How to Make Siding From Rough-Sawn Lumber

Rough-sawn wood siding is often used on cabins and rustic homes.

Rough-sawn lumber is the green lumber sawn from logs and stacked to dry. It's sometimes sold while in the stage between the freshly cut log and the dried, planed and finished boards found at the local hardware store. Rough-sawn lumber is not cut to the exacting standard of finished boards. When you buy a 1-by-8-inch rough-sawn board, it's 1-by-8 inches, not the finished size of 3/4-by-7 1/2 inches. Using rough-sawn boards as siding gives your structure the rustic look of a vintage building.

Things You'll Need

• Tarp
• Building paper
• Staple gun
• Utility knife
• House wrap tape
• 2-by-2-inch boards
• 2-by-4-inch boards
• Ring shank nails, 3 inches long
• Hammer
• Tape measure
• 1-by-3-inch boards
• Spirit level
• 1-by-8-inch rough-sawn boards
• Saw
• Clear penetrating epoxy sealer
• Roller
• Paintbrush
• Exterior-grade clear latex caulk
• Penetrating stain

Instructions

1. Ask the vendor how long the lumber was air dried. Rough-sawn lumber should not be used until it has air dried, generally one year per inch of thickness. Therefore, 1-inch boards should air dry for a year before use.

2. Stack the lumber at or near the job site. Cover it with a tarp or stack it in a garage to ensure that the lumber stays dry until you're ready to install the siding.

3. Install building paper over the frame of the house. Begin at the bottom of the house, attaching the building paper horizontally by stapling it to the wall studs. Wrap it 6 to 24 inches around the corners of the building. Also wrap the paper over the door and window frames, trimming the excess and securing it inside the frame with staples. Overlap the next layer of building paper by 4 to 12 inches, depending on your local building codes. Once all the building paper is installed, tape every seam with house wrap tape to prevent air infiltration into the building.

4. Install corner boards on the outside corners of the house, butting a 2-by-2-inch board against a 2-by-3-inch board. Nail them to the corner studs securely, placing a nail every 4 inches.

5. Nail a 1-by-3-inch starter strip to the wall studs. Install it horizontally around the bottom of the wall and 12 inches up from the soil. Use a spirit level to ensure that the 1-by-3 boards are perfectly level all the way around the house. Butt them tightly against the corner boards.

6. Align the bottom of the first row of 1-by-8-inch rough-sawn boards with the bottom of the starter strip. Nail the boards to the studs, placing each nail 1/8 inch above the starter strip. Cut the last board in each row to fit snugly between the previous board and the corner boards.

7. Measure and mark 1 inch from the top edge of the first row of boards. Overlap the second row on top of the first, aligning the bottom with the 1-inch marks. Nail them to the studs, placing each nail 1 1/8 inch from the bottom of the boards. Continue installing rows of boards until the walls are completely sided.

8. Roll a coat of clear penetrating epoxy sealer over all of the siding, paying particular attention to the bottom edges of each row of boards. Use a paintbrush to paint around the edges of the siding. Allow the sealer to dry according to the manufacturer's directions.

9. Caulk around all the doors, windows and corner boards, using an exterior-grade clear latex caulk.

10. Apply a penetrating stain over the rough-sawn boards with a roller and brush. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a penetrating stain or preservative should be used on rough-sawn lumber.

Tips & Warnings

• While modern siding is beveled, the old-fashioned, rustic siding originally consisted of straight boards. The starter strip angles the first row of boards so it matches the upper rows.

• There is some variation in the thickness of rough-sawn lumber. For example, a board may vary between 1 and 1 1/8 inches thick. This enhances the rustic appearance of the siding.

• Rough-sawn lumber is also installed vertically, with a 2-inch space between each board. A 1-by-3-inch batten is then nailed over the spaces, overlapping each board by 1/2 inch.

• Wear gloves, safety glasses, boots, long sleeves and pants when working on any construction site and with power tools.

• Do not nail through two boards with one nail; the boards expand and contract separately.

• Keep saws, tools, sealers and stains out of reach of children.

References

• Rocky Mountain Forest Products: Natural Wood Siding
• University of Massachusetts Amherst: Housewraps, Felt Paper and Weather Penetration Barriers
• The Journel of Light Construction: Wrapping the House: Do's & Don'ts
• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Wood Siding – Installing, Finishing, Maintaining
• SouthernCypress: How to Install Cypress Bevel Siding

Resources

• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Air Drying of Lumber
• L.L. Johnson Mfg. Co.: Lumber Guide
• American Hardwood Export Council: The Illustrated Guide to American Hardwood Lumber Grades
• Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service: Wood Finishing