DIY Exterior Cedar Wall

Install bevel siding, lap siding, tongue and groove, split log and board and batten over conventional wood-framed walls, typically covered with oriented strand board sheathing and some foam board insulation. Lay planks horizontally. Nail horizontal furring strips with galvanized nails and a hammer across wall studs to hold individual cedar shakes or vertical boards.

Start bevel, lap, tongue and groove and split log planks at the bottom of a wall, at the edge of the sheathing and insulation. Snap a level chalk line on the wall to mark the line. Fasten bevel and lap siding with galvanized nails in the top of each plank so the bottom of the next plank covers the nails. Drive nails through the face of tongue and groove and split log planks. Slip the bottom groove over the top tongue for that style; lay split log planks firmly on top of one another. Use a level to keep all rows level up the wall.

Nail individual cedar shakes to furring strips through the shingle tops, overlapping to hide the nails. Butt the sides of shakes tightly together. Stagger the seams on rows up the wall, offsetting vertical joints by a least 1 1/2 inches, so the joints do not line up. Put two nails in each shingle about an inch apart near the center of the shake.

Fasten horizontal furring strips with nails across studs to hold individual planks for board and batten siding; cedar plywood panels can be nailed directly to studs. Use planks from 3/4 to 1 1/8 inch thick and from 4 to 12 inches wide. Cover seams with cedar battens 2 or 3 inches wide. Nail both boards and battens to furring strips. Leave a slight gap between either individual boards or plywood panels to allow for expansion, to be covered by the battens.