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Nothing else looks like real cedar on a Portland home. The grain, the warmth, the way it takes a semi-transparent stain and ages into the trees around it are the reasons Craftsman bungalows, mid-century ranches, and Northwest contemporaries were sided with it in the first place, and the reasons homeowners keep choosing it. Cedar also asks more of the installer than any other siding, because wood that is not back-primed, gapped, flashed, and finished correctly will not survive our winters. LADA Exteriors has installed and repaired cedar siding across the Portland metro area since 1997 and treats it the way it deserves.
Call 503-860-6660 for Your Free Cedar Siding Estimate
Family owned since 1997. Licensed in Oregon and Washington. Western red cedar lap, shingle, and board-and-batten siding installed to last. Financing available.
Signs Your Portland Cedar Siding Needs Repair or Replacement
Cedar announces its problems slowly. Boards check and split along the grain, knots loosen and fall out, the bottom edges of lap boards go soft and crumble where they sit closest to the ground or a roof line, and stain or paint will not hold more than a season or two in the same spots. Shingles cup, curl, and slide out of their courses. Woodpecker holes and carpenter ant trails show up on the shaded north and east elevations.
The Portland climate is why cedar fails early when it is installed carelessly. Cedar is naturally rot resistant, but only when it can dry. Boards that were never back-primed, nailed tight against the wall with no drainage gap, or set directly on roofing and flashing with no clearance wick water from behind and rot from the inside out while the face still looks fine.
An inspection tells you how far it has gone. Scattered checking and a few failed boards on sound walls are a repair and a refinish. Widespread rot at the bottom courses, soft sheathing behind the boards, or failed flashing at windows and roof lines means a replacement, and it is the moment to decide between new cedar and a lower-maintenance material.
Cedar and Wood Siding Services We Provide in the Portland Metro Area
Whether you are restoring an original cedar exterior or putting cedar on a home for the first time, every board is back-primed, gapped, and flashed so the wood can dry.
Cedar Lap and Bevel Siding
Clear and knotty Western red cedar bevel siding in a range of exposures, installed over drainable house wrap with proper clearances at grade, decks, and roof lines. The classic choice for ranches, farmhouses, and bungalows.
Cedar Shingle and Shake Siding
Hand-split shakes and sawn shingles on gables, dormers, and full elevations, laid in straight or staggered courses with the correct keyways and offsets so water sheds instead of finding a seam. The signature look of Craftsman and coastal homes.
Board-and-Batten and Channel Siding
Vertical cedar boards with battens, tongue-and-groove, and channel rustic profiles for modern farmhouse and Northwest contemporary designs, installed with horizontal furring so vertical siding still drains.
Cedar Siding Repair and Board Replacement
Split, rotted, or woodpecker-damaged boards and shingles are removed and replaced with matching material, back-primed and finished to blend, with the flashing behind them corrected so the new wood does not fail the same way.
Staining, Sealing, and Finishing
Cedar needs a finish to last, and the right one depends on the look you want. Our exterior painting crew applies semi-transparent and solid stains, clear sealers, and solid-body paint, back-priming every board before it goes up.
Why Portland Homeowners Choose LADA Exteriors for Cedar Siding
Cedar is a craft material. It rewards installers who understand how wood moves and dries and punishes the ones who treat it like a commodity board.
Back-Primed, Gapped, and Flashed So the Wood Can Dry
Every board and shingle is sealed on all six sides before installation, set with a drainage gap behind it, held clear of roofing, decks, and grade, and flashed at every window and trim joint with a sealant gap that flexes instead of cracking.
Stainless and Hot-Dipped Fasteners Only
Cedar’s natural tannins corrode ordinary nails and leave black streaks down the face of the siding. We use stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized fasteners, sized and placed to let the boards move with the seasons.
Rot Fixed Behind the Boards, Not Hidden by Them
When old cedar comes off and the sheathing is soft, we cut it back to sound wood, replace it, and correct the flashing that let the water in before any new siding goes on.
