Best lumber to use for Lap Siding.

[Randy]

I was planning to cut about 2000bft of siding for my cabin out of pine, wasn't even a question in my mind about using pine, but I ran into a Hardwood sawyer yesterday(he has a mill and has 35 workers employed) that said-----------No Way would he use Pine. The only other thing I have on my place that I have enough to use is cypress, but its hard to get too. What do you sawyers think about using pine? It will not be painted, but I can spray it with something------------What do you feel is good to spray it with---------------Wanted to keep it aging and looking natural. He said bee's will bore it and it will rot in a few years. He also said that the "Old" longleaf pine would last alot better than this Shortleaf that is growing now. Give me your opinion. Thanks Randy

[ARKANSAWYER]

You got the same pine I got and use it all the time.   Good overhang and keep bushes away and put some water sealer on it and let it go.   I have seen barns with pine on there that have lasted 60 + years.  Besides if you have plenty of it you can replace it in a few years with all the money you save.
ARKANSAWYER

[Gunny]

Randy:

I guess the pine your way--if the insights from that sawyer are valid--is of the "limp" species since the Eastern White Pine lap siding I put on the workshop many years ago has weathered to its typical "pumpkin" shade and shown no wear whatsoever.  I did the gable-ends in 1/2" EWP shaking and there's always a gawker or two taking pics of the finished product.  We'd "rescued" an old abandoned property that borders our south line and rehabbed the four cement-block walls that remained from  the once "summer cottage" that had been there.  

We did 1/2" EWP shake roofing on the tool shed about ten years ago and it's still as solid as back then.  We ran board-and-batten on the shed and haven't one bit of trouble.  Not a thing has been sprayed or painted onto the surfaces and Lords knows we have our share of turbulent weather in these parts.

On the kids' "barn" (a two-story 8'x12' cabin), I ran the entire hip roof with lapped 1X10s and have never had so much as a drop enter that building--though we did spray the roof with a well-know sealer, just in case.  

We have lots of very old EWP on our land and only need to thin one or two every several years to meet our needs.  That said, my local favorite--the barn and decks are from it--is Hemlock.  Not only does it seems to last forever with no care (all the Amish barns and outbuildings are built with it when it's available to them in this area--but the swirling grain patterns will just about hypnotize you.  We're "shaking" the front of the cottage we just picked up across the street with Hemlock since we have to look at it every time we gaze out the LR window or front door, anyway.

Another oldie in this area has been Aspen.  A drive through any of the rural areas will still yield the occasional "silver shed" which was sheathed in "popple" 150 years ago.  As long as it's not left in contact with moisture, the wood will turn so hard you can't get a nail into it without drilling first to minimize splitting it.  It weathers into many different shades of greys and silvers.  I read somewhere long ago that Pine or Aspen, left suspended in direct weather and unprotected, will lose something like one-half inch of its surface every century.  Oak only loses, like, one-quarter.  So, how long did you want this siding to last?

But you reside in that heat-moisture belt down there and know best which route to take.  I'd probably just hit the trails and check out the remaining shacks from back in the 19th century that're still standing and go from there--weren't the old boys from "The Foxfire Book" using Aspen or Poplar for their cabins?  It seems only natural that people would have been using what had proven best from many years of experiences.  I find, sometimes, that much of the "advice" I've been given in my years has been from people who've never followed it themselves.  

Good luck with that project!  

[Ron Wenrich]

I've been replacing my board and batten pine siding.  It won't hold paint very well, and its about 150 yrs old.  I've seen barns that old that never had a lick of paint.  As Arky said, keep it dry. 

Bees can be a problem, so sealing is a good idea.  I've never had them in pine that is sealed.

[rvrdivr]

I think if you have an opportunity to get cypress I would use that first. Down here in the south that is what most of the old buildings are made with. It's rot and bug resistant and will give your cabin a lot of charactor.

If you use pine, the bees can be dealt with using a tennis racket or bb gun. Make a game out of it and see how many you can kill in an hour.

