Cedar shake and shingle siding: traditional look that’s always in style

Natural cedar siding crafted for timeless beauty, strong weather resistance, and dependable performance for homes throughout DuPage County and surrounding communities.

Cedar shake and shingle siding offers a timeless, natural appearance while providing strong exterior protection and long-term durability. At VIS Exteriors, we provide professional cedar siding services that include careful planning, proper preparation, and precise installation to ensure each home achieves a clean, finished look with reliable performance. Our team understands the unique characteristics of cedar materials and installs them using proven practices designed to support long-lasting results.

With years of hands-on siding experience, we help homeowners choose the right cedar shake or shingle style to match their home’s architecture and design goals. From full siding replacement to new installations, we focus on craftsmanship, attention to detail, and consistent installation standards to deliver siding that enhances curb appeal while standing up to changing weather conditions.

NATURAL. STRONG. TIMELESS.

Professional cedar shake and shingle siding services

Cedar shake and shingle siding brings a level of craftsmanship and character that few exterior materials can match. Its textured appearance, natural color variation, and ability to age gracefully make it a popular choice for homeowners who want a distinctive, architectural look rather than a standard exterior finish. When professionally installed, cedar siding delivers consistent exterior performance while preserving its natural character over time.

Because cedar is a natural wood product, installation quality plays a major role in how well it performs over time. Our team focuses on correct spacing, ventilation, moisture management, and fastening techniques to help prevent common problems such as warping, cracking, or premature wear. We work closely with homeowners to select the right shake or shingle profile, finish, and layout so the final result feels cohesive with the design of the home.

Unlike many manufactured siding materials, cedar offers natural insulating properties and a tight grain structure that helps it maintain stability through seasonal weather changes. These qualities make it well suited for homes throughout the DuPage County area, where siding must handle heat, cold, moisture, and wind throughout the year. That is why proper installation and long-term care are essential to maximizing the lifespan of cedar siding.

Our cedar siding services include:

• Cedar siding inspections
• Full cedar siding replacement
• Cedar shake and shingle siding installation
• Hail and storm damage siding inspection and repair
• Financing options for siding projects

Over the years, VIS Exterior has completed thousands of exterior renovation projects, earning a reputation for careful workmanship and clean jobsite practices. Homeowners value our attention to detail, clear communication, and ability to deliver results that look natural and perform reliably long after installation.

Every siding project begins with a clear, transparent estimate so you understand exactly what is included. In addition to providing free estimates, we make sure every proposal is clear and accurate.

Our pricing is honest and transparent, so you always know what you’re paying for without hidden costs or surprises. From material selection to final installation, we focus on creating a smooth experience while ensuring your home remains protected and visually appealing.

Cedar siding is an investment that combines natural beauty with lasting performance. With proper installation and ongoing maintenance, it continues to deliver value, durability, and distinctive curb appeal for many years – and our team is here to ensure it’s installed the right way from the start.

Benefits of cedar siding

Cedar siding is an excellent choice that can significantly increase the curb appeal of any home. Known for its natural warmth and distinctive texture, it creates a timeless exterior look that complements many architectural styles. When properly installed and maintained, cedar siding also provides strong durability and long-term performance.

Here are the qualities that make cedar siding perfect for protecting exteriors:

• Sustainable. Since cedar requires minimal processing and treatment, it produces the least solid waste and greenhouse gas as well as air and water pollution during the manufacturing process. Cedar siding is completely biodegradable when it serves its lifetime of use and lasts much longer than other wood counterparts.
• Beautiful. The unique, natural beauty of cedar has been used on buildings for ages and it blends in with almost any background. With a wide variety of styles, colors and types, each homeowner can find an option that fit their personality, as cedar materials can provide both a traditional and a modern look, depending on the style of the siding.
• Durable. This type of siding withstands weather extremes and is water, decay, fungi and bug resistant. It also doesn’t swell, bend or split, but to ensure maximum durability, it is best to coat the materials with a protective finish. Then all cedar siding requires is cleaning twice a year and regular inspections for termites and moisture. Given that you take good care of it, cedar siding can stay beautiful and last for decades.
• Naturally warm. Cedar has excellent insulating properties which makes it a perfect siding material. It keeps your house cool during summer and prevents warm air from escaping during cold winter months. Since wood siding protects the structure from excess water, heat and dryness, it therefore reduces chances of internal structure problems.

Cedar siding is naturally attractive – its grain is unique and not repetitive, as compared with synthetic materials, and natural wood ages beautifully, gradually fading to a grey, silver-like tone. Moreover, cedar is very stable and highly durable, since it contains tannic acid that is a natural preservative. It lasts well when exposed to all weather extremes and naturally insulates your home, helping you save considerable amounts of energy.

Comparison of cedar and other types of siding

When you are deciding between cedar and other types of siding, there are many factors to consider. Aside from aesthetic preferences, you most likely have certain budget expectations for the project, as well as features that you want your house to have.

