How to Install Cedar Shingle Siding | This Old House

Cedar shingles were used for siding before the Revolution. They were easy to install back then and they are still easy. Tom Silva shows Kevin O’Connor the old school technique for aligning the siding that does not require a tape measure.
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It’s time to start shingling the Arlington house. Tom Silva is using red cedar shingles that are primed on both sides. Before the shingles are attached, the exterior wall is covered with an all-in-one rain screen and air barrier. Tom puts a filler strip at the bottom of the wall so that the bottom course of shingles will flare out. The shingles get attached with 7-penny, 2-inch stainless steel ring shank nails. Tom recommends using one nail on each side of the shingle when the width of the shingle is five inches or less. The shingles should not be up tight to each other; there should be a very small air gap in between. The first course gets doubled, with the next layer just a little bit lower. Tom scribes and cuts the corner shingles to match the curved contour. The next courses that go up the wall need to be spaced out so that they line up with the bottom trim of the window. Tom shows Kevin O’Connor how he uses a story pole to mark off the courses that he wants for an approximate 5 inch reveal. The line is snapped with chalk and they attach the straight edge on which to place the butts of the next course of shingles.
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This Old House is America’s first and most trusted home improvement show. Each season, we renovate two different historic homes-one step at a time-featuring quality craftsmanship and the latest in modern technology. We demystify home improvement and provide ideas and information so, whether you are doing it yourself or hiring out contractors, you’ll know the right way to do things or the questions to ask. Our experts including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor give you the tools you need to protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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How to Install Cedar Shingle Siding | This Old House
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[@harrytuttle0]

Tom always has the most unique ways of measuring stuff 😵📐📏

[@landmarkcreations1183]

Tommy makes everything look so easy

[@loganperry1346]

Love the fact that they are adding way more details, and show the finished product. Its way better when you can get a real idea for how to do the projects.

[@Marshal_Dunnik]

If you’re wondering about durability, the cedar siding on my house was installed in 1963 and is only now, after almost six decades of Canadian weather, starting to require replacement (and even then, only one or two boards are staring to rot)

[@truecrimejungle]

I was, thankyou! interesting.

[@tylerk.7947]

Wow that’s amazing. Cedar is a great material

[@claireh.7605]

Except there is different thickness and grade of cedar siding and how it’s painted and repainted also matters

[@vlmrv9108]

Depends on the builder and climat. Cedar shakes rotten in 20 years in Georgia. Were installed on brand new house.

[@mpwall123]

Good luck remembering all that when the wife and kids are watching you

[@bkestler1]

Watching you boys putting up siding never gets old! ❤

[@rupe53]

At some point while going around an old house they are going to find the next set of windows will be a slightly different height because the building has settled ovah the last 100 years. Might only be a quatah orah maybe tree-quatah of an inch spread ovah say 10 - 15 ft, but they will have to explain how to fudge the snap line so the look is ok from the street.

[@Ryal89]

That looks amazing. Love to see this show is still going. I used to watch it with my dad as a kid.

[@ikkuranus]

Are they still going though? I haven't seen any (actual) new episodes in what seems like a year. To me, that means most of them retired or all the fresh content is locked behind a paywall on their site. In either case, I'm not upset but would kind of like to know without having to fork out cash first.

[@OverSoft]

@@ikkuranus The latest few seasons are free to watch and yes, they’re all still going with the exception of Roger who couldn’t continue because of a bad back. They’re currently on a pause due to COVID though, but they’re still working on their newest project.

[@MrEazyE357]

Same! Isn't it amazing?!

[@usclax22]

They have 2 podcast also. Ask this old house and clear story. Just started listening to ClearStory. Pretty good listen.

[@brandonbrown2533]

Awesome video!!!

[@patriottrucker8053]

Great vid. God bless ya'll

[@568843daw]

White Cedar, premium grade, painted on all six sides, and properly installed by a professional, will last 70+ years. Of course, it needs to be maintained just like any important asset. Cheers!

[@marshallhosel1247]

This is the way to go.

