Cabin Siding

These illustrations show various ways of finishing the walls of a cabin that is not built of logs.

With a conventional wood frame, such as that de­scribed in the chapter on log-siding cabins, as a start­ing point, numerous effects can be obtained simply by selection of different outside wall and roof coverings. The builder has at his disposal a variety of wall fin­ishes including ordinary clapboards, drop siding, shingles, shakes, and composition materials made to imitate bricks or shingles.

The terms applied to various types of siding vary somewhat with locality. In some parts of the country a "clapboard" is something that is used to cover out­side walls, corresponding to the weatherboarding or siding of other localities; to old-time cabin builders the clapboard is an overgrown shingle split from logs 24 to 36 in, long and used mainly to cover roofs; while the modern term for this split board is "shake." Some persons think that a shake is the same as a shingle, but it is not. There is a difference in size and method of laying, as will be shown presently.

The application of weatherboarding to outside wall surfaces involves a few simple tricks that every builder should know. Whether the siding is applied directly to the studs, whether building paper is used beneath it to increase weather resistance, or whether the frame­work is first sheathed with 1-in. boards of pine or other cheap wood, and the paper is used between the sheath­ing and siding or sheathing and studs, are matters to be determined by available funds, the degree of weather resistance required, and the type of interior finish.

Assume, for the time being, that the cabin is to be used in winter as well as summer, and that maximum weather protection is required. The outside surfaces of the studs will be covered with the sheathing boards, placed either horizontally or diagonally, with very nar­row cracks or none at all left between them. Opinions differ as to whether there is any particular advantage in running the sheathing diagonally. Some builders claim that it gives a stiffer structure. At any rate, it is slightly more costly, for some wood and time are lost in cutting diagonal ends.

After the sheathing is in place, a strip of building paper is run horizontally along the bottom of the wall, and tacked so that it will remain in place while the boards are being applied.

For utmost protection against weather and conse­quent rotting of sills, a water table is desirable. This is a construction along the lowest edge of the outside finish, for the purpose of diverting water away from

Shingles should be laid as shown with no more than sixteen inches to the weather.

the boundary between foundation and sill. A simple way is to tilt the lower edge of the first weather­boarding piece outward an inch or so, and block under it with a flat board whose upper edge may be beveled. Another strip is placed beneath the siding, near the edge, to seal the triangular opening created. In most cases, the construction of an elaborate water table can be omitted without causing trouble for many years. It is a good idea to bevel the lower edge of the first board, so that the outer corner is sharp, permitting water to drip from it. Place the board so that the edge extends slightly below the bottom of the sill.

When lap siding is used, the amount of board width exposed to the weather can be varied. This permits the pieces to be spaced so that it will not be necessary to cut the siding below windows. Tongue-and-groove weatherboarding cannot be varied in this way. Corner boards may be used with weatherboarding, or the ends mitered and butted, with perhaps a protective metal cap added.

Shingles are popular for covering the outside walls of cabins, cottages, bungalows, and lodges because of the variety of decorative effects that can be obtained with them. They are not difficult to apply and last a long time. Because they can be stained almost any color, shingles are at home in the city, at the sea or lake shore, in the mountains, or deep in the forest. Shingles, when laid properly, are better heat insulators than weatherboarding. There is not a great deal of difference between the cost of shingles and of weather­boarding.

Shingles applied to sidewalls can have more area exposed to the weather than when they are used on roofs because water will drain off easier. A less ex­pensive grade of shingles will serve for walls than for roofs. Otherwise, there is little difference in the methods of applying them.

Shingles are obtainable in various sizes, the standard including 16- 18- and 24-in. lengths. The 18- and 24-in. sizes are commonly used for walls. Shingles 9 in. or less in width are preferable. If wider, they should be split. There are no set rules for determining the amount to leave exposed to the weather. Generally, for roofs, the 16-in. shingles are laid with 5 in. to the weather; 18-in. shingles with 5 ½; in., and 24-in. shingles with 10 in. On walls, the exposure can be an inch or so greater, for a given size.

