cedar siding on a doublewide

[breighdi]

Hello there.....my husband and I are about to purchase a beautiful Norris built 48 x 76 Clayton home. We are considering their cedar siding which the model has and looks fantastic. We have been told by the dealer it costs approx. $4,000 but takes alot of work and is expensive to maintain. He suggested vinyl to be the better choice. We are concerned about the upkeep so it doesn't loose its look, termites, or other pests, as our land is quite wooded, and of course the cost. The warranty will only last for so long.....sorry I can't remember how long. Any info about these concerns would be greatly appreciated. I dont know the brand or any other info about the cedar that they use.....but it is cedar not a cedarlike product.
Thankyou...breighdi

[trmimo]

Cedar does require a great deal of maintenance. It requires regular washing and sealing with a wood preservative if you don't want the color to change. If you do want the color to change it still has to be washed quite often when in a wooded area. If you have woodpeckers in your woods you don't want cedar. Hardie lap offers a very similar look with less maintenance and is impervious to termites and woodpeckers don't like it, but the cost is almost as much as cedar and requires repainting.

[Larry]

The HUD Code lists no specific products to use for the siding. It is a personal choice what you want on your home. However, the HUD Code does say that home manufactures need to protect the home from the elements (HUD reference 3280.307). If the manufacturer uses cedar siding, it must perform as well as vinyl siding. Just watch out for maintenance requirments.