[@bettercameraplease]

Awesome tip to tilt the preacher

[@wild-radio7373]

Awesome!! :) 🤜🏻👍🤛🏻♡♡♡

[@ncsouthernman]

did anyone catch that Tommy forecasted the exact distance of that course of shingles at 5 9/16" ?

[@mitchellward9658]

Yes. His story board was marked at 5 1/2". That ended up being too high for the windowsill. He angled the story board to make it fit so the mark to the first line should be less that 5 1/2" not above.

[@jamesgrows4591]

I have been installing cedar sidewall and roof shingles in Rhode Island and Connecticut for years. Actually since I was a kid, 16 years old and now going on 40. Not handy man siding actually flawlessly finished dozens and dozens of large homes. Currently dealing with a home owner upset over spacing. The main issue is the house is a poorly constructed modular with large metal straps tying the levels of house together. This caused some visual imperfections in the wall, as well as the minor unevenness of the cdx sheathing. The box recommends 1/8-1/4 spacing. This is a global recommendation. I’m wet areas of the country or world I may go this far. Here in RI it’s much drier. The shingles are also treated which prevent moisture from expanding or contracting the shingles. On the other hand boxed untreated reds I do space. Whites never since they are green. This video helps ensure what we did was correct. Tight with a small gap which we did. Now there is concern the shingles will buckle and fall off the wall. The owner won’t consider any information I give him. In wet areas or on roofs spaces are required. Every house, siding, and application is different. Just common sense and more so part of experience in doing it for so long. Thank you for the video.

[@mattski523]

I’m an installer in Massachusetts 30+ years. These days I space any shingle that comes boxed. I have installed boxed, kiln dried Western Red Cedar with no space and gotten away with it as I think it’s a very stable wood and doesn’t move as much. Your installation should be fine- especially so because it’s been stained/sealed.

[@DongThePooch]

Ballpark how long does it take to cover 1000 sq feet with 2 workers and a couple windows?

[@turnsufficient4971]

There's black underneath the yellow mesh material. Steve mentions "old school and new school" mixed together. What is the black material (I'm guessing that's the old school stuff under it). The yellow meshing is definitely the new school material.

[@claireh.7605]

I'm across the border in MA. What insulation do you recommend to put under the cedar shingles? In other words, what is the recommended wall sandwich (shingle, house wrap, insulation).

[@truthseeker6551]

See...​Cedar Breather

[@timskufca8039]

beautiful work. Clarify the rainscreen: if water does drain along that fabric material behind the shingles, it doesn't appear that there was any way for that water to escape. It was blocked in with the first course board.

[@MandoFettOG]

Yea I noticed that as well. I'm wondering though if the rain screen should go behind the course board too. Or maybe they gapped it and didn't mention it

[@MOONRAK3R23]

Seen it!!!

[@findafire]

Looking and enjoying watching a craftsman work it appears the picture window on the next wall is a different height of the beginning wall window. How did that work out?

[@Jay-yy9ol]

I noticed you didn’t create an opening along the bottom for drainage and air flow when you used the Rain Screen product. Or install a bug screen if there was a vent. Does thin mean these thing aren’t necessary?

[@mamav1329]

Is there a difference from this and standard cedar shingles?

[@MustPassTruck]

Cedar shingle are amazing for fires.

[@Nill757]

Yeah that’s what I’m thinking. And now with that air gap behind the cedar, even better for fires.

[@nholt]

Yes but there are plenty of old house with lots of cedar like mine that haven't burned down yet.

[@nokandu5684]

Ever seen vinyl siding burn?

[@matthewv4086]

How to shingeling around the agular bay window? Both inner and outer angles.

[@ericr2zz]

At 2:15, Tommy was nailing the shakes with 7D SS ring shanked nails. Later in the video, the workers were using nail guns. Someone makes stainless steel, ring shanked nails for nail guns??? Maybe the guns were just using SS nails, nor ring shanked? Can someone explain/clarify?

[@mrpiccolo23]

@@Kevin-mp5of It's nice to see the lobster guy actually puttin' down some info.

[@mattski523]

Eric R- yes Bostitch makes a ring shank stainless nail for a nail gun. Hand nailing will produce a better job tho.

