San Diego Cedar Siding

The exterior of your home is, of course, the most visible part of your property. Every year, homeowners spend a significant amount of money and time to make the outside of their houses look good. Lawncare, landscaping, fencing, and many other factors make up the look of your property to the outside world, but perhaps none of these is as important as your home's cladding. There are a wide variety of looks and styles available in the category of exterior siding, but not every one will be a good fit for every situation. Though not the best choice for many environments, in San Diego cedar siding is a viable option—and a good-looking one, at that.

Benefits of San Diego Cedar Shake Siding
"Shake" siding looks basically like a series of wooden shingles, but the individual units are often slightly larger and have a more rustic look than a typical shingle. Shakes and shingles can be made of different species of wood, but cedar is especially well-suited as a siding material for several reasons. Cedar contains a naturally-occurring oil that makes it more weather resistant than many other kinds of wood. This same oil is also a natural insect repellant, so siding made of cedar is less likely to be used as a food source or nesting place for bugs than siding made of another wood species.

With all of the options available for exterior cladding in San Diego, cedar shake siding is one of the most attractive. Though it is a good insulator and may increase the value of your property, most homeowners who opt for cedar siding do it for its appearance. Very few things have as much rustic appeal as a house covered in wood. As a truly classic material, wooden shingles and shakes have a look that is often emulated, but never quite duplicated.

Drawbacks of Cedar Siding
Wood that is exposed to the elements is prone to swelling, cracking, and other problems; these issues tend to increase as an area becomes wetter or annual temperature changes become more dramatic. Southern California is one of the only places in the country where it makes sense to use a material like cedar siding. San Diego's mild climate and low precipitation levels make it a good environment for outdoor wood of any kind, and for cedar in particular—in this kind of area, cedar siding can last much longer and require significantly less maintenance.

Just because there will be less maintenance, however, doesn't mean that San Diego's climate will make cedar siding maintenance free. In fact, wood siding is probably the most maintenance-heavy cladding on the market, which explains why materials like vinyl and aluminum siding are more popular in the country as a whole. Though it will certainly require a bit more TLC than other materials, many who have opted for cedar siding say that the appearance and feel of natural wood is well-worth the effort.

Prices of Cedar Siding in San Diego
Another common drawback of wood siding is the price. To clad a home in cedar siding, San Diego residents will pay more per square foot than vinyl or aluminum, but less than brick or stone. To install or completely replace with wood siding, southern California residents should expect a bill somewhere in the neighborhood of $14,000.