Installing wood shingles as siding is somewhat similar to its installation on roofs with its focus on preventing water intrusion into the home. First, an underlayment is installed over the wooden base sheathing. For this project I used Tyvek Homewrap. It is a synthetic material that keeps air and water out while also being permeable enough for water vapor to escape and prevent moisture build up. When compared to the smaller rolls of felt paper, the synthetic home wrap is quicker to install due to its larger size. This makes it faster to cover the already larger planes of a home’s facade. I also cut and secured the home wrap, paying attention to any window or door areas.
To install the shingle siding, I began by installing a double layer of starter shingles along the entire bottom of one side home. The shingles on the starter course are evenly aligned covering one side to the other. The next layer in the double layer is overlapped in such a manner to ensure that the seams from the layer below is covered.
When it comes to the rest of the cedar shingle installation on the rest of the home, the installation process is slightly slower when comparing it to a wood shingle roof installation. Gravity and a home’s design are some of the factors that affect the time it will require to complete.
On a pitched roof, a roofer can lay out multiple shingles along the course and then fasten them onto the roof. For the wood siding, shingles must be held up and secured one at a time. Each course of shingles that is fastened further secures the previous two courses below it, as the two nails used to secure also penetrates the two below. It requires a more steady hand to produce a secure finish. Additionally, once you begin working on the more elevated areas of the home, the process becomes slower still as you may have to go up and down the ladder repeatedly to make any accurate cuts or adjustments to the wood.
I also made sure to precisely cut the wood shingles at facade corners and other detail area like window edges to produce a uniformed shingle course throughout all sides of the house. For areas around window frames and doors, I used a waterproof self adhesive to protect the areas from any water intrusion.
When completed, the finished project resulted in a beautiful looking home that stands out with its earthy natural colors.