Thanks for the question! For all of these projects we just supplied the wood and didn't do the installation. So, different builders will have different methods of installing it. On our end one thing we frequently recommend is kiln drying. It's a little bit more expensive but it helps quite a bit to limit shrinking and expanding. As far as protecting the wood exterior a lot of our products will hold their look well because they have already been weathering outside for a while, in some cases years and years. While other products, specifically brown tones might have been on the interior of a structure and if installed on the exterior could gray out over time if precautions aren't taken. We don't give specific advice on installation methods or products, other than our own rustic and reclaimed wood products, to use when installing. But we highly recommend doing research on these things!