Locally sourced wood siding in upstate New York
ranson
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
Reading through the QAs has convinced me to pursue locally sourced wood siding instead of vinyl siding. What trees from the area around upstate New York are best for durable siding? I’m thinking stained and sealed siding, rather than painted.
–John
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Replies
John,
Here in Vermont, local siding usually means:
(a) Vertical spruce boards (usually with shiplap joints).
(b) White pine or red spruce clapboards from a local clapboard mill.
(c) White cedar shingles (although these days, these usually come from Quebec or Maine, not Vermont).
In upstate New York, your options may be different. Ask around.
You might want to re-think the idea of staining. For vertical board siding or white cedar shingles, the best option is to leave the siding unfinished. With clapboards (lap siding), either stain or paint might make sense.
Vertical grain spruce clapboards in VT:
http://www.wardclapboard.com
The low "Cottage" grade are actually pretty nice, you'll just have to cut and work around some imperfections. Or you can upgrade if you don't like blemishes and have the budget. We got them pre stained with a primer coat on all sides, highly recommended. Then stain your color before/during installation.
I am experimenting with local hemlock siding using an open gap rainscreen detail