Wood Siding Installation
From engineered panels to exotic hardwoods like ipe — wood siding comes in more options than most homeowners expect. Rainwood Construction helps you pick the right one and installs it with the wall prep this climate requires.
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Bold intro: Wood Siding Beyond Cedar
Cedar gets its own page on our site because it dominates the PNW market. This page covers everything else — and there’s more variety than most homeowners realize.
Engineered wood siding installation has grown fast. Modern engineered panels — treated wood strand with zinc borate core — resist rot, termites, and fungal decay. Lighter than fiber cement, take paint well, install with standard tools. Most carry a long-term substrate and finish warranty when top-coated within the manufacturer’s specified window. Skip the topcoat — warranty void.
Other end: ipe wood siding installation. Brazilian hardwood — 3,680 Janka, Class A fire rating, 40+ year lifespan. Doesn’t rot, barely absorbs moisture. Catch is price ($8–15/sq ft material) and density — ipe sinks in water. Pre-drilling every fastener hole is mandatory.
Between those extremes: Douglas fir, redwood, thermally modified wood, and plywood panel systems. Each has a place depending on budget, look, and maintenance tolerance.
Wood Siding Installation Cost
Engineered wood panels run $2–4/sq ft material, $5–8 installed — a strong middle ground between vinyl and fiber cement. Douglas fir or redwood lap runs $4–7 material, $8–12 installed with rain screen and finish. Ipe and thermally modified hardwoods hit $12–20 installed.
Plywood siding installation — T1-11 or MDO panels — is the budget option at $3–5 installed. Fine for garages and accessory buildings. On a primary residence, we usually steer toward engineered panels. Same price range, far better moisture performance.
Wall condition drives the final number. Rainwood Construction quotes after on-site inspection. Every wood siding job includes WRB, flashing, and rain screen in the base quote. Not extras.
OUR SIDING SERVICES
What Rainwood Construction covers for wood siding installation projects.
Wood Lap Siding Installation
Horizontal bevel or clapboard in Douglas fir, redwood, or engineered wood. Wood lap siding installation follows cedar fundamentals — rain screen furring, back-priming, ring-shank nails. Engineered panels can use galvanized fasteners (no tannin reaction). Natural species need stainless to avoid staining.
Engineered Wood Siding Installation
Engineered wood lap, panel, and trim products. Engineered wood siding installation details differ from natural wood — most products require 3/8” caulked butt joints, 6” minimum clearance to grade, and 2” setback from roofing. We follow the manufacturer’s manual exactly. Their warranty team inspects claims, and missed specs are the first thing they check.
Vertical Wood Siding Installation
Board-and-batten, tongue-and-groove, channel rustic. Vertical wood siding installation needs horizontal furring for fastening and air circulation. Board-and-batten uses 1×10 or 1×12 boards with 1×3 battens — every board back-primed, battens fastened through the gap, not through the board beneath.
Wood Shingle Siding Installation
Sawn shingles in cedar, redwood, or white oak. Wood shingle siding installation uses double-coursing over rain screen with breather mesh. Labor-intensive — each piece hand-placed — but the texture can’t be replicated with manufactured products.
Hardwood & Specialty Siding
Ipe, thermally modified ash or pine, accoya, kebony. Always installed over a rain screen with clip systems — no face-nailing. Pre-drilling required on ipe and most hardwoods. We use these for accent walls, entries, and mixed-material facades.
Rainwood also offers interior renovations. Contact us to discuss your project.
COMMON PROBLEMS WE FIX
Wood siding failures we see — moisture is almost always the root cause.
Wood Siding That Survives Wet Winters
Wood siding fails from the parts you can’t see. In a region with months of rain, the boards that last are the ones protected before they ever reach the wall: back-primed on the hidden face, with every field-cut end sealed so water can’t wick into the grain. The other detail that decides lifespan here is the bottom of the wall — generous clearance above grade and hard surfaces, because rain splashing off patios and walkways is what destroys the lowest courses first on Northwest homes.
For homeowners who want the look of wood with less maintenance anxiety, engineered wood siding has earned its place in this market: treated strands and resins engineered specifically to resist the moisture and fungal pressure our climate applies, backed by long warranties. We install both — traditional solid wood detailed for the wet season, and engineered wood where durability per dollar is the priority.
- Back-priming and end-grain sealing before boards go on the wall
- Grade and splash-zone clearances that protect the lowest courses from rain bounce
- Traditional solid wood and engineered wood options, honestly compared
- Flashing and drip details that move water off the wall instead of into it
WHY CHOOSE RAINWOOD CONSTRUCTION?