If a water table is used at the bottom of the wall, the lower course of shingles is forced outward at the bottom by wood strips. Thus the shingles are slightly curved, throwing the water outward away from the foundation. Generally a water table is not used. In either case the lower course of shingles is doubled. This makes it possible to use the faulty shingles that will be found in almost every lot. The top layer of the first course can be set a fraction of an inch lower, so that their bottom edges will project enough to hasten the escape of water.

In order to produce even rows, a straight-edge is employed. When the first course is being started, shingles are tacked in place at the ends. Then the straight edge is placed against their lower edges and fastened temporarily. Subsequent shingles are placed with their butts or thicker ends resting on the straight edge. The straight edge is moved upward, being kept level, for successive courses. If desired, a line drawn taut can be employed instead.

As with lap or clapboard siding, the kind that does not have tongues and grooves, shingle exposure can be varied so that the courses will be even with windows at bottom and top. Of course, it will be necessary to cut off some of the shingles when a window is reached, but the pieces can be used above it. The window cap generally is rabbeted so that a ledge projects upward for ¼ in. or more to hold the shingles outward from the wall the necessary distance. Double the shingles above doors and windows. Fasten shingles with zinc-coated or copper 3- or 4-penny shingle nails, driven so that their heads will be covered by the layer above.

At the corners, the shingles can be extended until those on one surface overlap the edges of those on the other surfaces. The over-lapping shingles are trimmed to conform to the other wall surface, with a knife or hatchet. Corner boards can be used, if desired, to pro­duce a trimmed appearance. The boards are set in place over the sheathing, and the shingles butted snugly against them.

The common way of applying shingles is to have their exposed ends form even horizontal rows. They are, of course, staggered so that each shingle covers the joint between two in the next lower course. Varia­tions in the arrangement can be introduced. One way is to set every alternate shingle in a given course a fraction of an inch higher than the others in the same course. A saw-toothed effect is produced, which is less monotonous than orderly lines.

Shingles are made from woods that possess natural resistance to weather. Furthermore, they usually are treated with a creosote stain to increase their life. Ordinarily a shingled roof or sidewall will last from 12 to 15 years, with the sidewall probably giving longer service than the roof. Redwood shingles have been used continuously, without preservatives, for over 50 years.

The woods most generally employed for shingles in­clude cypress, redwood, and western red cedar. Inci­dentally, these woods are used widely for weather­boarding, with spruce, white pine, fir, and hemlock increasing the list in some sections.

Shakes are essentially overgrown shingles used for roof and sidewall covering. The California Redwood Association has given suggestions for making shakes from redwood. This material is particularly suitable for such uses because it contains no tar or pitch, is straight-grained, and is naturally resistant to decay and insects. Shakes may be made of redwood by saw­ing or splitting. Special splitting tools having long cut­ting edges are used. The standard size is 36 in. long, 6 in. wide and ¼ in. thick. A standard bundle con­tains 25 shakes of this size. They are laid generally with 14 in. exposed to the weather, which produces high heat-insulation value. There is no strict rule for amount of exposure. No. 1 clear vertical grain redwood is the grade frequently employed for shake making.

In applying shakes, set them from 1 to 3 in. apart. This differs from shingle-laying practice, where the pieces are placed closely together. Do not use ordinary iron or blue lath nails for applying shakes. Zinc-coated or hot-dipped galvanized nails are recommended. Use the 4-penny shingle-nail size, two nails per shake.

The number of shakes required for a square (100 sq. ft.) of surface varies with the spacing and exposure. Some values are given by the California Redwood As­sociation as follows:

At 2 nails per shake, the number can be determined easily. The nails will run from 250 to 275 per lb.

Continue to Sectional And Pre-Cut Cabins

How To Build A Log Cabin