Redwood Siding Thickness

[dicko]

This isnt exactly fine woodworking but it might involve power tools so I figured I ask here.

I am remodeling my kitchen which required me to move a window. I am now at the point where I am trying to replace the siding. The house was built in 1957 and has 1 x 8 redwood board and batten siding.

I figured I'd just go and buy more of the same at the local lumbar yard. Nope. Somewhere between 1957 and now, the thickness of 1x redwood boards changed from 3/4" to 5/8". So all the new stuff I can buy is an 1/8" short and doesnt match with the old siding.

Can I buy an 1/8" thick sheet of something that I can put in back of the boards? Can I plane down a 1/4" thick piece of ply to use in back? Use 1/8" shims and leave a space behind each board? Can I special order the right thickness? (Though I dont think the local lumbaryard is equipped to do that)

Or should I just go out and buy 1 x 8 pine boards and hope it lasts?

BTW, the house is painted (the previous owner painted it, not me) so pine would work just fine, if it would only hold up to the elements.

I'm tending toward the pine.

Any other ideas?

dickm

[marson]

I'd buy some 7/8" cedar and run it though a thickness planer before I would use pine. pine will hold up fine--it just isn't as good at holding paint as redwood or cedar because it moves more.

[Preston Andreas]

You can have it made. We have a local lumberyard that charges a setup fee (about $65) and a knife grinding fee (about $125) if they don't already have the knives (they have a tremendous stock of patterns) and then so much per lineal foot. You have to judge whether or not is it worth it.

You can buy 1/8" ply, but make sure it is protected. Also, yellow pine is more rot resistant than white pine.

Preston