south. Anyone have any first hand experience in our New England climate?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
By considering things like energy-efficient mechanicals, window orientation, and renewable energy sources, homes can be evaluated to meet the energy codes. Here's what the IRC has to say.
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
Jim,
Back in the mid to lat 80's, We used cypress beveled clapboard siding on 3 or 4 houses here in upstate NY. There was a red cedar shortage at the time due to a tariff dispute with Canada if I remember right. I was told all the great things about cypress siding. It just about jumped off the walls after the first full run of seasons. I had shrinkage of 1/2" in length on some of the longer boards, and a fair amount of splitting. It suposedly was all kiln dried, and factory pre-stained too. It was plain sawn, so maybe vertical grain would eliminate the splitting but seems you still would have the shrinkage problem in length. I'd be very cautious.
Bish
This is not a new thing.
I have worked on an old coastal Inn that had cypress siding. The building was about a hundred years old. Rumour has it that the place wa almost torn down in the late thirties because the owners had no money to pay taxes but it got bought and saved in the early forties. I don't know if it got re-sided then. We went to work re-doing it in the early nineties. While re-building the kitchen we found that the studs were rotted out from water intrusion owing to poor flashing details.
The cypress siding was in mint condition even though the spruce framing was gone to compost within the wall.
Cypress was also used here for support timbers in large homes at the basement level. Still no rot though in contact with moisture and masonry. Like a natural PT
It can be splintery though and one guy tells me that it is hard to get good stuff, grain wise.
I work with alot of cypress down here in La. The new growth and the old growth are very different animals. Both will "walk" but the new is much worse. The new is not as rot or termite resistant either. I can get new for 70 cents a BF or old for $5 a BF (5/4x12). New goes as siding (dry ,backprimed ,and topcoated) while the old becomes cabinets. We get 60-90 inches of rain a year in a very humid and hot environment. The new will hold up if treated right.
Wish I could get some good cedar.
KK
Hi Jim,
When I built my house 5 years ago, I used cypress board and batten purchased from a company in Louisiana. I think there is a difference between old growth cypress and the kind we get today. My board and batten is made of 12" wide boards. This cypress is new growth not old, and is not as stable or rot resistant. My boss has a cabin on a local lake which was built around the turn of the century. It has old growth cypress and still looks perfect. I have had boards on my house split, and rot in a few places. Good luck with it.
jim- here on long island's north shore there is alot of destitute estate one especially i've been working on and for three years.there the main mansion 45,000 sq ft and then the farm group built back in the gilded age 1902, a collection of nine buildingsand two houses, all claded in 24" royal shingles a la cypress unfourtunately like piff's experience the framing was deteriated beyod repair. one instance i literally stuck my hand in pulled out just pulp, wrang the water like a sponge. some of the shingles had branded mill insignia from southwest corner in south carolina. the house was built by the brewster 's(didnt mean anything to me). i have not been able to find the royals to weave back in to the old. but these old shingles are virtually impenerateable, from insects ,fungi, water for the most part. i'm a big fan of the wood, if i had my drothers, i'd use it for fascia,siding, decking on certain applications. tough stuff from my experience, but like the gent down south said old growth vs. new growth i'm sure is a whole diffrent story .cheers the bear
Edited 4/26/2002 11:55:41 PM ET by the bear
Edited 4/26/2002 11:57:07 PM ET by the bear
Thanks to everyone for feedback on cypress. Clearly the caution flag has been raised about the wood. Since we still have a little time to decide, I shall continue to investigate and if I get anything interesting I'll post it back to the list.