Siding not only beautifies the outside of your home, it’s also an intricate part of the building envelope. The building envelope increases energy efficiency and prevents costly repairs caused by water damage. New techniques, products, and innovations are introduced every year. Call or visit one of Milwaukie Lumber’s siding professionals for the most current information and products.

Siding begins with the house wrap

The house wrap is designed as the last barrier between the siding and the inside of the house. Traditional siding paper includes 15# felt and snorkel paper. Both are asphalt impregnated to ensure protection of the wall. Other house wraps are designed around a system.

Rain screen creates an air gap between the siding and the wall. The air flow allows for quicker drying of the paper and allows water to escape. We’ll be happy to show you our rain screen products and designs.

A variety of quality building systems

We recommend Fortifiber Building Systems. These products, called Moisture Control Systems, bring together sound building-science principles and proven product design. In these systems, Jumbo Tex and Weathersmart are the house wraps; Fortiflash, Moistop, and EZ Seal serve as window membrane sealants. Moistop Sealant adheres the windows to the wall, and Moistop Corner Shield provides window corner protection. Call or visit us for complete instructions and sizes.

Another excellent solution is DuPont Weatherization Systems. Tyvek, an industry leader for more than 25 years, is DuPont’s house wrap. StraightFlash, FlexWrap, and Flashing Tape serve as DuPont's window membrane sealant.

More notable innovations in the building envelope

Vycor protects your windows from air, moisture, and water infiltration. QuickFlash Weatherproofing Products provide a solution to plumbing, electrical, gas, and HVAC exterior vertical wall penetrations and protrusions. Stinger staplers and Stinger staples use a cap and a staple to protect the house wrap from tearing or blowing off.

We also stock a wide variety of staplers and staples. We carry the A11 rapid tacker, Duofast HT550, Duofast HT775, and all corresponding staples.

Creating a design for the outside of your home starts with the window trim

In wood trims we stock a rough sawn preprimed spruce, also known as white wood, and a preprimed FJ cedar.

We stock 1x2s, 1x3s, 1x4s, 1x6s, 1x8s, 1x10s, 1x12s, 5/4x3s, 5/4x4s, 5/4x4s rabbited, 5/4x6s, 5/4x8s, 5/4x10s, 5/4x12s, 2x2s, 2x4s, 2x6s, 2x8s, 2x10s, and 2x12s in both products. A 2x3 window sill is an inexpensive way to add detail to your trim. Hardie Trim by JamesHardie provides an economical and durable product. Azek trim provides an alternative from wood that won't crack, split, or rot.

The 3 basic types of siding—lap, panel, and shingle

Tip: always use metal flashing above windows and doors. It will stop water from infiltrating your home. Ask our siding professional to recommend the best kind to use.

Your personal style and budget will determine your home’s exterior. Call or visit Milwaukie Lumber for ideas and pricing.

Lap siding lies horizontal on the house. HardiePlank fiber cement lap siding is the most popular brand of siding in America and can be found on over four million homes. The most common styles that are stocked at Milwaukie Lumber are the 8-1/4” and 6-1/4” Select Cedarmill, but other widths and styles are always available. HardiePlank also carrys a pre painted plank called ColorPlus, please check with one of our siding experts for more information. The other fiber cement lap siding that we stock is the 8-1/4” Cemplank.

Cedar is available in many different styles. Our most popular types are 1/2”x6” preprimed FJ, 11/16”x6” preprimed tight knot, and 11/16”x8” preprimed tight knot. Please call any of our locations for other stocking sizes of Cedar lap siding.

Tip: when cutting fiber cement siding use Nibblers, Hitachi Hardie Blade, or a diamond blade. This will cut down on dust and particulates.

Panel siding comes in many different varieties. HardiePanel fiber cement panels are equal to their lap siding in value and long-lasting performance. We stock the Stucco and Cedarmill profiles. Smart Panel is made of treated engineered wood, preprimed, and APA rated for single-wall construction. We stock the reverse board and batten styles. Plywood T1-11 patterns are 5/8” thick, offer proven performance over time, and many patterns come preprimed.

Use shingle siding as an accent for gables or to cover the entire house and create a more rustic look. HardieShingle fiber cement siding provides the same warm, authentic look as cedar shingles, yet resists rotting, cracking, or splitting. Nichiha Sierra Premium Shake fiber cement boards utilize a deep cedar grain that gives the appearance of rough sawn individual shake panels, but without the cost or maintenance. Shakertown Craftsman Panels provide 100% clear vertical grain heartwood Western red cedar on a self-aligning 8' panel. We also stock #1 cedar shingles and preprimed rake face shingles.

Tip: make sure there is enough ventilation in your soffits. Use mini-round, continuous, or square soffit vents to allow air flow.

Soffit areas are a good location to show style with functionality. HardieSoffit pre-cut panels eliminate the need for separate box or strip vents and minimize the need for cutting. Smart Panel Soffit provides an engineered board with a wood-grained pattern. Plain T1-11 plywood provides the security of a proven product. 1x4 and 1x6 T&G v-grooved clear or tight knot cedar shows a rustic, but elegant look. The preprimed 1x4 and 1x6 reversible T&G bead board/v groove pattern is another alternative.

In addition to metal flashings, we stock a wide range of siding accessories. We carry tin shingles or Bearskin for non-caulking joints, light blocks, receptacle blocks, and hose bibb blocks made from Trex or cedar, paintable gable end vents, galvanized, stainless steel, and ring shank siding coil nails, and the most popular exterior caulkings.