Replies

1. 
   frenchy | Sep 29, 2005 06:55pm | #1

   jmac,

     I have cedar breather on the roof since that gets wet and stays wet for a long time here in Minnesota  (sometimes)   without the cedar breather cedar shingles/shakes won't last anywhere near their projected life..

     On walls I'm less convinced you need it.  It depends really on your climate and a few other factors.  For example do you intend to back prime the shingles?  How green are the shingles? If they've been sitting in some wharehouse for a year they may not need it (again depending on your climate). 

     Other factors enter into that decision as well, for example how much roof overhang do you have, are all the walls going to be covered or just some, if so which direction..

       The final decision is based on the likelyhood that the shingles will get wet and not dry out right away.. remember the back side of shingles is the part that starts to rot first.   With cedar breather the shingle is held a tiny bit off the wall so air will get to the backside and dry. Without it it's not  a problem if your shingles are able to dry out between rainstorms.. but shingles in the shade, shingles on the north side and shingles with little or no overhang will tend to get wet and stay wet for a long time..

     Back primed well dryed shingles are less likely to suffer than shingles put up and then painted/ stained..

    

1. 
   jmac | Sep 29, 2005 08:48pm | #2

   Thanks for the response.

   In DC/NOVA area.  We were planning on staining all sides prior to installation.  Don't know how green they will be.  North side will be one of the walls.  Overhang is about a foot, but shingles lower down won't be protected.

   Seems mixed based on your questions.  Which way would you go?  Thanks.

1. 
   MikeSmith | Sep 29, 2005 10:13pm | #3

   jmac.... in your climate (similar to ours, only warmer )  you  don't need a cedar breather  nor a rain screen

   i like the 30# felt.. but if it were mine , i'd probably use a nicely detailed 15# felt..

   flashings are more important than cedar breather / rain screen on a sidewall application..

    now.. if it were a wetter climate, like the  Pacific Northwest, then i'd add a cedar breather / rainscreen

   if you are going to stain or paint your shingles, i'd buy them factory dipped

   also, you don't say if they will be WC  or RC

   if you have one wall with a lot of splash, you might consider installing cedar breather on THAT wall.. say you have a continuous deck with no gutter... the shingles adjacent to that deck will fail long before the rest of the shingles on the house walls

   usually splash zones next to the foundation do receive enough splash to alter the weathering.... if  your bottom course is 10" to 12" above grade i wouldn't worry about it... closer that that you will get additional weathering

   also... how much experience does your siding contractor have with cedar shingles ?

   i've seen some real hack jobs in the last ten years or so... flashings wrong, coursing wrong, nailing wrong, side joints wrong..

    woven corners or corner boards ?

   Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

   Edited 9/29/2005 3:21 pm ET by MikeSmith

1. 
   jmac | Sep 29, 2005 11:32pm | #4

   Thanks for you comments.

   The lower level is beveled cedar siding, so most of the shingles don't have much splash zone.  In two locations they abut a lower roof, and flashing has been specified in those locations.  Not a whole house job, just the four gables of the house.

   I'll ask about factory dipped.  I was planning on having a painter dip prior to install, but it may be more cost effective/better to have factory applied clear stain.  Thanks for that suggestion.

   It has been represented that the siding guys have a lot of experience at this.  One dedicated crew that specializes in cedar work will be the guys who do the job.  Pictures of previous jobs I was provided look good, and the reference I contacted claims to be happy with his cedar install. (There inevitably is an element of trust I have to have in this process, because I'm sure the reference list I was provided would include only the "good" references.)  Company has been around 20+ years in the area. Specified hot dipped galv. nails (and based on my reading here over the years, one  (the only?) thing I knew was right:))