[@TheJstringer]

are these bleached eastern white cedar ??

[@WILSON.1]

What does one do about all those nail holes left behind from the straight edge?

[@stevejames9167]

Look at chewed up corner

[@clarencetaylor7455]

3:26, I thought he was going to just score it with the box cutter, but he cut the whole thing!

[@matthew5964]

Do you get rid of the straight edge afterwards?

[@mamav1329]

What type or brand of shingle is this?

[@THEREV468]

I’m not a professional at this or anything but how I do it is I make sure my first row at the bottom is flush with the plywood or whatever it may be. I’d measure how far up I need to go for the next row. Then I’d grab a straight long piece of wood and nail that across and then I have a platform to lay the shakes on and use the mail gun, and use necessary cuts when needed with a jigsaw

[@robertg9254]

From my experience, you should always have a minimum of 1 inch over hanging from the bottom of the plywood. Otherwise water will get in.

[@yasinmoumencha8376]

Can get that done in 1 day with the crew I work with

[@srdsrd16]

"We don't want it to be any higher than 5 & 1/2 inches" *Makes is 5 & 9/16ths* 5.5625 > 5.5

[@fadetounforgiven]

That's pretty much what I was going to say. His theory is right but something went wrong with the implementation. It might have to do with doing it in imperial instead of metric XD

[@fadetounforgiven]

@@Kevin-mp5of well, I'm European, I can handle metric.

[@fadetounforgiven]

@@brianglade848 you're right, I can't. I have a different accent. And language for that matter.

[@rerolley]

Rather than metric versus imperial, I think his tape measure was not vertical when he read it. Don't you hate it when the world is looking over your shoulder when you are trying to do something...

[@kimsmoke17]

@@Kevin-mp5of works just fine in metric. Ok. Nice an easy, move it ova a shawrt one-fidfy uv a meter.

[@DraftSZN2023]

I'm installing cedar shingles (#1 Red). My contractor wants to use asphalt saturated felt paper, backerboard, and then the cedar. Is this an appropriate method? The backerboard looks like sawdust or cardboard. I haven't seen it used anywhere. Is this a normal/good process?

[@IrishHarp1759]

What type of nails? Stainless?

[@guysawka818]

So you double the first row then single all others???

[@hugoakerlund5114]

Its to get that flaired look at the bottom.

[@truthseeker6551]

...to ensure first course of shingle gap is overlapped with second course for water protection. Otherwise water could enter gaps on single first course...

[@lillysteiner514]

Can someone explain the pieces that hang down on the first row? Does that piece of ledger board stay or when they move it up, do they trim those long pieces?

[@pookarah]

They trim them :)

[@lillysteiner514]

@@pookarah thanks!

[@kidjeff4304]

Kevin telling Tommy to get to work...lol

[@romanmaksymow853]

Great look but it is so time consuming i did that one time it took us forever

[@Nill757]

Anybody know the fire rating on these shingles? Untreated cedar goes up like a bomb. And with more air behind it with this mesh?

[@Nill757]

@@Kevin-mp5of Shingles are historically common in NE so I get it, if you can afford the labor which is double the time of planks. The bugs also like to hide under cedar which brings wood peckers. Then the fire risk? All of that goes away with cement board siding.

[@Nill757]

@@Kevin-mp5of Not so rare. IIRC, the guys on TOH have said Hardy is now the most common siding in the US. I’ve got it on my house. Maybe Hardy is rare just in NE.

[@mrpiccolo23]

Atleast it's not hardboard siding from the 1980s!

[@Nill757]

@@mrpiccolo23Yes, bad, but still better than Cedar shingles.

[@kidjeff4304]

So the boards were primes, but then ya shave em on the edges and nail. Why not reprime?

[@thomaswayneward]

Really nice house, bet the owners got just what they wanted, which is all that matters when building homes.

[@thomaswayneward]

@@brianglade848 I built custom homes for over fifty years, and I learned that life is good when the customer is happy.

[@thomaswayneward]

@@brianglade848 I went through three of them. I did remodeling when I had no houses to build. Sometimes I would build as many homes as I could build for thirteen years in a row. That was wonderful, but a small builder never makes enough money.

