I am researching the purchase of cedar shingles for my house. I can get white cedar via my local lumberyard, at significant cost ($320/sq – pre-stained, two coat, #1 R&R, including freight to the lumber yard). I can also order red cedar from a mill in British Columbia at significantly less cost ($210/sq – pre primed, 18″ #1 R&R, including freight to my house).
I live in NC, so shingles aren’t used here much, which probably adds to the cost of the local yard supplying them.
So any reason to prefer or avoid red or white cedar? Also, the shingles from BC I can get with just a “regular” white primer or I can get Cabor Problem Solver primer for an additional $24/sq. I figure with #1 shingles, I shouldn’t be looking at much bleed through from sapwood, so I shouldn’t spring for the problem solver. Please correct me on that if I am wrong.
MERC.
Replies
I can tell you this much.
I pay close to $200. for Red Cedar R&R unstained, so your price seems quite attractive.
A square is a square is a square.......just be careful here, a square where I buy them is 7 or 7.5 in to the weather I believe. I believe the boxes are labeled such. The last siding job I did was around 5 or so, so I used almost or around 3 boxes to cover a square.
Piffin and Mike Smith and a few others will have more to offer on the whites and in general.
Good luck,
Eric
Every once in a while, something goes right!
I have bought shingles from these guys - http://www.tealjones.com
think they have a choice of four stain colors or natural....
they are from B.C.......so am I.....so my prices would not be
any use.......good product
would not surprise me if these are they same shingles you
are looking at.......they seem to be in all they better lumber yards
here, and some of the crappy ones too.
regards
I am no pro on the subject, but we have beem looking into red vs white bevelled for our house. The red was more cost than the white and I was told red cedar is more decay resistant.
I'm curious if there's anyu truth to that or just sales talk.
dj.. i'm confused... usually a #1 refers to a red cedar..
Whites are graded Extra, or... Clear....
anyways... the reds are superior..
and Problem Solver would be well worth the $24/sq. upcharge
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike-
Thanks for the response. I was hoping you would chime in.
The whites come from Maibec (http://www.maibec.com) and they don't really give you a grade. They call them Nantucket, Kennebunk, and Bar Harbor (I guess Bar Harbor is lower class than the others..dunno...). So I just simplified since the Nantuckets are 100% clear, heartwood. They also don't call them R&R's, they call them PR, whatever that is.
But at anyrate, seems like the reds are better and cheaper...Has that ever happened in the history of building?
Thanks for the guidance on the Problem Solver too. I will get the upgraded primer.
MERC.
Red is definitely better than white, especially at that price, but pay heed to the coverage charts of the pricing folks. if they are quoting at 7" exposure for reds while maibec is quoting based on a 5" coverage, you need to modify pricing for comparison.
Red cedar amnd redwood have exudates in the individual cells of the wood that creat problems for paints. Go with the upgrade definitely!
BTW, I am shocked at the price you got for the Maibecs. It has been over a year since I had to price any but $240 was my memory on them.
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I specified Maibec's on a materials list at my local lumberyard one time... I mentioned they would be at a 7" exposure and they told me to only use WRC for anything 7" or over to the weather. He said the Maibec's would curl. Any truth to that?
Job didn't pan out anyway, and I haven't had a call for them since but would like to know for future reference.
Some truth.
I definitely would not use plain janes at that exposure, but two coats predipped would keep most of the moisture out so warping would be minimal on a wall. I don't think it would be wise to use them at that exposure on a roof - not enough headlap
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diesel... rule of thumb for all shingles.. max exposure .....1/3(-)...
so a 16" shingle (typical white) would be a little less than 5 1/3"
and an 18" (typical red ) would be 6" (-)
but also reds have a straighter grain so they naturally curl less than the potatoe chips ( whites )
look at a south facing wall of whites just after a rain.. they really do look like someone nailed potatoe chips on..
nothing wrong with it.. just a really different look than redsMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Thanks for the heads up on the coverage. I believe I got that under control. I'm going to violate the rule of thumb for 1/3 shingle length, because I am going to go somewhere around 6.5 - 7" on 18" shingles. But I have deep eaves on my house so I don't expect any of the shingles to see significant water.
One other question - how much waste should I count on? I have some gables, some straight walls and some dormers. I can measure the surface area easily enough - what is the general rule for waste.
Thanks MERC
There isn't a rule of thumb. waste can vary from 7% to 40%, depending on the shape of the surface, the quality of the materials used, and the experience of the crew doing the work.
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dj... allow at LEAST 10%.. but order more than you think..
if they run $100/ box...
the box you are short will cost you twice that..or more...
BTW... you may not like the appearance with a stretched exposure...
6" looks right... and you get more clamping effect with a smaller exposure.. so they tend to be more stable...Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike and Piffin-
Thanks for the help with this. I've resurrected the thread so I could post a picture of the finished dormer. The guys just broke down the staging today and I couldn't be happier. Thanks for guidance on this one.
The pictures shows the red cedar shingles at 6" exposure with problem solver primer and all Azek trim. Hopefully I won't be fooling around with the dormers every few years. I went with the 6" exposure (vs. 7-7.5) on your advice that you get better clamping and less cupping.
BTW, these shingles came freighted to me from BC from http://www.builddirect.com and they are great quality. Out of 4 boxes, I think we had maybe 5 shingles that were cracked and he just ripped them down. All told he had one regular trash can of waste from the siding. Pretty good with those dormer sidewalls.
Thanks! MERC.
dj..nice looking job.. great apron detail on the asphalt shingle interfaceMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I'm happy with it.
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