Home exteriors are absolutely critical not just for the look of your home, but also for the overall aesthetic and feel that your home gives out. If you want your home to be stylish, warm, and protected from the elements, then choosing the right exterior cladding should be a decision that is made only once you have all of the right information.
If you’re considering natural timber siding, then you’ve probably narrowed your choices down to two popular options; cedar log siding and pine log siding. Both materials provide a number of key advantages, but you may have a hard time deciding, particularly if you’re relying on outdated information.
At The Woodworker’s Shoppe, we stand behind all of our products, no matter what the base materials are, and this quick guide has been designed to help you make the right choice for your unique needs.
Pine Log Siding: Affordability with Few Compromises
You may have already learned that pine is a more affordable material and a popular alternative to cedar. While it’s absolutely true that pine log siding costs less than cedar, calling it a ‘budget’ material wouldn’t be absolutely fair.
Modern pine log siding is more affordable because pine is more abundant, pine forests grow faster, and raw pine is easier to work with. However, even with all of the benefits in cost, there are few compromises when it comes to longevity, aesthetics, and suitability for your home.
Our pine log siding is treated to ensure that longevity is comparable to cedar. Using red pine on your exteriors can mean a lifetime of protection for your home if you continue to maintain the stain/finish on the wood’s exterior surface. The use of dark stains can promote pitch bleed around knots that are exposed to prolonged sunlight, so lighter colored stains are a good choice.
If you’re an environmentally conscious household, then you’ll be pleased to know that our pine comes from sustainable sources on State & Federal controlled forests. Pine stands are fast to mature, and prompt harvesting and replanting mean that environmental impact is minimized.
Pine siding should not be considered as an inferior material but is instead an affordable alternative to cedar, that comes with many of the same benefits. If Northern White Cedar is out of your budget and Red Pine may not be your choice, we do offer White Pine log siding as an affordable alternative pine product of less or no pitch bleed. Lead times on White Pine exterior siding are extended.
Choosing Pine vs. Cedar Log Siding with a Larger Budget
We stand behind all of our pine log siding products and recommend them if you want to finish your exteriors without blowing your budget out. However, there are situations where you want something that is more premium, and that has the potential to last longer.
Cedar is the most resilient natural timber used in home building. Cedar products usually have a serviceable lifetime in excess of 50 years. With processed cedar log siding, it’s possible for the siding to effectively last the lifetime of your home.
Properly maintained pine siding can last just as long as cedar, but if the stain maintenance isn’t cared for or is overlooked for a few years, the cedar log siding will outlast the pine.
If you’re thinking about an investment that goes beyond what is typically considered ‘long-term’ then cedar log siding should be your first choice. Although you’ll make a larger investment now to use cedar in your home, the long-term benefits help to outweigh the costs.
Because cedar doesn’t require the same amount of treatment or processing as pine, it is considered more energy efficient. Cedar is also more thermally efficient, which can reduce the heating and cooling costs in your home. Northern white cedar is rated with an R-value of 1.41 for every inch of thickness. The higher the value, the better the material is at insulating. Pine has an R-value of around 1.25, which means it’s slightly below most species of cedar.
When you use cedar log siding, you’ll keep the heat inside of your home in the winter, while keeping the cold air out. During the warmer months, the opposite is true. When using inverter style air conditioners or a central air system, cedar log siding will always provide better efficiency and combined with internal insulation and interior siding or paneling, you’ll have a highly energy efficient home that is more affordable to keep warm or cool.
The Woodworker’s Shoppe is the Best Place to Explore Your Options
Whether you want the cost-effective beauty of treated pine siding or the extended investment value and efficiency of cedar, or you just can’t choose between cedar vs. pine, The Woodworker’s Shoppe can offer smooth and hand-hewn log home siding in a variety of cuts to meet your budget.
Explore our cedar and pine exterior siding options today, and create a beautiful and lasting home with America’s favorite building materials.
Recent Comments