[@Nill757]

Yes important for owners to get what the want, but this TV show is not for the owners. TOH is supposed to showing the public the most reliable, cost effective way to build. Throwing in gold plated three or four furnace HVAC, gold plated excavations, gold plated additions, when at some point it is clearly better to knock down and do new construction in less time and for less money. At some point this show becomes a weird lifestyles of the rich famous, only worse with the fake, humble-old-home and banjo cover.

[@dangeranger69]

what nails do you use in the nailer?

[@veronicakorth4062]

I need to know this also !!

[@bobcoelho9804]

5d box nails

[@stocon12]

What would be the cost for that specific job, ballpark?

[@remythemaltipoo]

This old house never talks about budgets, ever. Their clientele generally is working with an essentially unlimited budget, as they are all very wealthy.

[@ckcuev]

is that a siding or roofing nailer kevin is using to nail the shingles?

[@onekidthere]

Looked like a siding/fencing nailer.

[@ckcuev]

@@onekidthere thanks

[@mrpiccolo23]

bostitch n66c siding nailer

[@turnsufficient4971]

There's black underneath the yellow mesh material. Steve mentions "old school and new school" mixed together. What is the black material (I'm guessing that's the old school stuff under it). The yellow meshing is definitely the new school material.

[@KatAndCompani]

Probably that tar paper mentioned earlier

[@turnsufficient4971]

@@KatAndCompani The black stuff underneath is actually part of the product. He just didn't explain it properly.

[@TE-7302-]

What is the yellow mesh product?

[@truthseeker6551]

...see Cedar Breather.

[@nie1456]

Is that paint?

[@nie1456]

IT'S WORK

[@nie1456]

Is that a magic school bus?

[@nie1456]

Sorry I was testing something to see if someone would respond to that silly question?😆

[@lenn55]

Would be nice if we got some new content......

[@mrpiccolo23]

They want you to pay for that. This ain't PBS no moah.

[@Timmyfromphilly1994]

Kevin should be able to build a house on his own now.

[@JoseHernandez-tc1kl]

That is so confusing 🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️

[@robre6840]

if look at finish product at 6:43 they don't line up with the top and bottom of the window like he demonstrated with the story pole. Guess the "crew" doesn't work for tommy jmo

[@kjmass1]

Looking at the house, the top right wall is perfectly lined up with the windows, however the rest of the crew is now locked in to those shingle spacing (corners wouldn't line up) for the rest of the house. Probably would've used a different wall to start.

[@rotaxrider]

What happens if some windows are different heights and doors?

[@conquerordie230]

Get a new architect.

[@Bradini267]

Kevin sounds like he got corona

[@karlhungus545]

Nice work, I just shudder to think what these homeowners are paying these guys. You need to have a LOT of value in your house to spend so much cash hiring people to renovate to the extremes these guys do. That, or these are just rich people with money to burn who don't care what it costs.

[@chet174able]

Why are all these old repeats and say new

[@chet174able]

@@brianglade848 it's the ? Gonadular ? Don't know what that means sorry is that slang?

[@jessisdad]

Kevin cheated with a nail gun.

[@jej3451]

Seems extremely labor-intensive, and not very durable, compared to other kinds of siding.

[@thomaswayneward]

They last a long time and can be repaired easily. If painted they last even longer.

[@ericr2zz]

@@thomaswayneward Stained, not painted.

[@thomaswayneward]

@@ericr2zz The singles in the video are pre-primed for painting.

[@ericr2zz]

@@thomaswayneward You're right! All of my professional painters recommended staining shingles, not painting. But hey, Tommy's the expert.

[@thomaswayneward]

@@ericr2zz I am more of an expert on painting than Tommy. Plain ole staining is not too good. There is a product made in Germany that stains and covers and is the best weatherproofing I have ever seen. Can't remember the name right now.

[@Diddy_Doodat]

I hate this type of siding.

[@jdorffer]

Just use vinyl siding it must be cheaper and much easier to install

[@lucprovencher9411]

no