Cedar Siding (house, to buy, maintenance)

[pulmcc]

We are considering a house that is made of stone and cedar plank siding. Although we always wanted an all brick house, multiple factors made us consider this house. My question are:
1. What is the longevity of cedar in this area?
2. What is the average cost of maintaining the cedar, from the yearly powerwashes to the every 3-5 year staining?
3. Would you get a house with cedar siding?

Thanks.

[BobKovacs]

Depends greatly on the quality of the cedar and the exposure it gets (or doesn't get) to the elements, so it's tough to say The cost of maintaining the house will also vary greatly with its size, which you didn't mention. Would I buy a house with cedar siding? Sure- as long as it wasn't sitting in the middle of a field getting direct sun all day, and provided that the siding was installed properly in the first place.

[CHL208]

I don't know about cedar in the south however homes do require power washing living in the south to get rid of mold about every other year. Last time I had it done was about $200 although it depends on the size of the home.

[pulmcc]

Don't know about the cedar quality itself but t is a Tobin home from 2005, probably around 6000 sq ft. The cedar is in the back, sides, and the upper part of the front.

[Wrigs]

No matter how long you plan on being there, you should get some bids on replacing the siding just so you know what it will cost one day. You may never have to do it while you're living there but you may need to in order to sell. Cedar really does last a long time 20-30 years if properly cleaned and treated and if it receives enough sun. The problem is that it starts to look less than great well before that.

[Homer12]

I would not hesitate to buy a cedar siding home. Is it painted or stained currently? Up in New England you pay a premium for Cedar Siding similar to down south where you pay a premium for all Brick/Stone.

[momule]

I live in a cedar sided house. After 30 years I replaced it with hardie board fiber cement siding. The cedar starts to look bad after ten years if not stained and properly maintained. It is prone to mold in humid climates. It also develops cracks knot holes fall out........both of these are probelms and need to filled in with plastic wood or some other filler. I had a problem with birds building nests in knot holes in the spring....what a mess. You will need to powerwash and restain every five years. In my area that would cost $3500 or more. I would never have another cedar home. I love the hardie board....it is nearly maintenance free and looks quite good. If you love the house go ahead and make the purchase and replace the cedar when it starts to look bad with a fiber cement product.

[Homer12]

I do agree the Cement Board is much better, especially the pre-finished.