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What kind of siding is this (and how is it made)?

Started by ziggy, March 19, 2013, 08:15:33 PM

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ziggy

Hi all:

I scored a bundle of this seemingly ancient siding at a building supply auction, and have since used it to side a small tool shed. I love the look of this stuff with its live edges, and now I'm wanting to use a similar style material on the porch of our timber frame home.

Does this siding have a name other than "lap siding"? This particular material is clearly cedar, but what other woods would be appropriate for making into this style? And how does one saw out this stuff? (I don't actually have a sawmill, but I am crossing my fingers that I can get a local to do it... maybe...)



Anyone have some firsthand experience? Thanks!

Jay C. White Cloud

Even'n Z,

It is commonly called: "Live Edge," "Fletch," or "Slab," siding.  It is simple to make and most sawyer can do it for you.  Thicker is better, min of 3/4" 1.25" is much better, (more stable.)  Almost any tree species will work, oil it both sides helps stabilize the more cantankerous species from "acting up" with cupping and warping.  Sticker it well and put weights on the stack for a month or two, if possible.  Best of luck.

Regards,

jay
"To posses an open mind, is to hold a key to many doors, and the ability to created doors where there were none before."

"When it is all said and done, they will have said they did it themselves."-teams response under a good leader.

ziggy

Do you mean "thicker" is better?

Also, would you oil the whole board prior to letting it set to dry out?

OlJarhead

If fresh sawn then let it dry first.

If it's old dried stuff then stain and install :)

I also like the look and might do some myself in the future but I may try to taper it (harder to do on an LT10 then the others since there is no pre-made jig for it).
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Jay C. White Cloud

Thank's Z,

Ya, thicker not thinker... :D :D :D my spelling is horrible, and the computer doesn't catch those... ;D

Oiling both sides with something like Land Ark exterior grade, does a good job of slowing the drying process and "relaxing" the slab.  You can use it fresh off the mill, let dry for a day or two, oil and then put right on.  This method does require more attention to detail in grain orientation, and chosen nail patterns.  Remember, bark side out only, even thought this seems not important or counter intuitive to the way wood moves, it is the method and the result to do other wise can sometimes be grave, even in quarter sawn go with the side that is bark out.

Oiled both sides less than a month of the stump.


A thicker method of "slab work"
"To posses an open mind, is to hold a key to many doors, and the ability to created doors where there were none before."

"When it is all said and done, they will have said they did it themselves."-teams response under a good leader.

logman

Around here in NC they call it featherboard and they cut it mostly out of white pine.
LT40HD, 12' ext, 5105 JD tractor, Genie GTH5519 telehandler
M&K Timber Works

shtickhead

Jay C, in your 'thinker' slab ;) method what 'chinking is used?

Also I see house wrap in the pic but I think in another thread
you questioned its use and recommended builders felt?

I have a house to side and was going to do board and batten
but don't like that the horizontal strapping doesn't lead to good venting
so I'm considering live edge especially if I can put it up green.

Jay C. White Cloud

Hi Shtickhead,

Ya, there is house wrap on that one... ::) :-\ lost out to a bothersome "father in Law" of the clients wife.  He was a real pain in the toe.  Ben and I would show up, and he would just do things.  He was livid when Ben and I went around beating ever square foot of the house wrap with a board full of nails.  I wanted to just rip it off, but that would have created a family feud.  Ben father in law screwed up a few things on the job, including the HVAC, which Ben made him take out later and pay for.  He hated everything about the design of the project, form the timber frame, to the radiant heat in the kitchen floor, you name it.  If it couldn't be bought at the local LOWES, it was bad.  The project took three times longer than, if he had just lent them the money to build, and stayed away.  What can you do?

Ben wast going to use Cobb chinking, but again, the father in law insisted on using some plastic product from the log home industry, that seems to have functioned o.k, just really expensive.  I think the fact that air circulates on both sides really makes just about anything, but concrete (portland), an acceptable choice.

QuoteI have a house to side and was going to do board and batten but don't like that the horizontal strapping doesn't lead to good venting so I'm considering live edge especially if I can put it up green.
No matter the siding style chosen for a project, we always run vertical strapping and then horizontal, if a vertical siding method is used, we just add more strapping to accommodate.  I use board and batten a lot, and the strapping methods allow for air good air circulation behind the siding.  The other plus with B&B is if you mount it traditionally, you only put nails (or finish screws) in the batten and maybe on side of the board, which allow good movement in the green wood.  "Poor mans ship lap" (boards w/45° cut on the sides) can be mounted the same way, with only nails on one side.