Wood siding installation details separate a 5-year paint job from a 25-year wall. Rain screen, back-priming, correct fastener metal, flashing at every transition. Engineered panels aren’t cedar, and cedar isn’t ipe — each has specific requirements. We read the manual. Then follow it.
- Rain screen furring on every wood siding job — natural and engineered
- Species-appropriate fasteners: stainless for natural wood, galvanized for engineered panels
- Back-priming all exposed surfaces before installation
- Manufacturer-spec gaps, clearances, and flashing at every opening
10+
Years Experience
Our Recent Projects
Browse through some of our recent siding installations and repairs across the Greater Seattle area.
Great people. Showed up early and stayed late to get the job done. Work was excellent. Price was the best i found after four quotes. Would definitely use this company again.
We hired Rainwood Construction LLC to replace our French doors, and the result was outstanding. We knew going in this was more involved than a standard swap — we switched from inward to outward swinging doors, requiring extra attention to framing, flashing, and weatherproofing to keep everything sealed against water intrusion.Anatoliy was our point of contact and led the project from before to after, making sure the swing change and weatherproofing were planned and executed correctly. Igor and Vitaly handled the on-site installation and did excellent, high-quality work. The whole team was on time, professional, and delivered top-notch results. Can’t recommend them highly enough. 5 stars!
Every member of this crew I've had the pleasure of coming in contact with has been professional, excellent in their skillset, and fast. Pricing was reasonable for the excellent job they did.Last year we hired Rainwood to do plumbing and painting for a job. Both crews did such a great job, were thorough, and the level of detail was fantastic!We liked them so much we recently hired them for a quick job (installing ceiling fans). We messaged on a Wednesday and the job was done by Friday.Will absolutely hire Rainwood again and again for every job we do for our home.
Working with Rainwood Constructions on our house remodel was an excellent experience from start to finish. Their contractors were highly professional, skilled, and attentive to detail, and the quality of their work exceeded our expectations. The team communicated clearly throughout the project and ensured everything was completed on time without compromising quality. We’re extremely happy with the results and would highly recommend them to anyone planning a home remodel.
We had a very good experience with Rainwood Construction LLC and Toli during my brother’s home construction project in Shoreline. The team was professional, communicative, and paid close attention to detail throughout the process. We were especially happy with the quality of the fittings and finishing work, which turned out really well. The project was handled smoothly, and the overall workmanship met our expectations. Would definitely recommend them to others looking for reliable construction services.
We had an excellent experience with them on our sunroom project. The quality of the work was outstanding, they were easy to work with, and they clearly explained each step, the schedule, and key decisions (with various options to help us understand cost) along the way. Communication was solid from start to finish, and the final result looks great. Highly recommend, they are my new go to recommendation when friends ask.
Our Simple Process
From first contact to final walkthrough, we make siding projects straightforward and stress-free.
Request a Quote
Call or use the form. Tell us what you’re looking for — engineered, natural, hardwood accent — and what’s on the house now.
On-Site Assessment
Moisture meter, probing at transitions, wall flatness check. Written report with photos — yours to keep.
Clear Scope & Schedule
Species or product, profile, finish plan, rain screen spec, labor breakdown. Most wood re-sides run 7–14 working days depending on material and wall condition.
Installation
Tear-off, wall repair, WRB, rain screen, flashing, siding, trim, finish, cleanup. Walkthrough before closeout.
Ready to Get Started?
Contact us today for a free on-site assessment. We’re here to help protect your home.
Call us now
425-750-1025
Email us
Anatoliy@rainwoodconstruction.com
Visit us
12310 Hwy 99, Everett, WA 98204
Hours
Mon-Fri 9:00 am–6:00 pm, Sat 11:00 am–5:00 pm, Sun Closed
FAQ
Engineered wood is wood strand bonded with resin and treated with zinc borate — resists rot, takes paint, costs less. Natural wood is solid lumber — cedar, fir, redwood, ipe. Better grain and depth, higher cost and maintenance. Engineered is practical for most re-sides; natural is for clients who want the real thing.
Depends on species and maintenance. Engineered panels with paint go 25–30 years. Douglas fir or redwood with staining lasts 20–30. Ipe outlasts everything at 40+. Untreated softwood in the PNW? Five to eight years before rot. Finish maintenance is the variable.
Yes — if installed to spec. Zinc borate treatment handles moisture and insects well. Key: 6” clearance to grade, 3/8” caulked butt joints, topcoat within the manufacturer’s required window. We’ve seen engineered wood fail only when those specs were ignored. Follow the manual and it performs.
Every time. Wood absorbs water — natural and engineered. Without an air gap, moisture between board and WRB can’t dry. That’s how sheathing rots. We install 3/8” furring on every wood siding job. The material cost is minimal. The wall it saves is not.