How to Install White Cedar Shakes
White cedar shakes make a home beautifully stand out. Like a good wine, the color and the look of the shakes improve with time. White cedar doesn't shrink or crack as much as many other types of siding. Many people feel that vinyl siding is easier to install, but the advantages of cedar shakes are not only in appearance, but also in insulation value. Cedar shakes are inexpensive and they last for decades. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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How to Install White Cedar Shakes
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1
Nail a layer of tar paper over your framing studs or your sheeting.
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2
Cut your tar paper to fit snugly at windows and doors. Caulk your paper at windows and doors for additional protection against water seepage.
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3
Nail in your first row of shakes at the bottom of your wall with the wood overlapping your foundation by at least 1 inch.
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4
Measure carefully and snap a chalk line so as to make this first row of shakes level. There should be approximately a 1/4 inch gab between shakes to allow for expansion in hot weather.
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5
Nail within 1 inch of the top of your shake using galvanized nails. If using a nail gun be certain that nail heads are not countersunk into the shake. If your shakes are thicker at one end that the other make certain that the thick end is pointed downward (towards the ground).
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6
Measure up 5 inches from the bottom edge of your shake and snap a chalk line. This line will mark the bottom edge of your next row of shakes.
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7
Start your second row ensuring that your breaks do not line up with the previous row.
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8
Measure up 5 inches from the bottom of this second row and snap another chalk line. Your next row of shakes will line up with this chalk line. By starting each row of shakes 5 inches from the bottom of the previous row, you will notice that your shakes will end up three levels thick. This will not only prevent water seepage later, but will also add greater insulation to your home.
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9
Install aluminum drip caps at the top of your wall and over each window to prevent water from making its way behind your shakes. Also, use 50 year silicone caulking around windows and anywhere else that water might seep.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure that nail heads are not countersunk into your shakes. Shakes can be cut with a table saw or a chop saw when necessary (usually at corners, edges of walls and to accommodate windows and doors).
White cedar shakes require no sealer, although you can paint or use stains or oils to alter the color if desired.
