Does anyone have any thoughts on, or experience with, the solid cellular PVC clapboard siding Nu-Cedar is making? It looks like it should address many of the (perceived) negatives of conventional vinyl and fiber cement siding, albeit with a hefty price tag. If I can get past the sticker shock, the idea of going with a product that’s so new in the marketplace scares the heck out of me, but still…
Then again, I’m still not even sure about fiber cement in western MA… the freeze and thaw capitol of New England. I keep hearing about delamination issues, from the competition of course. Anyone with experience one way or another in that kind of environment?
~ Skeptical in the Berkshire foothills…
Replies
Skeptical
The Nu Cedar product as demonstrated to me, could only be installed by finish carpenters. It has to be installed perfectly level at the corners, it has no coursing adjustability, it expands way too much, and I think you have to be Houdini to replace a damaged panel.
The panels are very precise and would be hard to install on a wavy wall. I would ask the sales rep to show you a couple of installs, and talk to the installers. Did you see the special corners?
I think the product has possiblities, but don't work for the kind of clients that could afford this install.
Greg In Connecticut
Thanks for raising concerns about the difficulty of install...
I did see the fitted corner boards, but being a typical H.O. , what I saw was a look that eliminates one of the things that I really dislike about conventional vinyl siding, the gaping channel... not the challenge of installation.
Nu-Cedar does expand and contract a lot. For those who haven't seen it, they accomodate the movement by using trim boards that are machined to match the profile of the laps. Each lap attaches to the sheathing with a slotted nailing hem and fits into a pocket in the trim, but because the pocket follows the lap's contour you'd have to look very closely to realize that it's not a standard cedar-trim butt joint.
If skill would allow for an efficient install, this might actually be a good fit for my project. (If it's just a royal pain regardless of skill, that's something else) The G.C. and others on the crew make cabinets and musical instruments in their spare time... they're all pretty serious wood guys who usually clad with cedar and no synthetics. But GC's pretty well come to grips with the fact that cedar's cost has gone out of sight and minimal maintenance is a BIG driver for me.
Rep gave me info on an install well under way, think I'll give the GC a call ... maybe he'll share his thougths on working with it.
Curiosity question: If cellular pvc expands and contracts a lot, can you count on it to hold paint so much better than wood... or does it?
Fiber cement delaminating???? That's a new one on me...
Regarding the NU-Cedar PVC siding, don't know anything about it but I would have to wonder how expansion/contraction is dealt with. Seems like it could be significant with solid PVC clapboards????
Nu Cedar PVC Siding
Has anyone out there had experience with Nu Cedar PVC siding, particularly in a North East US climate?
It looks to have great potential, howver i believe it is fairly new to the market.
Well, the original post was from 2007
There's 4 yrs track record....................
if they guy that posted ended up going with it. I've never seen it so am absolutely no help. Best of luck securing information.
Did you ever go with the Nu Cedar PVC Siding?
I am in the same position as you were back in 2007. Wondering if it will work in the North East.
Seems to have great potential.
NuCedar Mills
I was one of the first installs of this product in North Carolina.
First, the bad: the idiot inspector insisted that all the gaps be caulked. Of course, when that was done, the expansion and contraction of the siding at the corners caused the siding to buckle. To their credit, NuCedar paid for all new siding and had a better corner system. After the hassle of tearing off the old stuff and installing the new, it has performed flawlessly. The house is about four years old and the siding looks good as new. Only real issue has been how to hide nail holes where we used finish nails to attach their sheet stock for panel trim under windows--I got some putty custom mixed at the local S-W store. Indeed, I would say the installer should be of finish carpenter quality--this stuff can go up fast once it gets going, but if the installer makes an early mistake it would be hard (impossible?) to fix. All in all, I'm happy and may use it on my next project--a major remodel. That is, if I can be convinced the walls are plumb enough AND not sure if they've gotten more competitive with their pricing (it's a different real estate market these days). I am intrigued by their new cedar shingle line--that looks like something that might be more forgiving of wavy framing. We'll see...