One type of wood siding that many people choose for their homes is red cedar shingles. Aside from their obvious aesthetic beauty, there are other advantages that make people prefer this siding over cheaper types. However, maximizing these advantages means the shingles have to be installed and maintained properly. Doing this well means significantly less expense over time, thus making it especially important to seek the assistance of experienced contractors like the professionals at United Home Experts.
What Makes Cedar Shingles Attractive?
Wood shingles are naturally attractive, their grain is not repetitive (such as those of synthetic materials), and many of them age beautifully if properly treated prior to installation. Contrary to popular belief, cedar is highly durable, especially red cedar. It contains tannic acid that acts as a natural preservative. The material is also dimensionally stable so there is very little expansion or contraction of the material with changes in the weather. This is not true of other siding types like vinyl. Furthermore, air pockets captured by the wood make it a natural insulator that keeps the home cooler in warm weather and warmer during the cold months.
What Does Proper Installation and Maintenance Entail?
Unfortunately, not all cedar shingles are manufactured equally. The higher-grade varieties have several characteristics that make them preferable over lower grade ones. First, these have fewer knot holes. Second, when installed, the space between each shingle is minute because of the straightness of each shingle’s cut. Higher-grade red cedar shingles may cost more up-front, but the expense is often worthwhile.
As red cedar ages, it changes color to dark gray in a few years, unless properly treated either by the manufacturer or the installer. Some people find this undesirable, while others factor this aging into the house’s design. Proper treatment also lessens the wood’s susceptibility to insect attack, which further extends the life of the material.
Installation of cedar shingles typically requires an experienced contractor in order for it to be done properly. Vinyl or fiber cement sidings have been prefabricated so that each segment automatically fits the next one like a glove. With cedar, the installer should exercise as much care as possible to ensure that there is little or almost no space between shingles. Sealant also has to be applied between the spaces so moisture does not undermine it. Siding contractors of United Home Experts have red cedar shingle installation down to a science. This frees homeowners from worries they might face if they installed the wood siding themselves.
Like all other siding types, cedar shingles are susceptible to weather damage and impact damage. But contrary to what many believe, it is not less durable than other siding materials. Its resilience and innate strength allow it to last several decades. It may be susceptible to insects, fungus, and other microorganisms, but this can be circumvented through proper wood treatment by experienced professionals.
Replacing damaged shingles is also easy. The challenge is in making the color of the newer shingles match the newer ones. Repainting is an option, but this will cover up part of what makes red cedar attractive. Plain washing the wall down with water is often not enough. Microorganisms like fungi need to be removed using bleach. Susceptibility to moisture means that the owner should regularly check the siding to make sure that the wood has not begun to rot.
What Makes Fiber Cement a Good Alternative?
Those who find that red cedar is not for them can opt for fiber cement. There are varieties that have been manufactured to mimic cedar very closely. It is nearly as good an insulator and has the same dimensional stability as masonry. Maintenance is as easy as hosing the wall down with water. Weather may still damage it, but it is not as susceptible as wood to moisture or fire.
In Summary
Naturally beautiful red cedar requires the hand of experience to be properly installed and maintained. The beauty of the wood can be revealed and preserved through proper treatment and expert installation. United Home Experts has both the experience and the expertise, to which its many satisfied customers throughout the New England area can attest. Their siding experts can go over everything the customer needs to know in order to make the right decision. This includes discussing alternatives like fiber cement or vinyl siding, which they are also experts in. Any homeowner considering red cedar for their home will benefit from their professional assistance.


ordinary, such as different names on the documents or a different address, raise those red flags because if your gut tells you something is fishy, then something probably is. Check out their insurance. Call their insurance broker. If the contractor is legitimate, they will not mind being checked at all. Only someone who is not legitimate is afraid of an investigation. The homeowner should go with his or her instincts.
of the aggravation and the expense of roofing a home more than once. Of course, in order to guarantee a roof for a lifetime a roofer in Shrewsbury will need to use the highest quality flashings, water barriers and shingles on the market, preferably those manufactured by the Certainteed Corporation, the nation’s leading manufacturer of roofing products.
homeowners of this community. The primary one, of course, is United Home Experts. United Home Experts has been roofing homes in Shrewsbury for many, many years. It is almost impossible to drive through any neighborhood here in Shrewsbury without seeing at least one home with a United Home Experts’ roof.
looking good. They also want a siding which lasts virtually forever since no one in Shrewsbury wants to spend the time or the money re-siding their home a second time.
that is United Home Experts. United Home Experts has been siding homes here in Shrewsbury for many years. They have literally hundreds of satisfied customers. In fact, it is almost impossible to drive through any Shrewsbury neighborhood without finding at least one home that has been sided by the siding experts at United Home Experts.
be intimately familiar with all of Shrewsbury’s local codes and permits and they need any contractor who does window replacement in Shrewsbury to have a thorough knowledge of Energy Star codes and how they apply to the homes in this area. After all, knowing what Energy Star ratings mean translates directly into monthly cash in the pockets of local homeowners in the form of lower utility bills.
community and they sincerely care about both the people of Shrewsbury as well as the homes in this community. UHE has put in more replacement windows here in town than virtually any other contractor. In fact, it is almost impossible to drive through the local area without spotting at least one home or office that has had its windows replaced by United Home Experts. They have files bulging with literally hundreds of happy local homeowners who are only too happy to sing the praises of UHE.
their authentic appearance but because both windows have among the highest Energy Star ratings and will save local homeowners potentially hundreds of dollars a year on their heating and cooling bills.
codes and permits backward as well as forward. Failure to file the proper permits can result in fines as well as substantial delays in the completion of the job.
Experts has been replacing windows here in Newton for more years than anyone cares to remember. They have literally hundreds of satisfied customers who are more than willing to sing the praises of UHE.
almost impossible to drive down one of Newton’s beautiful streets in any one of our thirteen villages without finding at least a few homes that have been roofed by the experts at United Home Experts. Stop by and UHE will be happy to supply you with as many satisfied references as you wish.
in lost dollars in higher heating and cooling bills. Installing the right windows, with the highest possible Energy Star rating, is extremely important to local homeowners.
is the recognized leader in the manufacture of windows. Marvin fiberglass windows are textured and colored to look virtually identical to wood. Their fiberglass windows are light weight, quick, and have one of the highest Energy Star ratings in the business. Marvin wood frame windows have that classic look and feel to them and they are as “green” as it is possible to get. Homeowners who choose either Marvin fiberglass windows or Marvin wood frame windows never need to worry about the quality of their choice.
near the high quality of Aura.
maintenance – no one wants to spend every weekend working on their home. Secondly they require a siding that lasts – practically forever. No one wants to re-side a home more than once.
and they need to have the best interests of the homeowners of Newton in mind. They need to have hundreds of local homeowners willing to sing their praises.
about re-siding their home a second time. And UHE uses siding that has only the highest Energy Star ratings so homeowners can also rest easy knowing that they will not be paying even one cent extra for their heating and air conditioning.