Lynden Siding Cedar Has a Real Appeal — and a Real Cost
Cedar siding shows up on a lot of homes around Whatcom County, and it's easy to see why. The grain, the warmth, the way it ages into that soft silver-gray if left alone — cedar has a look that fiber cement and vinyl spend a lot of marketing budget trying to imitate. If you love wood, we understand the appeal. But we don't install cedar siding, and we think homeowners deserve the honest reasons before they commit to it, not just the romance of the material.
Why Lynden's Climate Is Hard on Wood Siding
Cedar is a natural product, and it behaves like one. It moves with moisture, it needs a finish to stay protected, and that finish is always losing a slow fight against the weather. In Lynden, that fight is tougher than most places. We're close enough to the coast to pick up salt-laden air, we get long stretches of driving rain off the Pacific through fall and winter, and Whatcom County's damp, low-light winters create a moss season that can run for months. Put those three things together — salt, rain, and shade-loving moss — and you have conditions that specifically target the weak points of wood siding: the finish, the end grain, and any spot where water can sit.
What Actually Happens to Cedar Siding Here
- Finish breakdown: Stain and paint on cedar are sacrificial coatings — they're meant to wear out. In our rain-heavy climate, most homeowners are looking at recoating every 3-5 years to keep the wood protected, sometimes sooner on south and west exposures.
- Moss and mildew growth: Cedar's texture and the moisture it holds make it a friendly surface for moss, algae, and mildew, especially on north-facing walls and anywhere tree cover blocks sun and airflow. Once moss gets a foothold in the grain, it holds even more moisture against the wood.
- Cupping, checking, and splitting: Wood expands and contracts with moisture cycles. Over years of wet winters and drier summers, cedar boards can cup, check, or split, especially where the finish has already thinned.
- End-grain and butt-joint vulnerability: The cut ends of cedar boards absorb water far faster than the face grain. Every butt joint on a wall is a spot that needs ongoing attention, and it's easy to miss during a routine recoat.
- Salt air acceleration: Salt-laden air speeds up finish breakdown and can leave a residue that holds moisture against the surface longer than clean inland air would.
The Maintenance Commitment, Honestly Stated
None of this means cedar is a bad material — it means cedar siding is a maintenance commitment, not a one-time purchase. Done right, that means periodic washing to keep moss and mildew from taking hold, recoating on a schedule rather than waiting until it looks bad, and catching failed caulk or checked boards before water gets behind the siding. Skipped or delayed maintenance is where the real problems start: water intrusion behind the cladding, rot at the bottom courses, and repairs that cost far more than the recoats would have. We'd rather tell a homeowner that up front than sell them a product we know will need that level of attention in this climate.
What We Compare It To
| Factor | Cedar Siding | James Hardie Fiber Cement |
|---|---|---|
| Refinishing cycle | Every 3-5 years in this climate | ColorPlus factory finish, no repainting for many years |
| Moisture behavior | Absorbs and moves with moisture | Engineered to resist moisture-related damage |
| Moss/mildew resistance | Textured wood surface holds growth | Dense, less hospitable surface |
| Combustibility | Combustible | Non-combustible |
| Warranty | Depends on finish product used | Strong transferable manufacturer warranty |
Why We Standardized on James Hardie
We install James Hardie fiber cement exclusively, and it's not because we don't appreciate what cedar looks like on the right home. It's because after years of doing exterior work in Whatcom County's rain, salt air, and moss-friendly winters, we wanted a product our customers wouldn't have to babysit. Hardie's HZ5 product line is engineered for climates like ours, the ColorPlus factory finish holds up without the recoating cycle cedar demands, and the material itself is non-combustible and dimensionally stable in a way wood can't match. When it's installed to Hardie's specifications — correct clearances, proper flashing, factory-finished cut edges sealed — it's built to hold up to exactly the conditions that wear cedar down.
If you're weighing cedar against other siding options for a home in Lynden or anywhere else in Whatcom County, we're happy to walk through what each material actually asks of you over the long run. Reach out for a free, no-pressure estimate and we'll give you a straight answer, whether that's Hardie or just an honest conversation about your options.