When it comes to siding options, wood shake siding has never completely gone out of style. While it is a classic option, it can also help create a wide range of exterior appearances. There are advantages to choosing wood shake siding for your home, but it also comes with its share of disadvantages. When considering this siding option, you want to keep these things in mind to make the best choice for your home.
Pros of Wood Shake Siding
1. A Unique Appearance
Of course, the biggest pro to shake siding is the look. It is a beautiful, classic siding option that can significantly enhance the exterior of your home. It isn’t just a classic; it’s a unique one. A home with shake siding will stand out from the rest. You can even paint or stain your wood siding to add to the appearance.
2. Increased Resale Value
Aside from enhancing the look of your home, wood shake siding can increase the resale value significantly. Wood is a more high quality material, and real estate agents and homebuyers recognize this fact. They understand that it means your home will go for more–and are willing to pay the price to become the new owners.
3. Eco-Friendly
Wood is considered an eco-friendly material for a few reasons. For one, it is a renewable resource–trees, especially cedar trees, grow rapidly, making them a sustainable building material. Wood siding is also biodegradable, so when it ends up in a landfill, it will turn to compost.
4. Offers Durability
When made out of woods like cedar, wood shake siding is a durable material. It can withstand impacts and wind and can be treated to withstand things like moisture, insects, and UV damage.
Cons of Wood Shake Siding
1. High Maintenance
The beauty of wood shake siding comes with a lot of required maintenance. Because wood is a natural material, it can attract moss and algae and needs regular cleaning to avoid growth.
Wood also requires stains and protective coatings to create added protection and prevent the wood from becoming damaged. These stains and coatings need to be applied every few years, so the care for wood siding is never done. Not doing thisthe required maintenance will shorten the siding lifespan, meaning you will have to replace sooner than you otherwise would.
2. Expensive
Another major downside to wood siding is that it is expensive. High-quality shake shingles aren’t readily available in every state, meaning you will have to special order them, which adds to the product cost.
You will need to hire a professional to install them, apply any stains, coatings, and paint, and help maintain them. All of this adds up, making them very expensive, especially since they require regular maintenance.
3. Susceptible to Fire and Other Damage
While woodWood offers some durability, but it is not completely safe from damage. Hard impacts can chip away at the wood, creating damage and missing pieces. Nailing shingles improperly can lead to tears, which make the shingle ineffective.
Most significantly, wood is not safe from fire–so wood shingles are not allowed in areas prone to wildfires due to the dangers they pose.
