Hi all,

I could really use some advice about a situation,

Has any one used the shakertown brand cedar shingle systems?

My house suffered some storm damage and some of the cedar shingle panels blew off. I cant find a match locally for the original material and the closest I could find was the shakertown product.

www.shakertown.com

The original panels were really cheap, a thin shingle laminated to an even thinner peice of ply, about 1/8 inch. . 

I would do the work  myself but access is a problem I don’t have the equip. to get me that high. 

Admittedly vinyl rules around here (Chas. WV)and every contractor so far has wanted to avoid the subject of using panelized cedar and trying to closely match what is there now. I realize that it won’t match perfectly but a close match would be okay with respect to exposure and staggered butt etc.

The original construction is just studs >black insulation board>cedar panels. Basic tract type construction builders special so to speak. I talked to a siding contractor this morning and gave me an estimate of 3800 for about 3 and 3/4 square of siding. That was for hand shingling which is fine except that his estimate was the same for the panels if he can find them. I told him the lumber yard in town where I got the Shakertown info. He didn’t seem impressed.

Also he really didn’t inspire my confidence when I had to explain to him that if he hand shingled he would have to fur out the corner boards because the thickness of the shingle and furring would extend past the corner boards. As well as change the flashing at the rake . The way it is now the cut ends of the panels slip into what looks like a large peice of j channle. He mumbled something about, “securing it with a finnish gun as best we can.”  He also couldn’t remember what the “finish gun”was called at first, I tried to help by suggesting a siding nailer but he said “no, no a finish gun.”

He also come to think of it never once used the term exposure, so I was having trouble understanding him, he mentioned tucking this or that here..and there… I finaly just had him write up the estimate so I could go call some one else.

Also, insurance will cover it so there really isn’t a reason for me to do it except for workmanship. I guess I am just having some problems because I usually do my own work and know my workmanship.

Any advice and opinnions on the cedar siding and picking a contractor will be a great help

Webby