Prime Opportunity For Cypress Siding?

Prefinishing has given new life to western red cedar siding. Could the process rejuvenate cypress siding?

No one currently appears to be prepriming cypress siding, according to Lyman Shipley, Coastal Lumber Co., Weldon. N.C.. but "there's no reason why you can't or shouldn't. Priming is necessary and done."

Shipley says, "The problem is that cypress manufacturers are very small in comparison to cedar manufacturers. No single producer manuactures enough [cypress siding] to make [preprimingl worth it. We are the largest producer, and our production is spread out over three different olants."

Manufacturers may see prefinishing equipment as an unnecessary expense, since they are already selling all the cypress they can producedespite the fact that they could sell prefinished cypress at a higher price.

"Most cypress producers are basically hardwood producers, and they do not need to get into the finished products to sell their production," states

Charles F. Wilson, president of Wilson Lumber Co., Memphis, Tn.

"Cypress markets are only recently opening up for siding in inventory quantities, but this market is picking up considerably."

Just-in-time buying tendencies also work against prefinishing. "From the dealers' viewpoint, they do not want to have to inventory several different colors and stains," Wilson says. In fact, "distributors and retail dealers no longer inventory quantities of wood siding due to logistics of supply and changing demographics in their areas. Contractors in many cases do not know how to install and finish wood siding, and most dealers today do not want to take the time or responsibility of counseling them."

The cedar industry, on the other hand, is markedly larger and competes more vigorously with vinyl and fiber cement siding. "Humidity conditions vary in the different areas of the country, and the cedar producers had to figure out some way to resolve the moisture problems over which they have no control, as everyone always wants to blame it on the wood," says Wilson.

He considers the possibility of pre- primed cypress siding in the near future "doubtful. It's not feasible at this time."

In the meantime, the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association continues recommending that-to guard against moisture absorption, discoloration from rain. and mildewseasoned southern cypress siding be finished promptly at the time of installation, priming all sides and edges of the wood and applying two coats of paint or stain to all exposed surfaces and edges. Stains and quality, clear, water-repellent preservatives should then be reapplied at regular intervals using a brush.

Swaner Hardwood...

Toal Lumber C0..,....

U.S. B0rax...............

Sournrnn Clrronnn

Reel Lumber Service (Riverside) ...................(909) 781 -0564 Regal Custom Millwork....,..,(714) 776-1673 (714) 632-2488 Reliable Wholesale Lumber, Inc.....................(800) 649-8859

Strong-Tie Co. ......(800) 999-5099 (714) 871-8373

TaigaForestProducts,.,.,..,..,.........................(800)348-1400 Universal Forest Products..............................(909) 826-3000

Weyerhaeuser Building |V|ateria|s.........,.........(877) 235-6873 SAN DIEGO AREA

Anfinson Lumber Sa|es......,...........................(61 9) 460-5017

Hardwoods & Hardware ....(858) 536-1800

Lumber C0... ......(619) 424-4185

Dixieline Lumber Co ......{800) 823-2533 Lane Stanton Vance.......................................{619) 442-0821

953-5350

Weyerhaeuser Building Materia|s.,.,.,..,..,.......(877) 235-6873

OBANGE COUNTY & INLAND EMPIRE

AlFooasl Forest Products .................,.......,....(909) 627-8551

Anaheim Millworks.. ......(714) 533-9945

Anfinson Lumber Sa|es..................................(909) 681 -4707

Austin Hardwoods & Hardware ......................{71 4) 953-4000

Bear Forest Products........... (877) 369.2327 \909) 7 27 -17 67

BMD (Vernon) ...............{(8771587-4137

BMD (ontario)....,..,. ......(800) 435-4020

Boise (O.C.),............ ......(714) 2s5-1949

Boise (Riverside) .................(800) 648-91

llonrn & (urmr. Clr.rronnn

ARCATA / EUREKA / FORTUNA

BMD...................,... ......(707) 444-9666

Britt Lumber Co. ...,.......,707\ 822-1779

Simpson Timber Co .......(707) 268-3000

BAKERSFIELD Pacific Wood Preserving of Bakersfield .........(661 ) 833-0429

CLOVERDALE

AII-Coast Forest Products ..............................007\ 894.4281

Redwood Empire.... ......1707)894-4241

FORT BRAGG

Holmes Lumber Co., Fred C............

FRESNO

DMK-Pacific...,......,. ......,559\ 225-4727

Weyerhaeuser Building |V|ateria|s...................(877) 235-6873

MODESTO

Conrad Wood Preserving Co, .,..,..,.,....,.........(800) 499-2662

Thunderbolt Wood Treating.(800) 826-8709 (209) 869-4561

REDDING / RED BLUFF

Gemini Forest Products.,..,..,..,..,....................{530) 223-7440

Pacific Wood Preservin9................................(530) 824-9400

Shasta

Sournw$r

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