Live edge red cedar siding

[Osagedon]

I have some eastern red cedar logs I am sawing into 1x live edge siding for a workshop I'm building. My question is how long should I let the siding dry after milling? I have read where some nail the stuff up green right off the mill.

[Southside]

If your logs are dead green then personally I would sticker it for maybe a month, not so much out of fear of movement but more to let the surface dry enough so you don't get the white fuzzy mold that cedar will produce when dead stacked.

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

If you nail it green, which is done sometimes, it is important to nail only one edge so that the other edge can move slightly with moisture changes.

If it is exposed to the interior environment and not exterior, make sure, if you put it up green, that you also have the inside heated and have some venting to allow good drying and to avoid mold, plus to avoid corrosion issues with any metal.

If you air dry it prior to installation, put it under a roof in an open shed and a few large fans that run from 10AM to 6 PM when the weather is good (i.e., warm but no rain).  Ten good drying days will do it in the summer.  Maybe 20 as we move into fall and winter.  This assumes that we do not need 12% MC or drier for your use.