Cedar, Fiber Cement, or a Mix, One Crew
Many Portland homes pair cedar shingles on the gables with James Hardie fiber cement on the body for durability where the weather hits hardest. We install both and help you decide where each one makes sense.
Rated Among the Top Cedar Siding Contractors in Oregon
Nearly three decades of siding work in the Pacific Northwest, where cedar is the native material, have taught us how to make it last here. Homeowners from Hillsboro to Oregon City and north into Vancouver call us for cedar that still looks right twenty years on.
- Family owned exterior contractor serving Portland since 1997
- Licensed, bonded, and insured in Oregon (CCB #126473) and Washington
- Western red cedar lap, shingle, and board-and-batten installed with back-priming, drainage gaps, and stainless fasteners
- EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm for siding work on pre-1978 homes
What to Expect From Your Cedar Siding Project
Step 1. Free On-Site Estimate
We walk the exterior, probe for soft boards and sheathing, check flashing and clearances, and talk through profiles, grades, and finishes. You get a written, itemized estimate that separates repair from replacement.
Step 2. Profile, Grade, and Finish Selection
Choose clear or knotty cedar, bevel, shingle, or vertical profiles, exposure, and a stain or paint finish. We bring samples so you can see the grain and color against your home.
Step 3. Tear-Off, Repair, and Installation
Old siding comes off, damaged sheathing is replaced, drainable wrap and flashing go on, and back-primed cedar is installed with proper gaps and fasteners. Most single-family homes take one to two weeks, plus finish coats once the siding has acclimated.
Step 4. Finish, Walkthrough, and Warranty
Final stain or paint is applied, we walk the finished exterior with you, and you receive our written workmanship warranty along with care guidance for the finish.
Cedar Siding Contractors Serving Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Beyond
Our crews work throughout the Portland metro area and across the river in Southwest Washington. Homeowners in Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Tualatin, Sherwood, and Vancouver call on us for cedar siding installation and repair, and we regularly take on projects in Wilsonville, Oregon City, Gresham, and Happy Valley as well. Cedar is one of several materials covered on our main siding replacement page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cedar Siding in Portland
How Much Does Cedar Siding Cost in Portland?
Cedar siding is priced per project, and the biggest factors are the square footage of wall, clear versus knotty grade, lap versus shingle versus vertical profile, the finish you choose, the amount of trim and detail, and how much rotted sheathing turns up once the old siding comes off. Cedar sits above fiber cement and vinyl in material cost and requires finish coats. Every estimate is free and itemized.
How Long Does Cedar Siding Last in the Portland Climate?
Properly installed and maintained cedar lasts for decades, and many Portland homes still wear their original cedar. The key is back-priming, drainage gaps, and keeping a finish on it. Neglected or poorly installed cedar can fail in ten to fifteen years.
How Often Does Cedar Siding Need to Be Stained or Painted?
Semi-transparent stains typically need recoating every three to five years, solid stains and paint less often. South and west elevations wear faster than shaded ones. We can set up a maintenance schedule when the project is finished.
Should I Choose Cedar or James Hardie?
Cedar wins on authenticity and warmth and requires regular finishing. Fiber cement wins on low maintenance, fire resistance, and longevity, and comes in wood-grain textures. Many homeowners use cedar on gables and accents and Hardie on the main walls, and we help you weigh the trade-offs for your home.
Can You Match My Existing Cedar for a Repair?
Yes. We match profile, exposure, and grade, back-prime the new boards, and blend the finish so the repair disappears into the wall.
Get a Free Cedar Siding Estimate From Portland’s Full-Service Exterior Contractor
If your cedar is checking, cupping, or going soft at the bottom courses, or you want the real thing on a new project, an estimate visit takes about an hour, costs nothing, and ends with a written proposal and a straight answer on repair versus replacement. Request your free estimate or call 503-860-6660 to get on the schedule.