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 explains, "The problem is that cypress manufacturers are very small in comparison to cedar manufacturers. No single producer manuactures enough [cypress siding] to make [pre-priming] worth it. We are the largest producer, and our produc- tion is spread out over three different plants."

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 distributor 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 preprimed 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 mildew-seasoned 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.

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