Changed my mind on cedar siding after one wet spring in Ohio

I spent three weekends last fall putting up cedar siding on my 10x12 shed. Everyone said cedar lasts forever and looks great. I figured I was done for good. Then this April we got rain for like two weeks straight in Columbus. The bottom two rows started curling and one board split right at the corner. Turns out I nailed them too tight and didn't leave enough gap. Some neighbor walked by and pointed out the boards were touching each other. I thought tight was better. Now I have to pull half of it off and redo it with stainless ringshank nails and proper spacing. What did you guys use for siding that actually held up in wet climates, or am I just cursed with bad luck?

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ivan23015d ago

Backer rod is what nobody talks about. You can leave all the gaps you want but if water gets behind the siding and sits there, it will rot from the inside out. I put cedar on a garden shed in Michigan and the trick was a little bit of backer rod behind each seam, plus a drip edge at the bottom. That stopped the curling cold. Also, check your soffits. If air cant move up and out, the bottom boards stay damp way longer than they should. Your split might be from the nail heads trapping moisture, not just tightness. Redo it with that gap and ventilation and you will be fine. Bad luck has nothing on poor airflow.