I don't know anything about your other options, but we are in the middle of putting cypress on our house right now. It's gorgeous, but there is some movement in a short amount of time. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have, if I can.

When you say movement, what do you mean? Are you putting a sealer or stain on it?

We went crazier with the color than most people would, but it was to accomplish a look and not because it was necessary. It does have a sealer, which you definitely want. There are other things to do for stability, like priming the back and how it's installed, but that applies to any wood you use. Your contractor should know, and if he doesn't, have the wood company get you the details.

The movement I'm talking about is in between the boards. They started out really tight and now there are gaps between some of the boards. Our friends who used cedar (not vertical grain) are also having the same problem. Vertical grain is the most stable wood (cedar is commonly chosen for that) but we wanted grain for the look. The grain makes it more susceptible to movement. Good installation is very important. I just want you to be prepared because we have great installers and it's happening anyway. The tongue and grooves have not come apart, and we hope it stays that way!!

I know of no more serviceable cladding for a house. Why would you compare it to simulated wood products that cost so much less?

If its applied vertically over 1/2" sheathing, it should be nailed to horizontal blocking.

It should be kiln-dried to minimize movement.

Building for the CATS that looks beautiful. I like the color and the tongue and groove look. I am considering board and battan. I wonder if I would have the same problem with the gapping?

JDS I have heard that real wood is so much maintenance like every couple years having to stain or seal. I am not sure I want this kind of maintenance. Is this incorrect? Am I worried for no reason?

Board & batten would allow a great deal of movement which would be needed for the wider boards. That makes the blocking even more important. I find the detailing around the openings to be a challenge. Good carpenters are needed if you can find them anymore.

JDS this makes me even more worried. lol.

New cypress is not what it once was. I worked on an 1898 house with 7/8" cypress german siding (novelty siding) and not a single piece had any rot.

In the 90's we were milling exterior woodwork out of cypress (new cut, not reclaimed) and had to replace it withing a few years because it had rotted. Looking back, it was the sapwood that had the worst problems.

It is a softwood, so it has a broad expansion/shrinkage cycle.

If you have to use cypress, I'd try to get all-heart, quartersawn.

Casey

We used Cypress for our house in the eighties. It still looks good today, although it is now painted and not stained as it was originally. Cypress has great bug repellant qualities. Never had any movement or gaps. But, that being said, in our most recent build, we have a cypress ceiling in the great room. The boards wrapping the room (parallel to the floor) have gapped between where they join each other because they were not cured enough. So we covered the gaps with decorative iron over the joints.

JDS this is all good info. Love it! Thanks so much!

I don't know anything about your house design but if I could afford cypress, I would try to use cedar shingles and weave the corners.

Sombreuil this is interesting and also great info. Much appreciated.

I am thinking of doing stone on the front and sides of the garage. Thoughts?

I’d defer to jds because he knows so much more than I do. It sounds like he might be saying it’s not necessarily true, but I had been thinking batten style would be much more forgiving because there is a board that covers the gap. So when the wood moves, you wouldn’t see it. that style requires a lot more wood, maybe it was 50%? We were going for a more contemporary look, but I love board and batten and would do it in a heartbeat

our Wood was cured for 8 weeks. Fwiw

We did everything jds mentioned, and Its also installed over a rain screen

the guys working said they see it move depending on the time of the day

Our cypress are old logs that have been recovered from the bottom of rivers I don’t know if this is the problem stuff Sombreuil mentioned or not

Our boards are thicker than our friends who have had problems w the tongue and groove coming apart Our installation is much better too They didn’t prime the back or do any of those extra steps

For looks only, we painted primer on the boards and then ‘stained’ it with paint (I’m not recommending this method because it’s pretty pricey and a stain would be just fine !!) . The thought is it’s pretty protected and we won’t need too much maintenance. Now that we have the instant aged look, we plan to now let it age over time and not need constant staining to keep it looking just so. I’m hoping we can do a simple sealer no more often than once every five years.. We have extreme sun where we are so your conditions may not be the same But the look your going for my be different We have friends who just put in vertical grain cedar and they plan the reseal it every year to keep it looking perfect.

Again, you will have less movement with vertical grain, but I love the grain showing and willing to accept some movement

Keep in kind, there is no installation that is going to prevent the wood peckers from attacking it. We have a million near our house and I’m not sure why they haven’t started yet. Before the windows we in, they spent their days flying over the construction worker’s heads and putting acorns in the insulation (over 100!) I got a kick out of it though.

If that would bother you and if you have them in your area, you might rethink wood. We have a couple neighbors who would never do it again

CATS we are building in Illinois so there is quite a mix of weather conditions. Funny you mention woodpeckers, as I heard one the other day. I do not hear them very often though.

I was thinking I'd just put a clear sealer on it and let it age. I am waiting for a quote on the cypress from a company I found that is in my neck of the woods but sells all over the country. What would you consider a good price on cypress? What should I expect to pay? I am assuming they price by the board foot?

Here are some specific recommendations abut finishing cypress. The same chemical compounds that make it long-lasting and rot-resistant play havoc with some paints.

Finishing cypress

Good to know. Thank you.

Dana, I wish I could answer you, but we only have a price for the entire wood order. It's not as simple as dividing by the sq ft number because there are so many other details (under eaves or trim around windows etc). Because wood prices fluctuate, and we ordered this a year ago, I'm not sure how much it would help you anyway. You are probably better off getting a bid from a couple other suppliers. And talk to them about the prices of varies thicknesses. FWIW, our siding is 1 inch thick. I can't get the name of our supplier if it would help.

I understand. If you would share your supplier, that would be great. Would you say it is cheaper than brick or stone?

I don't know the price of brick (people don't seem to use it much in CA), but it's definitely less than stone. Well, I should couch that by saying it depends where you are. In Austin, most homes are made of Texas limestone because it's so affordable. Stone is much more expensive where we are.

I'll find out the name of our supplier for you. I'll have to wait for our builders to go back to work on Thurs. If you don't hear from me by Fri, it means I forgot so nudge me :)

Here's a short timelapse instagram video of a vertical shiplap cypress siding project I helped another builder friend with.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhvT8ScBFS7/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=18zrhc1pj8mvz

Material costs are probably less important than labor costs. On project above, carpenters did all the finishing at carpentry labor rates. There is a measurable amount of finish work by carpenters to seal the cuts and ends. It's the flashing details that make skilled labor really important.

Don't choose real wood without skilled labor, healthy overhangs and possible increased maintenance to maintain new looks. Stained wood usually looks great new, be ready to accept the inevitable fading mentioned by jds.

Always install real wood on a rainscreen. While most cladding and structures benefit from rainscreens (even engineered) it's imperative to mind the gap with wood.

Check out Boral for what's probably the best engineered product on the market.

Not sure what you mean, but don't like the sound of clear sealer. With exception of doors, ceilings or soffits, exterior wood needs penetrating sealers, stain or paint, not clear sealer that forms top film. If painting, use an experienced painter to handle the special needs of tannin rich woods like cypress and cedar.

Springtime Builder, this is all good information and greatly appreciated. I will check out Boral as an option.

Re: Your question way upthread about comparison with other siding: I haven’t used cypress, but we have had factory finished hardi siding on our house for 20 years and it has needed no maintenance and looks as good as the day it was installed. It is on both the south and west sides in full sun and has weathered whatever NH’s weather throws at it without problems. We live in an old farmhouse, and so wanted the traditional white-painted clapboards to suit the architecture.

NHBabs thanks for the info. Glad it’s worked for you. I am trying to get more of the wood look without going with real wood just for the reason of maintaining. Not finding many options out there.