Regards,

jay
"To posses an open mind, is to hold a key to many doors, and the ability to created doors where there were none before."

"When it is all said and done, they will have said they did it themselves."-teams response under a good leader.

shtickhead

Jay,
thanks for the reply. It is frustrating dealing someone like that when you care about doing the job right.
I'll probably start a new thread with more questions when I'm ready to start siding.

Ziggy, is there really a place called Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage ?

beenthere

If someone poked holes in my housewrap, they would be replacing it "pronto".  :snowball:
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

jueston


Jay C. White Cloud

Sorry Beenthere,

Poking holes in the house wrap was Ben's solution, not mine... ::)  I was going to remove it all, as it simply isn't needed and was only going to generate problems in 350 mm (~14") thick walls packed with dens fill cellulose insulation, a breathing wall clad in 75 mm (~3") slabs outside, and wider (up to 800 mm (~32")) Hemlock 75 mm (~3") thick slab cladding on the inside.  House wrap wasted money, time and resource; not to mention a really good way to trap moisture inside the wall, when there is a semi-professional baker inside boiling, baking and cooking, all day long, very humid and hot, even with her vents running.  As I have shared before, and documented well the failing of this "bogus," product.  On architecture I facilitate it is not used; nor do I support the big government-big industry lobbying behind it's faulty, misplaced, and money/market driven science behind it...

Simply put, it does not "breath" as claimed and there are better solutions... :snowball:
"To posses an open mind, is to hold a key to many doors, and the ability to created doors where there were none before."

"When it is all said and done, they will have said they did it themselves."-teams response under a good leader.

ziggy

What jueston said, plus here's a link to the new Timber Frame Workshop we're hosting in August this year at Dancing Rabbit.

Still no luck on finding someone who can saw this stuff locally, although today I'm sending a letter to someone who happened to have an ad in the weekly classifieds paper who does timber framing. Never saw this ad in 6 years living here, and I think it may be a sign (especially since he mentions siding as a specialty). No phone #, so I think he's an Amish fellow. We shall see.


shtickhead

Ziggy, thanks for the link...looks like you're living some peoples dream.

Good luck with the siding.

Jay C. White Cloud

I haven't been there yet, but Ziggy and I have been corresponding and talking for a while now.  If you are in his location and can help with his milling needs that would be great!!! If you want to take a class on sustainable building practices, like timber framing, his programs are some of the best I have seen for what is offered.  I could not recommend him more, and all the feedback I have seen has been excellent.  Go Ziggy!! help Dancing Rabbit, it's a great place. 8)
"To posses an open mind, is to hold a key to many doors, and the ability to created doors where there were none before."

"When it is all said and done, they will have said they did it themselves."-teams response under a good leader.

tyb525

I think poking holes in it was a worse idea than leaving it as it was. Either housewrap, making sure it is totally tight and waterproof, or don't housewrap at all....Housewrap with holes in it is just asking for moisture to get trapped behind it and rot everything out.

Sometimes you just can't protect dummy's from themselves ::) Down the road when problems start showing up, the father in law probably will put the blame on someone else for the problems he created (likely you and Ben). I'm not even old and I've been around enough people like that.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Jay C. White Cloud

QuoteHouse wrap with holes in it is just asking for moisture to get trapped behind it and rot everything out.
I would have rather it not be on too, but when we asked at the time about moisture build up and release, the recommendation was to use a roller with little spikes to put holes in it.  With the structure  covered in a breathing wall and cold roof the only place they ended up with problems was the bathrooms, first and second floor, which Ben did not get around to perforating.  That section got redone and covered with 30# felt, then the breathing wall  reinstalled, guess what, no more problems. 

I have seen walls, that are "supper seal" where the vinyl siding was bulging out.  When the siding was removed there was water, like in a bag, trapped behind the tyvek.  This has happened more than once, in different applications with tyvek.  It is not permeable as claimed.

Regards,

jay
"To posses an open mind, is to hold a key to many doors, and the ability to created doors where there were none before."

"When it is all said and done, they will have said they did it themselves."-teams response under a good leader.

tyb525

Yeah I know, I've used some as a roof for lumber piles and it works great for that smiley_thumbsup

OlJarhead,

Making beveled siding in your LT10 is not too hard. I would cut your cants to the width of siding you want, then if you put a couple small blocks under the live edge side of the cant, you'll get a bevel. The downside to beveled boards with live edge like that is you waste more. After every board, you'd have to set the cant down flat again and make a cut, that piece won't be right for siding so it's waste. With square edge bevel siding you can make a good piece from nearly every cut.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

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