
Log siding is a distinctive look for a home's exterior that achieves a look of rustic warmth and is particularly well-suited for homes in mountain or wooded areas. Often constructed from cedar or pine wood, log exteriors are an excellent insulator as an exterior material. Log siding can be easily installed over most conventional exterior materials, such as brick, concrete, metal, or wood walls.
Rather than using conventional round logs, log siding looks like rounded individual logs on the exterior, but is flat on the side that meets the exterior wall. This allows the siding to be installed more easily and also saves money on materials as compared with whole logs.
The best log exteriors use wood that is kiln-dried. This eliminates the problems with shrinkage as the wood dries out after installation.
Unlike stucco or vinyl siding, log siding requires regular maintenance. The log siding must be painted or stained to resist weather and insects. Many manufacturers of this type of siding also recommend the use of a wood preservative product to extend the siding's life. Darker stains offer superior protection against the detrimental effects of ultraviolet rays in comparison with lighter-colored stains.
Log siding is not the exterior choice for every homeowner, but it does offer a number of advantages:
To learn more about the features and benefits of logs as a siding material for your home's exterior, contact local siding contractors. These professionals have worked with log siding, as well as other types of siding materials, so they can advise you regarding log siding as a choice for your home exterior residing project. In addition, siding contractors can provide you with free estimates for siding for your home.