Good luck,
Brian

[thedeeredude]

I'd use hemlock if you can get a hold of it.  My sawyer says bees don't like it.  He has hemlock and spruce on his shed and its held up fine for 15 years

[UNCLEBUCK]

Randy I would say that sawyer man is full of bee S  ! I hate people like that

[Randy]

Thanks Guys. My personal home was board and battened for around 20 years with pine and was holding up Good, but the wife wanted it bricked so ALL the boards were taken off, re-insulated then bricked. I kept all the boards, built this and that even got a chicken house that has been built for 5 years with some of the boards and it is as solid as a rock----------but this "Sawyer" said it was the old long leaf pine and it would hold up, but this newer pine wouldn't. I am not "INTO" tree's but all the pine that was used on my house in the 70's was cut on my farm and new tree's have grown where the old ones were taken down, but the seed had to be from the removed tree's because we didn't bring any "NEW" pines onto the farm, should be the same kind of pine as it was 30 years ago. I Think I will go as planned with pine-------I like the Idea of Swatting or BB-ing the Bee's :D. The cypress will be to hard to get out the "Swamp", don't have enough poplar, got plenty of oak, sweet-gum and hickory----Nope :D.  BUT I am still open for new Idea's!!! Thanks Randy

[woodmills1]

look up the uncle larry's walnut stain thread!

[Brian_Rhoad]

Pine will hold up to the weather fine, but the bees will make it look like Swiss Cheese. If you put a sealer on it the bees won't bother it. Hemlock would be my choice. That is what I'm putting my house. The bees will not bother it. We have Hemlock on sheds that are over 25 years old with no treatment of any kind and they are as solid as when they were built.

[rvrdivr]

I'm not sure about this but what the old sawyer might mean when he says "new" really mean young. The younger tree might not be as sappy or hard? I see the old heart pine all the time in the 100+ year old  houses here. Its hard as a rock. The trees were old growth and made good lumber. It takes years for a tree to get to that point. The trees might be big enough for sawing but not big enough or old enough for them to be "ripe".

Anybody care to comment and let me know if I'm on the right track ???

[Jimbob]

I also have this question, but my two choices are Southern Yellow Pine or Cedar.
To use as lap siding without any treatment or finish, which would be best?

[Rockn H]

Jimbob, I'm guessing that you are in the south.  I would say cedar would be your best bet , but I would still seal it.  Just my thinking.

[Tom]

Either way, keep the shotgun out to kill the carpenter bees.  :D

[woodsteach]

I have the same question but different species of wood to pick from.  I can use either red or white oak, or hickory, cottowood, or cedar.

I just returned from picking up my Brand X Sawmill  ;D   ;D  and already have an order for some siding, so what to use. 

This will be for a garden shed.

Paul

[woodhick]

Randy,  I helped my uncle put pine siding on his camp about 25 years ago. Still looks great.   His preservative, 50/50 mix diesel fuel and transmission fluid.  Gave it slight redish tint when we first done it.  I have used diesel fuel and used motor oil mixed 50/50 and got a dark brown look.  Just treat every couple of years and it should last a long time. ;)

[Jeff]

I have the same question but different species of wood to pick from.  I can use either red or white oak, or hickory, cottowood, or cedar.

Paul, out of those choices, I have to say cedar, hands down. We just sided the shed we built with red pine sawn at 5/8" thick by 7 1/4 wide. To early to tell how it will hold up but it looks like this:

[rbarshaw]

I have to go around once a year with a can of great stuff and put a little in each bee hole while the bee is in it, since I started this I only see 5 or 6 a year vice 50 or 60.

[Don P]

One discussion we've had around here about siding and bees is whether sawing to 5/8 or even 1/2 will make the walls of their tunnels too thin for them to be comfortable. They seem to avoid thinner material  ???. They also cannot chew thru a layer of paint from what I've been told.

[woodsteach]

Thanks for the reply Jeff, that is one fine looking shed.

I got my Brand X mill unloaded yesterday and produced 850 bf of 4x6 cants in 6 hrs, not to bad for logs averaging 16" x8' .  I will get faster. 

Paul

[DanG]

Pics, Paul!  We need PICS!  I ain't sure, but I think you're our first Brand X owner.  PICS!

[woodsteach]

DanG,

We don't have a digital camera yet so this weekend I'll do my best to borrow one and get some pix posted.

Last night I cut up a 26" honey locust and I got half way through a 29" red elm before I got wore out.  This was 1 1/2 hours.

Not to bad for a beginner by hisself.

Paul