I’m building a shop and I want to clad the exterior sidewalls with eastern white cedar shingles, with a solid stain. In Southern Ontario, sidewall shingles aren’t as common as they once were, and I’ve been a little frustrated by the difficulty of getting information. I’m hoping to get some input on a few points from people with some more experience.
My current plan is to use Tyvek, Rainslicker, untreated shingles and then apply an acrylic solid stain once installed.
I’ve seen some warnings online about Tyvek and shingles, but these are all 10+ years old. Also, do any of these concerns hold if one is using a drainage mat, like Rainslicker? My guess is that if the shingles are kept from direct contact with the Tyvek, the problem (if it exists) will not arise. The reason I want to use Tyvek is simply because I have a roll on hand, but I don’t want to take any chances and I can get 30lb felt easy enough.
I’ve got a few options for shingles.
- A local mill produces various grades on an antique machine. These are unfinished, air-dried shingles.
- I could order either unfinished or pre-treated kiln-dried R&R shingles from SBC (out of Quebec)
- I’ve also got a price from Maibec, who seems to offer the same thing as SBC’s pre-treated shingles but for a little more money
Obviously, there are advantages to using pre-treated shingles. However I’m finding they are more than double the cost, and in this instance I’m not sure it’s worth it. The building is one storey, easily accessible, and I’m not daunted by a DIY paintjob.
I’ve also seen a lot about people pre-dipping untreated shingles. I can see why this has certain advantages, but I’m not sure if the advantages outweigh the work involved. The boast of shingle manufacturers is that they will last 50 years untreated… and surely, staining or painting them after installation was the norm until relatively recently.
What about the need to use R&R shingles? Will the irregularities in air-dried ‘traditional’ shingles from the local mill end up driving me crazy? Again, this is surely the way people did it for a hundred years or so, and I can always have a block plane handy to true up the sides if need be. On the other hand, the untreated R&R shingles from SBC aren’t much more than the local mill, I just have to pay a few hundred for shipping.
TL;DR:
- Is it ok to use Tyvek under a drainage mat?
- Is it ok to use untreated shingles and stain in place with an acrylic stain?
- Will I go out of my mind using non-R&R shingles?
Replies
Everything you list is basically okay, but there are varying degrees of okay in this case.
Maibec is the cadillac of shingles. They cost more but you will be very happy with them.
Regarding R&R or not- its purely asthetic. What do you want the finished product to look like? I use R&R on my own projects.
If you can dip them yourself then go for it but you need some real estate and a drying system (clothesline) and a bunch of extra time and effort.
Obviously dipped is best. As they will be sealed front back and sides.
Rainslicker is good and will facilitate drying of the rear of the shingle ( I used Hydrogap but I think that slicker is probably better.)
My recommendation is to use slicker R&R and stain in place and be sure to use good flashing details at the windows and doors
Thanks Steve, I appreciate it.
I think you've picked up on that while I prefer the traditional aesthetic, this isn't my home we're talking about so aesthetic perfection is not necessary if it means I can save a little $. At the same time I want the building to last and stand up to the elements.
Is the advantage of dipping/pre-finishing simply that the shingle won't deteriorate as quickly, or is there a big improvement in terms of stability as well?
Thanks again.
I did my house with #30 felt, kein driwall (similar to rain slicker) then #2 red labels for a rustic look. The local inspector told me that he recommended felt over tyvek with cedar. Lots of cedar shingles around here, as I'm on the coast.
I use Typar under anything cedar. Over the years when removing cedar shakes or claps i find what looks like burn marks where the nails penetrate the Tyvek and beleive its tannic acid from cedar actually breaking down the Tyvek. This is why I wont use Tyvek