What kind of wood is acceptable for painted siding

somecallmemike

I am planning to paint my house built in 1948, which was sided with cedar panels (currently painted but in desperate need of new paint). The outside corners where the siding meets are covered by metal caps, and they really look awful IMO. I was thinking about ripping the siding back at the corners a couple inches in both directions and putting a corner piece of wood in on all the corners, much like this picture but painted a creamy white, with the trim painted a darker greenish/gray color, and the cedar shake in the gables. Since I am going to paint the wood, does it matter much what type of wood I purchase for the task?

Thanks!

cortell

I don't think there's a type of wood you can't paint. Just make sure you use a good primer and then give the wood two good coats of paint. Don't go cheap on the paint and you should be trouble-free for a long time.

diy'er on LI

I don't know too much on this topic, but I do know certain woods are more bug and rot resistant than others. Cedar is definitely one of them, but it's obviously expensive. Wonder if other woods, like soft pine, would be so delicate that it should be avoided?

cortell

Untreated pine will for sure rot...if it's exposed to moisture. That's where a quality primer and paint come in. The paint will keep the moisture from reaching the wood. Now, if moisture were to get to unpainted parts of the wood, then indeed that wood is in trouble (not so for cedar). To prevent this sort of thing, some people do what's called back-priming. Basically, you treat the areas that are not going to be exposed, before you install the piece--the back, the sides. This way, if moisture were to get back there, you'll be in much better shape.

Of course, multiply labor and materials by 2x if not more...perfection and protection has its price.

ratherbefishing

My house was built in 1958. Siding is pine (or fir) 1x10s. Still looks good, still holds paint.

joecaption

Filn dryed yellow pine or Fur will work fine, but make sure to prime and paint all sides. It will last far longer and be less likly to cup.
I preassemble the the pieces using bisket joints and stainless stell of ceramic coated trim head screws for a nice tight joint that will not open up.

woodworkbykirk

cedar and pine are the two most commonly used types of wood siding. every time we install wood siding that will be painted it gets 1 coat of primer on all all faces, edges and ends. this not only protects the wood better but it also makes for a longer lasting paint job. it seals the back of the siding so that moisture is less likely to get into it. if its not back primed when the siding takes on water the sun will dry the face quicker than the back which draws the moisture through to the face in turn causing the paint to blister

depending on the pine siding however, we can get shiplapped siding that is both pressure treated and pre painted through www.capecod.ca

DexterII

Not to rehash what Joe and Kirk said, but all 6 sides means having your corner pieces cut to length beforehand, or having your primer close at hand while cutting, so that you can seal the cut ends as well. Yes, it can be a bit of a pain, but much easier than cutting out and patching will be later on.