Vinyl siding is among the cheapest – and cost effective – materials on the market. Being one of the most popular selections in the United States, it comes with a wide variety of colors, shapes and styles. It is also durable and modern vinyl siding often comes with a heat stabilizer to protect if from melting on hot summer days. However, plastic siding does not provide such aesthetic benefits as those of cedar, and is not quite as durable, long lasting and waterproof. While two houses covered in cedar siding will never look alike, houses, covered in vinyl tend to look quite identical.

Fiber cement, on the other hand, is more durable than cedar siding. It is also fire resistant and completely insect proof, can withstand harsh weather conditions. It doesn’t swell, mold or crack and modern fiber cement siding can replicate the look of painted wood almost indistinguishably. However, it cannot provide the natural color and warmth of wood siding, and is much heavier and thus harder to install.

While cedar siding is the most expensive of the three types, its natural qualities are unmatched by man made products. If you are not sure which type of siding is right for your home, you can always count on VIS Exteriors to provide you with a solution, that meets your expectations and budget. We offer free inspections too, so don’t hesitate to contact us for expert advice.

Cedar siding maintenance

Siding and roofing products made from cedar contain natural oils that preserve its natural beauty and repel rot, mildew, pest and insects. However, cedar materials can lose these natural oils when it is not properly maintained, thus making it more prone to damage. Maintenance can slow down this process and help you maintain your exterior.

It is highly recommended to apply a coat of stain or paint on the materials prior to the installation of your new wood siding, and the manufacturer or installer usually takes care of that to ensure that your siding is well protected. In order to preserve the materials, it is recommended to reapply the paint or stain once every couple of years and arranging maintenance inspections once every year.

When installed and maintained properly, wood siding can last up to 75 years and provide your home not only with unmatched beauty, but with excellent protection against the elements and cold as well. When you’re in search of someone to take a look at your siding, call VIS Exteriors. We will examine your siding carefully and honestly inform you of any imperfections. We also perform hail and wind inspections so that you would have reliable contractors for all of your siding needs.

Cedar siding grades

Cedar is rated in a grading system from “A” to “D”, where “A” represents the highest quality and “D” – the lowest quality. The main difference between these materials is that higher grades are clear, while lower grades are more knotty and have rough surface. The grade also affects the cedar siding cost, as lower grades cost less that higher ones.

Clear grades have few flaws and tend to give a more upscale look to a house while knotty grades contain knot holes that create a more casual feeling. Knotty cedar siding is an excellent choice when you’re looking to create a charming, rustic atmosphere for your house, cottage or cabin.

However, not all cedar siding materials posses the same weather-resistant properties and may differ greatly in quality, depending on their manufacturing process. This is exactly why we have selected only reliable and durable materials from top notch manufacturers to use in our projects.

We want you to enjoy a beautiful new look of your house for years to come and be completely satisfied with this high-end siding product, which is why at VIS Exteriors we complete all of our projects to the highest of standards.

Cedar siding styles

Cedar is valued for its natural beauty, color being a priority, which is why this type of siding is rarely painted over. However, while color options may be limited, there are many finish and style options to help you create the look that you want for your home.

Cedar siding comes with a variety of style choices:

• Bevel. This is the most common type, also known as clapboard. This type of cedar siding is available in both clear and knotty grades, and is installed horizontally, providing excellent shadow line. Both smooth and saw textured options are available on the market.
• Board and batten. Vertical design, created by installing wider boards spaced apart by narrower ones (battens). Both knotty and clear grades of cedar siding can be used in creating this pattern, but rough textures are more common.
• Tongue and groove is a popular choice for its versatility and good looks. It can be installed vertically, horizontally and diagonally, and different joint options provide even more opportunities to create a unique look.
• Lap comes with a variety of options. One of its more popular types is channel siding, and since it is installed in a way where one board overlaps another, this creates shadow line effects and knotty variations are perfect wherever a rustic atmosphere is desired.
• Trim boards create a more defined, clean look of the finest quality.
• Shingles and shakes. These two products are a great way to create an inspired look for your house since they create a unique and timeless facade. Even though they require more skill and experience to install and can be more costly than other cedar siding types, it is well worth the investment. With cedar shakes and shingles, your house gets a one of a kind character and is easily distinguishable from any other house in your neighbourhood.

No matter which option of cedar siding you choose, it is bound to make your house look beautiful and stand out from the rest of the neighbourhood.

Choose trusted cedar shingle and shake siding contractor in DuPage County and nearby neighborhoods

Maximizing the advantages of cedar siding means that it needs to be installed and maintained properly. Since doing this ensures protecting your investment, it is essential to trust your project to cedar siding experts.

We are a roofing and siding company, in business since 2001, and over our years of service we have completed over 4,000 successful projects. We specialize in transforming the exteriors around DuPage County, and our service range includes not only siding and roofing, but replacement windows, gutters installation, hail and wind damage inspections as well.

Our team is meticulous, clean and focuses on customer satisfaction primarily, so you can be sure that we will work hard to meet and exceed your expectations. Call us at 630-230-8533 and let’s talk about your project!