If you're looking regarding a way to make your house stand out, cypress lap siding is one associated with those classic options that somehow never feels dated. I've seen lots of trends come and go—from that super-shiny vinyl to the ultra-modern metal panels—but there's just something regarding the warmth of genuine wood that hits different. Especially cypress. It's got this unique history and a group of natural "superpowers" which make it a top-tier go with for anyone which wants a property that will looks high-end yet can actually deal with the elements.
What is the Large Deal with Cypress?
You might be wondering exactly why you'd choose cypress over something more common like planks or pine. Honestly, it comes lower to where the tree grows. Cypress trees are known for residing in swampy, wet areas across the American South. Due to the fact they spend their particular lives with their "toes" in the water, they've evolved to be incredibly resistant to moisture.
Inside the wood, there's a natural oil called cypressene. This things is basically a built-in preservative. It can work as a safeguard against rot, decay, and also those irritating wood-boring insects that will love to turn the regular house into a snack. Once you install cypress lap siding , you're obtaining all that natural protection without getting to rely completely on heavy chemical substance treatments. It's fairly cool when nature does the tough meet your needs.
The Aesthetic Appeal associated with the "Lap" Look
Let's chat about the "lap" part for a second. Lap siding—sometimes called clapboard or even bevel siding—is that will classic look where the boards overlap each other horizontally. It's designed to shed water properly, which is why you discover it on therefore many historic houses.
Using cypress, the visual texture is exactly what really sells this. The grain is definitely usually tight plus beautiful, and it also doesn't have as much crazy knots as some other woods might. Depending on how you finish it, you can go the few different methods:
- The particular Natural Look: If you leave it on your own or just make use of a clear sealer, it starts out since a warm, honey-gold color. As time passes, when it's exposed to the particular sun, it weathers into this spectacular, silvery-gray patina. It looks like a high-end beach house or perhaps a rustic mountain retreat.
- Stained: Cypress takes spot like a dream. Because the particular wood is relatively lighting in color, you can go with a light oak spot or a deep, darkish walnut, and the grain will nevertheless pop through superbly.
- Decorated: This particular is where cypress really wins. Several woods, like planks, possess a lot associated with tannins that can hemorrhage through white color and leave unsightly brown spots. Cypress is much more "polite" in that regard. It holds paint well and doesn't require as much fighting along with primers to obtain a clean finish off.
Durability That Actually Lasts
I've talked to the people who are worried about wood siding because they think it's going to rot in five years. And yes, if you use cheap, without treatment pine, you may have a problem. But cypress lap siding is a different beast entirely.
There are aged homes in areas like New Orleans and Charleston that will have had the particular same cypress siding for over the hundred years. That's not a typo—a century. Now, certainly, those were likely "old-growth" trees, that are harder to discover now, but even modern "select" levels of cypress are usually remarkably durable.
It doesn't warp or twist just as much as other forest once the humidity spikes. In case you live someplace where the summers are usually a total swamp and the winters are freezing, you need a material that may "breathe" and move a little bit without cracking. Cypress is steady. It's reliable. It's the type of siding a person put on your "forever home. "
Let's Discuss the particular Installation Process
If you're the DIYer as well as when you're hiring a professional, you'll discover that cypress is a pleasure to work with. It's a softwood, but it's dense enough to feel sturdy. It doesn't split easily when you're nailing it in, which is a massive relief when you're three stories upward on a step ladder.
The "lap" style makes installation pretty straightforward. A person start from your bottom and work your own way up, making sure each board overlaps the one beneath it by an inch or two. This creates these deep shadow outlines that provide a house its character.
One small tip: if you're doing this yourself, make sure you use stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized nails. Since cypress offers those oils we talked about, cheap nails can respond with the wooden and cause "bleeding" or dark lines down the side of your house. It's a small additional cost for the right nails, but it will save you a substantial headache later.
Could it be Worth the Price?
I'll be real along with you: cypress lap siding isn't the cheapest choice around the shelf. If you're just looking for the best probable bid, you'll probably end up with vinyl or the fiber cement product. But you have to look at the particular value as time passes.
First, there's the curb appeal. True wood adds a level of value to a house that synthetic components just can't contact. When a potential buyer pulls up and sees real, top quality cypress, they understand the house was built with care.
Following, there's the longevity. You aren't likely to be replacing damaged panels every period a stray hailstone hits the house. Cypress is tough. It's also surprisingly eco friendly. Most cypress within the U. S. is harvested through managed forests in the South, so it's a renewable source that doesn't have to be shipped across an ocean to obtain to your work web site.
Maintaining Your Siding Without Shedding Your Mind
Every wood item needs a little love, and cypress is no exception. Nevertheless, it's not as high-maintenance as individuals make it out to be.
If you such as the weathered grey look, you honestly don't have to do very much at all. Perhaps a light power wash every couple of years to have the dirt and pollen away from. If you choose the "just installed" look, you'll want in order to apply an UV-resistant sealer or spot every three to five years based on how much direct sun your home gets.
The beauty associated with cypress lap siding is that will it's forgiving. In case you get a scratch or the ding, it just adds to the particular character. If you decide ten years from now that a person hate the colour, you can sand this and restain this. You can't do that with vinyl. Once vinyl fades or gets unattractive, your only option is to rip it off and start over.
The reason why It's a Good Choice for various Weather
Whether you're in a moist coastal town or perhaps a dry inland area, cypress holds its own. In coastal areas, the salt air can be raw on metal plus some types of addressed lumber. Cypress doesn't mind the salt much at all. In fact, its history in the esturine habitat makes it one associated with the few hardwoods that can actually deal with the "salt life" without falling aside.
In drier climates, the primary concern is normally the particular sun "baking" the wood until this turns brittle. Mainly because cypress is so dimensionally stable, it doesn't tend to shrink that gaps between the laps as much since other species. This stays tight, keeping your insulation guarded and your energy bills a little even more manageable.
Final Thoughts on Choosing Cypress
At the end of the day, picking siding is really a big decision. It's the face associated with your home. You need something that says you care about quality, however you furthermore want something that isn't going to become a constant source of stress.
Cypress lap siding occupies ideal middle floor. It's luxury without having being delicate. It's traditional without experience old-fashioned. And most importantly, it's a materials that ages with the home, getting better and even more full of character because the years go by.
If you're within the fence, go find a lumber yard that has some cypress in stock. Run your odds over it. Smell it (it's got an excellent, earthy scent). When you see the particular grain in person plus feel the pounds of the planks, it's pretty tough to get back to searching at plastic or even cement. It's a vintage for a cause, and am don't notice that changing at any time soon.