Paulownia Siding Problems

Paulownia tree wood is somewhat brittle.

Paulownia siding problems.

Have you heard of any quality issues with clapboard siding from a species of wood called paulownia. It is easy to plane sand saw rip route and carve. This pre primed glued up siding was installed on our house in 2007. Paulownia has machining and woodworking characteristics similar to red cedar and is not affected by humidity and moisture.

Small to medium tree that reaches a height of 30 60 ft. Maybe i get something different that we call paulownia but what my supplier sells as paulownia is a finger joint primed cedar board available in 1x and 5 4x. It s much softer than the finger joint primed pine. The specific gravity of paulownia ranges between 0 23 to 0 30 23 to 30 of the density of water.

During quick processing there is not danger of splitting or chipping. Paulownia is almost 1 3 the weight of oak 44 lbs p cubic ft and half the weight of pine 30 lbs p cubic ft. And paulownia right now doesn t seem to have any disease or insect problems. See the articles wood allergies and toxicity and wood dust safety for more information.

Paulownia air dries in 30 to 60 days without cupping warping cracking or splitting. Paulownia trimboard siding paulownia is easy to work using hand or machine tools. Strength modus of rupture mor psi of paulownia is 5740. They often droop as well requiring removal to allow.

It easily absorbs glue paint and stains. Paulownia is resistant to decay and rotting provided it is not in permanent contact with the ground. Paulownia has a natural resistance to termites. Strength paulownia has one of the highest strength to weight ratios of any wood.

Besides the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust no further health reactions have been associated with paulownia. Still need to seal all cut edges though. Kiln drying takes 36 to 60 hours depending on dry kiln configuration horsepower and dimension of lumber. The branches are susceptible to wind damage and can easily crack or break off completely at the crotch.

Produces clusters of light purple fragrant flowers in the spring. It may go under the brand name of duraprime or e prime. Paulownia wood machines and works well it is very dimensionally stable and is not subject to warping cupping or splitting even when exposed to outdoor elements. Paulownia is a highly competitive invasive ornamental tree that grows rapidly.