Lynden Siding Why We're Telling You the Hard Part First
Cedar siding sells itself in the showroom. It smells good, it looks warm and natural, and it photographs beautifully on a new build. What doesn't come up in that conversation is what cedar asks of a homeowner every single year it's on the house. We install James Hardie fiber cement siding exclusively, and one of the most common questions we get from Lynden homeowners is why we won't quote cedar even when they specifically request it. This page is that answer, laid out honestly rather than glossed over.
Cedar isn't a bad material. It's a real wood product with genuine appeal, and plenty of homes in Whatcom County still wear it well. But "well" usually means the owner has been keeping up with a maintenance schedule that most people underestimate before they sign the contract. We'd rather explain that up front than let you find out the hard way three summers in.
What Cedar Actually Gets Right
Fair is fair. Western red cedar, which is what most cedar siding in this region is milled from, has real advantages:
- Natural resistance to decay and insects compared to other softwoods, thanks to oils in the wood itself
- A warm, authentic look that manufactured products can imitate but not quite duplicate
- Good dimensional stability for a wood product, so it doesn't warp as badly as some alternatives
- It's a renewable, regionally available material — a lot of the cedar used in Pacific Northwest siding comes from mills not far from here
If someone tells you cedar is a poor-quality material, they're overstating it. The honest issue isn't the wood — it's what wood, as a category, has to do to survive outdoors in this climate over decades.
The Maintenance Cycle Nobody Mentions at the Sales Pitch
Refinishing Isn't Optional
Cedar siding is not a "set it and forget it" product. Whether it's finished with stain, solid-body paint, or a clear/semi-transparent sealer, that finish is the only thing standing between the wood and the weather. Once it starts to break down — and UV exposure and moisture both work on it constantly — the wood underneath starts absorbing water, checking, and graying unevenly.
Depending on the finish type and sun/rain exposure on a given elevation of the house, cedar typically needs to be re-stained or re-sealed every few years, with heavier maintenance (scraping, sanding, spot-priming) on a longer cycle. North-facing and shaded walls in Lynden — which describes a lot of homes tucked under fir and cedar trees themselves — tend to hold moisture and grow moss faster than sun-exposed walls, so the maintenance clock often isn't even the same on all four sides of the same house.
Caulking and Joints Need Regular Attention
Every seam, every board end, every point where siding meets trim is a place water can get behind the material if the caulking fails. On cedar, caulk failure combined with a compromised finish is how rot gets started — quietly, behind the board, where you don't see it until it's already spread.
Why Lynden's Climate Is Genuinely Hard on Wood Siding
This isn't a generic "wood needs maintenance" warning — Whatcom County's specific weather pattern is tough on cedar in a few compounding ways. We get long stretches of driving rain off the Pacific systems that move through the Strait of Georgia, and that rain doesn't just fall straight down — wind-driven rain gets pushed sideways into wall assemblies, joints, and butt seams in a way that vertical-only exposure doesn't. Add the marine-influenced, salt-tinged air common this close to Puget Sound and Georgia Strait, and you've got a combination of moisture and airborne salts that accelerates finish breakdown on painted and stained wood surfaces.
Then there's the moss. Lynden's mild, wet winters and the shade from mature trees on a lot of established properties create a moss season that runs long — often most of the year on north and shaded elevations. Moss holds moisture directly against the siding surface, and on cedar that means the wood underneath stays damp far longer than it should, which is exactly the condition that invites rot and fungal decay. Homeowners who keep cedar looking good in this area are usually the ones actively washing moss off their siding on a schedule, not just when it becomes visibly bad.
Where Cedar Actually Fails
When cedar siding does fail, it's rarely the whole wall at once. It's localized: bottom courses near grade where splashback keeps the wood wet, window sills and butt joints where caulk has cracked, and shaded corners where moss has been sitting undisturbed for a season or two. By the time soft or spongy wood is visible from the outside, the damage underneath is usually more extensive than it looks, because rot travels along the grain before it shows on the surface.
Insects are a secondary concern here — carpenter ants and other wood-boring insects are drawn to softened, moisture-damaged wood, so a rot problem left unaddressed can turn into a pest problem too.
The Cost Picture Over the Life of the Siding
The sticker price comparison between cedar and fiber cement misses the real cost, which shows up over the ownership period. Here's how the two compare on the factors that actually drive lifetime cost:
| Factor | Cedar Siding | James Hardie Fiber Cement |
|---|---|---|
| Factory finish | Typically field-applied stain or paint | ColorPlus factory-baked finish available |
| Refinishing interval | Every few years, sooner on shaded/wet elevations | Factory finish holds far longer; repainting interval is much longer if ever needed |
| Moisture vulnerability | High — wood absorbs and swells if finish fails | Engineered to resist moisture-driven damage when installed correctly |
| Insect/rot risk | Present, especially at grade and shaded areas | Not a wood product — not a food source for insects, doesn't rot |
| Combustibility | Combustible wood product | Non-combustible fiber cement |
| Typical warranty | Varies by installer/finish product | Strong transferable manufacturer warranty on the siding itself |
None of this means cedar "fails" as a product — it means cedar shifts more of the long-term cost and labor onto the homeowner in the form of recurring maintenance, while fiber cement shifts more of it into the manufacturing and installation stage, up front.
A Word on Fire Risk
We're not going to overstate this one, because it's a real trade-off worth stating plainly rather than dramatically: cedar is a combustible wood product, and James Hardie fiber cement siding is non-combustible. For homeowners weighing wildfire exposure, insurance considerations, or simply wanting one less combustible material on the exterior of the home, that's a legitimate factor in the decision — not a scare tactic, just a fact about the two material categories.
If You Already Have Cedar: A Realistic Upkeep Checklist
Plenty of Lynden homes already have cedar siding, and it can be kept in solid shape with consistent attention. If that's your situation, here's what actual upkeep looks like:
- Wash siding annually to remove moss, mildew, and pollen buildup — more often on shaded or north-facing walls
- Inspect the finish every year for cracking, peeling, or graying, and re-stain or re-seal before bare wood is exposed
- Check and re-caulk joints, butt seams, and trim intersections where gaps have opened up
- Trim back vegetation and tree branches touching the siding to improve airflow and reduce trapped moisture
- Look closely at bottom courses near grade and any area with visible splashback for early soft-wood signs
- Confirm flashing above windows and doors is intact and properly lapped, since a lot of cedar rot starts as a flashing problem
- Address any soft or discolored boards immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled maintenance pass
Why We Standardized on James Hardie Instead
We made the call, as a company, to install only James Hardie fiber cement siding rather than offering cedar, vinyl, or engineered wood products alongside it. Part of that is the maintenance story above — we'd rather put a product on your home that doesn't put a recurring refinishing bill on your calendar. Part of it is climate fit: Hardie's HZ5 product line is engineered for the kind of wet, moisture-heavy climate zone that includes Whatcom County, and it's built to hold up to the driving rain and long damp seasons this region delivers every year. And part of it is warranty structure — a strong, transferable manufacturer warranty on the siding itself is worth more to a homeowner over time than a lower upfront price on a material that needs ongoing labor to keep looking good.
We're not going to tell you cedar is a bad choice for every homeowner. It isn't. But we do think you deserve to know what you're signing up for before you commit to it, and after installing exteriors in this climate for years, fiber cement is what we're willing to put our name behind.
If you're weighing cedar, fiber cement, or just want a straight answer about what your home's exterior actually needs, we're happy to take a look and give you an honest read — no pressure, no upsell. Request a free estimate below and we'll walk the property with you.