What it is, how it works, and the questions to ask before you hire.
Last updated: October 2026
Wood — cedar, redwood, and pine lap boards, shingles, and board-and-batten — is the original siding and still the standard on older and historic homes. It is repairable board by board, takes paint and stain beautifully, and asks the most of any material in return: finish cycles, rot vigilance, and insect checks. This guide covers how wood siding ages, how to read its condition, and when repair stops making sense.
Probe suspect areas — board ends, horizontal surfaces, anywhere paint is peeling or wood stays dark after rain — with a screwdriver or awl. Sound wood resists; rotted wood lets the tool sink in. Check the bottom courses and the boards below windows and at grade first. Surface gray weathering is cosmetic; softness is the finding that matters.
When the wood is sound, yes — a properly prepped paint job (scrape, sand, prime bare wood, two finish coats) resets the clock for years. When boards are soft across whole walls, paint is dressing on decay. The probe test, wall by wall, is what separates the two cases — insist an inspection includes it.
Some pre-1980 homes carry cement-asbestos shingles — durable, and often still sound, but the material needs specialist handling if it is going to be disturbed, cut, or removed, and disposal rules apply in many states. If your home has them, raise it with any contractor before work is scoped; intact shingles are commonly sided over or left in place rather than removed.