Faced with the challenge of creating the nostalgia of 19th century Victorian architecture, architect Steve Chambers turned to engineered wood for the answer when building this Dallas home. “Lap made the look,” says Chambers, “but I needed a Victorian-style siding that, while offering the visual authenticity my clients wanted, met three pocketbook issues: price, warranty and longevity.”
“I had three siding options. Solid wood, which comes flawed, then shrinks, cracks and peels with age. (And, of course, there is no warranty.) Redwood, which was eliminated because of cost and availability. And engineered wood, which on the other hand, is warranted, comes primed and is stable (no shrinking or cracking).”
“Also, I designed the layout and elevations so there would be very few vertical joints. So I specified there be no joints in the front and no scrap pieces anywhere. It couldn't have been done with solid wood, especially redwood. I would have to deal with random lengths. With engineered wood you know exactly what you'll get. No random lengths. I knew each piece would be a full 16 feet in length.”
“After settling on engineered wood,” Chambers continued, “I picked the board size and its proportions. Specifying that it be a smooth, solid lap (i.e., no accent channels), I then gave these specifications to the builder, Ed Jarrett.”
No stranger to wood fiber products or Temple-Inland, Jarrett also wanted engineered wood as a siding. “I've used Temple-Inland siding in a dozen or more projects in the past five years,” says Jarrett, “because it maintains and performs. Engineered wood offers me the best combination of cost effectiveness, looks and ease of maintenance. Carpenters like its easy installation and defect-free consistency.”
Jarrett, who builds homes in the upper $750,000 to one-million-dollar range, uses Temple-Inland siding as a substitute for more expensive shiplap redwood.